Who are Epochal?

Epochal is Glasgow's newest craft brewery focusing on barrel fermented ales. 

Just based in Port Dundas off of the Forth & Clyde, you can find owner and head brewer, Gareth, brewing up his passion. 

The first time that I met Gareth was when Grunting Growler had their craft beer pop up shop at Peckhams just off of Clarence Drive in Hyndland, Glasgow. He was generous enough to share some of his home brew with me which was a lime gose aged on wood chips that were soaked in tequila! I was totally blown. It was my first time that I had tried a sour beer, and for the longest time, I really struggled to find a sour beer that was better than it!

Fast-forward a handful of years, and now you can find Gareth exclusively brewing barrel fermented ales. 

But what exactly does this mean?

Epochal starts off their primary fermentation process with a standard sachromyces yeast strain. But then they finish the beer in barrels with a mixed culture Brettanomyces (brett for short) strain. 

This is where things get interesting. 

Brett is a wild yeast strain. Both figuratively and literally.

Many people typically associate Brett as a yeast that is funky, barnyard like, and dry. And yes, while this is true, it really depends on the strain of Brett, and how old it is. 

At Epochal they release their beers very young which results in the beer having beautiful fruit esters of pear, peach and pineapple. However, overtime, as the beer gets older and older, the brett will dry the beer out & naturally the beer will become more funky. 

So if you're drinking their beers, be sure to buy 2 for now and later. 

If you want to try epochal beers, then click on this link to see all of their stock.