Aroma

Roasted malt, hops and banana-fruit.

Taste

Dry palate with a complex mixture of hops, fruit and roasted malt with a dry refreshing finish.

This strong, velvety, ruby brown beer really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It is deceptively clean drinking, with a wonderfully complex palate of coffee, bananas and liquorice which rewards you with a long refreshing Goldings hop finish.

Food and Beer Pairing

The pale chocolate malts and inherent strength of Riggwelter means it stands up to any strongly flavoured rich red meat or strong cheese. At the same time, the rich espresso and chocolate flavours combined with strong fruitiness makes Riggwelter the perfect accompaniment to decadent deserts such as dark chocolate torte.

Riggwelter is also the best beer to soak fruit in to make a deliciously rich fruitcake.

Ingredients

We use a base of Maris Otter malted barley, but add plenty of crystal malt, specifically a Pale Chocolate Malt. This very dark roasted malt gives the beer its rich dark colour, its espresso nose and roasted malt flavours.

We use a touch of wheat which helps deliver the lovely creamy head and lacing down the glass - just what you would expect from a proper Yorkshire beer!

What’s in a name?

Riggwelter Ale takes its name from a local Yorkshire Dales farming term which has Norse root; “rygg” meaning back, and “velte” meaning to overturn. A sheep is said to be rigged or “rigwelted”, when it has rolled onto its back and is unable to get back up without assistance.

It seemed the perfect name for a strong beer from the Black Sheep Brewery in Yorkshire.

Winter Warmer

On a cold winter's day our founder Paul likes to add tot of rum to his Riggwelter. We call this tipple a ‘Rigg and Rum or ‘Rigged Rum’ and it's guaranteed to put the colour back in your cheeks!

Awards

2011
Silver Award - International Beer Challenge
2010
Gold 2 Star Award – Great Taste Awards
2009
Gold 2 Star Award – Great Taste Awards
Gold 2 Star Award (Riggwelter Plum Pudding) – Great Taste Awards
Bronze Award – International Beer Challenge
2004
Silver Award – Brewing Industry International Award

Fancy a pint?

Riggwelter is also available as a bottled beer.