This month’s beer adventures included a short trip up to Scotland for a wedding and a cask beer pub crawl in South Leeds. We also tried delicious ales from the UK's only Trappist Brewery, a selection of chocolate stouts from Vocation, three pale ales from Burning Sky, plus many more.
Here’s a rundown of our favourite new brews for February 2026.
Maple Banger by Põhjala (Estonia)
Imperial Stout 12.5%
This was given to us as a part of a gift set by someone who knows how much we love trying new brews. We haven't tried any Estonian beers before, and this one certainly made a good first impression. It was sweet, syrupy, oily, thick, dark and woody with lovely chocolate and maple flavours. A banging beer.
Brewer’s note: A bänging Imperial Stout brewed with generous addition of maple syrup and infused with toasted maple wood.
Brewer’s website: Põhjala Brewery
Tynt Meadow Blond by Mount St Bernard Abbey (Leicestershire, England)
Style ABV%
Mount St Bernard Abbey is one of only 10 Trappist Breweries in the world (and the only one in the UK). We tried this blond, along with the original Tynt Meadow and their special collab beer (which we have tried before) in a recent New Brew Thursday session, and they were all excellent.
The blond had a sweet maltiness up front and a bitter orange finish (but not overpowering), and there’s no doubt it was worthy of a place in our top five.
Brewer’s note: Tynt Meadow Blond, our second addition, shares the same ingredients as the darker ale but brings a refreshing lightness. It combines citrusy notes of mandarin, orange, and vanilla. At 5% ABV, this English Trappist Blond complements the original’s rich malt profile, adding a balanced, effervescent twist to our brewing tradition.
Following a centuries-old Trappist brewing tradition, we create robust ales that carry a distinctly English character. Both Tynt Meadow and Tynt Meadow Blond feature English barley, hops, and a unique English yeast strain.
Brewer’s website: Tynt Meadow: Mount St Bernard Abbey
Dark Storm by Five Kingdoms (Scotland)
Stout 6.9%
During our visit to Scotland, we picked up this stout brewed by Scotland’s most southerly brewery, Five Kingdoms. We tried a couple of their beers while we were up there, but this one was our favourite (we do love a good stout).
We found out later that it was crowned the CAMRA Champion Bottled Beer of Britain in 2024, and we can see why.
Brewer’s note: Our take on a stout and rapidly gaining cult classic status at the brewery with its name reflecting its colour and strength. Super smooth, rich and creamy on the palate. Awarded gold at 2021 Scottish Retail Food and Drink Awards.
Brewer’s website: Five Kingdoms Brewery
Quench by Burning Sky (East Sussex, England)
NZ Pale Ale 5.2%
We’ve tried a fair few Burning Sky beers (and we still have a couple of their wild ales in our fridge). So far, we haven’t had a bad brew from them, but this one was particularly good. We tried it alongside two other Burning Sky pale ales and all three were excellent, but we both agreed this one just had the edge. The white grape and gooseberry flavours from the Nelson Sauvin hops really shone through, but there was also a hint of lemon and lime.
Brewer’s note: Sumptuous malts, apparent but easy going bitterness to allow full flavours of the Nelson Sauvin and Riwaka hop schedule. White grape, gooseberry and passionfruit to the fore!
Brewer’s website: Burning Sky
BEER OF THE MONTH
Tynt Meadow by Mount St Bernard Abbey (Leicestershire, England)
English Trappist Ale 7.4%
The UK's only Trappist Brewery (Mount St Bernard Abbey) makes two beers - the original Tynt Meadow and Tynt Meadow Blond (which also made it into our top five). Last year, they also made a collab beer with two Dutch Trappist Breweries (Three Rules), and we were lucky enough to get our hands on a bottle, so we tried all three beers in one of our February New Brew Thursday sessions.
All three were excellent (the only reason Three Rules isn’t also in our top five is that we’ve tried it before, so it wasn't a new brew), but the OG just pipped it as our favourite and is a worthy winner of our beer of the month.
Brewer’s note: Trappist beers tend to be named after the place in which the monastery is situated. We’ve called ours ‘Tynt Meadow’, to honour the link with the plot of land on which monastic life was refounded here in the Midlands almost two centuries ago. Being part of the great Trappist tradition, we’ve chosen to produce a strong dark ale, but one with a clearly English character.
Tynt Meadow is mahogany-coloured, with a subtle, warm red hue, and a lasting beige head. Its aroma carries hints of dark chocolate, liquorice, and rich fruit flavours. The beer is full-bodied, gently balancing the taste of dark chocolate, pepper, and fig. It leaves a warm and dry finish on the palate.
Brewer’s website: Tynt Meadow: Mount St Bernard Abbey
Honourable mention
These new brews didn’t quite make it into our top five, but we still feel they are worth a mention.
Butter Beer by Delta (Romania)
Winter Ale 5.5%
We picked this up from the Delta taproom during our Bucharest trip in December because the can design is super cute and butter beer sounded intriguing. We’re giving it our honourable mention because it was a really delicious beer (and the can is super cute).
I’ve been to Harry Potter World and tried the “butter beer” there. It wasn’t particularly great. This version is far superior (I'm sure the alcohol element helps). It’s sweet, with lots of butterscotch flavours, but not too sickly. I’m just sad we didn’t bring more of it home with us.
Brewer’s note: Delta Butter Beer combines the malty, hoppy bitterness of beer with the rich, sweet, and creamy flavor of butterscotch. The result is a smooth, balanced drink with a buttery caramel sweetness that softens the beer’s bitterness. Butter Beer is frequently enjoyed by wizards in bars, in a cozy and warm atmosphere, perfect for winter evenings.
Brewer’s website: Delta Beer
Revisited
Not a new brew but a beer we’ve revisited recently because it’s one of our favourites.
Midnight Bell by Leeds Brewery (Leeds)
Dark Ale 4.8%
We couldn’t visit The Midnight Bell without having a pint of Midnight Bell. It’s a lovely dark ale with lots of body and flavour, and a not-too-high ABV.
Brewer’s note: Premium dark ale. First Gold and Willamette hops combine with roasted chocolate malts and our unique strain of Yorkshire yeast to create a smooth, rich beer.
Brewer’s website: Leeds Brewery
Abt 12 by St. Bernardus (Belgium)
Belgian Quadrupel 10%
We’ve had this beer a few times, and we will no doubt have it again, as it never fails to impress. It’s strong, so it’s a sipper, but it’s just so moreish and delicious.
Brewer’s note: St.Bernardus Abt 12 is widely regarded as one of the best beers in the world and therefore also the real flagship of our brewery. It is brewed in the classic quadrupel style and adheres to the original 1946 recipe.
Did you know that the St.Bernardus on every thousandth label of a 33-centilitre bottle is winking?
St.Bernardus Abt 12 is a dark beer of top fermentation with a robust head that is ivory in colour. It has a very fruity aroma that is the result of using our own unique yeast. It brims over with different, complex tastes and stands out through its long, bittersweet finish. It is an ideal partner for rich beef dishes and recipes with game. It also forms a perfect match with blue cheese and chocolate.
Brewer’s website: Home | St.Bernardus
