North East Beer Review

The third Sustainable Sunday is on Hawkstone Lager which conveniently was loaded into my Perfect Draft machine. I know Hawkstone engage in my sustainable practices whether its supporting farmers to reusing spent grain, I felt it was right to continue to highlight this already famous brand. As this has a snapshot of my childhood with former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson being involved, I thought this would be great to explore. So what did I think? Enjoy as I explore the history of this brewery and beer, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally my verdict. Cheers

Sustainability from the Cotswolds

Hawkstone Brewery is a modern British brewery based in Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire. The business originally began life as the Cotswold Brewing Company in 2005, founded by Emma and Rick Keene. At a time when many small British breweries focused primarily on ales, the company specialised in producing continental-style lagers, inspired by traditional German brewing methods. Their early reputation was built on creating premium craft lagers using locally sourced ingredients and longer fermentation periods than many mass-produced lagers.

The brewery moved to its current farm-based location in 2010 and continued to expand its range of lagers, ciders and spirits. A major turning point came in 2021 when television presenter and farmer Jeremy Clarkson partnered with the brewery. Clarkson was looking for a way to add value to the barley grown on his Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire, which had become famous through the Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm. The collaboration resulted in the launch of Hawkstone Lager.

The success of the lager led to a wider rebrand, with the Cotswold Brewing Company eventually becoming Hawkstone Brewery in 2022. The Hawkstone name comes from a prehistoric standing stone located near Clarkson’s farm in Oxfordshire, giving the brand a strong connection to the local countryside and farming heritage.

Hawkstone Lager was introduced in 2021 and is brewed using British barley, including grain grown on Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm. Clarkson reportedly wanted to create a premium lager that showcased British farming while also helping generate additional income from his crops. The beer is brewed by Hawkstone Brewery in the Cotswolds and has an ABV of 4.8%.

Before launch, Clarkson insisted on blind taste testing to ensure the beer met his standards. Following adjustments to the recipe, Hawkstone Lager was released and quickly attracted attention thanks to Clarkson’s popularity and the success of Clarkson’s Farm. Initially intended for sale through the farm shop, demand quickly expanded online and into pubs across the UK. Within months it became one of Amazon UK’s best-selling beers.

Since launch, the Hawkstone range has expanded beyond the original lager to include Session Lager, Pils, IPA, cider, vodka and gin. The brewery has also enjoyed rapid commercial growth, appearing in rankings of Britain’s fastest-growing private companies and significantly expanding its presence in pubs, supermarkets and hospitality venues across the UK.

Today, Hawkstone Lager represents a blend of traditional brewing, modern branding and British agriculture. While Jeremy Clarkson’s involvement helped bring widespread attention to the brand, the beer itself is built upon the brewing expertise and lager-making heritage established by the original Cotswold Brewing Company nearly two decades earlier.

Hawkstone places a strong emphasis on supporting British agriculture by sourcing key ingredients, including barley and increasingly hops, from UK farmers. This helps reduce transport distances and supports local farming communities. The brewery also follows a circular approach to waste management, with spent grain from the brewing process being reused as animal feed and fertiliser rather than discarded. In addition, Hawkstone has invested in expanding British hop production, aiming to use 100% UK-grown hops across its beer range in the coming years. These initiatives reflect the brand’s commitment to strengthening domestic supply chains and promoting more sustainable brewing practices.

A lively lager pour

Hawkstone Lager pours a golden colour which is clear in clarity. A foamy white head forms which retains throughout the entire drinking experience, thus leaving a great deal of lacing down the glass. This lager is refreshingly lively with a steady stream of bubbles consistently travelling up the glass. Overall, an extra high quality lager pour.

A crisp and clean flavour

Aroma

On the nose, Hawkstone Lager offers a clean and fresh aroma with subtle notes of malted barley, light biscuit sweetness and a touch of honey. Gentle floral and grassy hop characteristics add freshness, while a faint citrus note provides a delicate lift. The aroma is crisp and approachable, without being overly complex.

Taste

The flavour of the famous Hawkstone Lager is clean and also well balanced. This beer is led by a smooth malt base that delivers hints of biscuit, cereal grain and light sweetness. Subtle hop bitterness develops through the mid-palate, adding notes of grass and mild citrus that prevent the beer from becoming overly sweet. The finish of the lager is crisp, refreshing and dry. Overall, Hawkstone Lager drinks as a modern premium lager with a focus on balance, drinkability and clean flavour.

Time for my verdict

As much as Hawkstone Lager is a taste of my childhood almost with the famous former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson being involved. It is also a brewery with many sustainable practices with should be commended with efforts of waste management, supporting farmers and the expanding effort in producing 100% grown UK hops. This is a lager with a lot of hype and I feel is totally worth it. I have had a lot of Hawkstone and I have to say it is certainly well crafted. The lager is no exception,for this reason I rate this a solid 4.5 out of 5 for a lager.

Where did I purchase this beer?

This was gifted around Christmas by my Girlfriends Auntie. This was purchased from the Perfect Draft Website as part of a bundle.

Cheers for reading my review. If you enjoyed this review, you will love my review of Budweiser Budvar.