Lightyears is designed and brewed as part of our SIPA series of unfined, intentionally hazy, hop-forward cask ales.  

Excitingly, all the SIPAs this year, starting with this one, will be gluten free as well as vegan friendly. We have achieved this through the addition of an enzyme at the start of fermentation, which is able to break down gluten molecules into smaller non allergenic molecules and reduce the gluten levels in the beer to below 20ppm, meaning the beer can be labelled as gluten free.   

Lightyears is a single hop beer, and we’ve used Idaho 7, a US hop with a really full flavour profile; everything from big tropical and citrus notes to more complex aromas of pine and stone fruit. We dry hopped at 6g/l, adding hop pellets to the fermentation vessel adding a really rounded and full hop aroma to the beer.  

A healthy addition of naked malted oats to the grain bill, combined with higher chloride levels in the water profile, help increase perceived body and full mouthfeel, rounding out the hop bitterness. It’s fermented with a London Ale iii yeast strain, which provides more stone fruit and tropical esters (aroma compounds produced as a bi-product of fermentation), and leaves a healthy amount of residual sugars, once primary fermentation is complete.   

Lightyears, like the rest of our SIPA range seems to taste even better when paired with good company, a great book or that perfect sandwich. Enjoy!