Morland Brewing (Greene King Brewery) - The Tanner’s Jack

This English ale pours a clear, reddish-copper color with a moderately-sized fluffy head that left some lacing as we drained our glasses. On the nose, expect a malty core with caramel and mild nutty aromas, as well as a traditionally English touch of buttery diacetyl. Hops contribute a bit of a leafy, woody aroma with underlying hints of pine and citrus peel. On the palate, The Tanner’s Jack is richly malty and superbly balanced with the hops offering a moderate 35 IBUs of counterbalancing bitterness to the soft, creamy sweetness. The Wye Golding and Challenger hops also add a delicately herbal, woody, and somewhat spicy character, while a mild fruity undertone lurks under the surface of this brew. We were quite impressed by this very well-crafted English ale, which we feel straddles the line a bit between English Bitter and English Pale Ale. Beers like this prove you can have excellent depth of flavor and balance in a sessionable sub-5% ABV brew. Cheers to that!

Morland Brewing was founded in 1711 by farmer John Morland in West Ilsley, a small town in Berkshire less than a mile from Britain’s famous Ridgeway – the oldest road on the island dating back to Neolithic times. As time went on the business expanded, and after purchasing the Abbey Brewery and Eagle Brewery in nearby Abingdon in the 1860s, Morland moved their entire brewing operation to Abingdon about twenty tears later. In 1885 the brewing company incorporated and changed its name to United Breweries. It was not long afterwards that brewer and businessman Thomas Skurray joined the business. Under his leadership a period of growth was launched lasting several decades, including the acquisition of several other breweries and the construction of a new malt house which gave them full on-site control over the germination and roasting of their barley. Around 1944 the brewery embraced their heritage by returning once again to the Morland name. Then in 2000 the brewery was acquired by Greene King, another famous and old British brewery. Founded in 1799 by Benjamin Greene (grandfather of British novelist Graham Greene), Greene King Brewery has maintained the Morland brand, brewing Morland’s lineup of Moreland’s Original, Tanner’s Jack, Old Speckled Hen, and Hen’s Tooth at their brewery in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk.