Wood’s Brewery’s newest beer is a drinkable representation of ‘the will of the people’. The brewery, which is based in Craven Arms, launched their new tipple in March after a vote by beer drinkers at last year’s Shropshire Oktoberfest.
Wood’s will add Take 5 to their growing collection of beers, which already includes Shropshire Lad and Shropshire Lass. Take 5’s name derives from the five hops used to create it – Target, Centennial, Mount Hood, Amarillo and Citra. It is a classic 5.2% India Pale Ale and will be available in cask form for the on-trade market.
Wood’s created three IPAs for the poll: Shady Sam, Dodgy Dave and Rowdy Rob, which festival-goers tasted and scored. Shady Sam was crowned the winner for taste and Dodgy Dave was slightly ahead for nose. Wood’s head brewer Andy Pinnock explains, “We tweaked the Shady Sam recipe a little, adding some Citra hops from the Dodgy Dave recipe. By taking the best from both, we’ve created a very smooth yet hoppy, floral and citrusy IPA, which is incredibly drinkable. A big ‘thank you’ goes to the beer drinkers of Shropshire for helping me to create this fantastic IPA.”