North East Beer Review

Bridge and Barrel Brew Co is a brand new brewery to the North East and specifically Newcastle. Part of the Social Brew Co family, they create beer that aims to bring people together. Their first ever brew is called Unnatural which is 5.2% IPA and I have managed to get my hands on the first ever batch from this new brewery. I am very excited to review Unnatural and hopefully help branch their name out to more of North East and hopefully nationwide. So during the course of the review I will attempt to provide you with as much information about this new brewery as I can and I will provide you with an honest and independent review of Unnatural. Cheers.

A brand new venture in Newcastle

Bridge and Barrel Brew Co is a brewery that is based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the North East of England. Part of Social Brew Co family, which according to their Instagram is currently “building Britain’s community brewery, and is a business which aims to bring people together through great drinks. The name is inspired by the iconic bridges which connect people across the river Tyne and the barrels that have been used to craft beer for generations.

The aims of Bridge and Barrel is to create small batch beers which focuses on quality and craftsmanship. It is understood that the brewers are not interested in creating brews with fancy hard to pronounce names thus usually piled with unnecessary ingredients. Instead, Bridge and Barrel focuses on “clean branding, balanced flavours, and premium quality that you’ll want to come back to again and again.” Every batch brewed by Bridge and Barrel is brewed with care and showcases the famous craftsmanship associated with Newcastle whether it is the brewers themselves or the vast history of industry such as shipbuilding. As the first time exploring this brewery, I can tell that they aim to create nonsense beer with a community focused ambition to unite people.

Bridge and Barrel Brew Co Unnatural IPA is the debut release for the brewery and is part of their pilot series. Im not 100% exactly when this was released but I did notice that it was posted in the brewers Instagram in Late June 2026. As stated earlier, it aims for a bold flavour without being overly complex. The name Unnatural comes from the idea that “ordinary was never the plan”and the intent to be loved and remembered. Brewed with locally sourced ingredients and hopped with Citra and Amarillo, Unnatural aims for balanced malt base, with a tropical and citrus fruit focus along with a pine finish. It carries an ABV of 5.2% which could make this relatively sessionable. So how did Batch 1 of this IPA get on?

A glowing and bright pour

Unnatural pours a bright golden to almost orange colour which has a slight natural haze and almost glows in the light. A foamy white head forms which acts as a cap throughout the drinking experience. Thus, a very fine of lacing complements the lively but fine carbonation, with a steady stream of bubbles travelling up the glass. Overall, a bright and refreshing pour which gives a good indication of its refreshing nature.

A basic but incredibly drinkable brew

Aroma

Immediately upon opening this can I could smell the citrusy aromas bursting from within. Once this was poured, I noticed a tropical and citrus fruits led aroma reminiscent of maybe mango and pineapple as well as a lemon to grapefruit note. There was a subtle sweetness from malt base which was accompanied by a piney edge. Overall, a fresh and quite aromatic pour which smelled very refreshing.

Taste

Like the aroma, From the first sip I noticed you get an immediate flavour of tropical and citrus fruits such as mango, pineapple, lemon, grapefruit and touch of stonefruits such as peach. Mid Palate, a piney bitterness appears which was quite controlled furthermore going hand in hand with the malt base. The malts give Unnatural a subtle bready sweetness whilst balancing the pilsner-esque bite. The finish was clean, crisp and refreshing with a slight lemon bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium-light bodied and this was extremely smooth and drinkable. Overall, I feel the taste of Unnatural was not complex as advertised but it was remarkably drinkable, crisp and smooth. This fruity nature was well balanced to create an easy drinking IPA. I really enjoyed this.

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Time for my verdict

To conclude, I love being able to showcase breweries from the region especially being a proud Geordie and Northerner. Over my year of reviewing beer I have had plenty of positive interactions with the likes of Thirsty Moose, FoxCub and Hadrians Border. I hope to see more of Bridge and Barrel in the future and I will certainly be keeping an eye out. In terms of Unnatural, this was a well balanced, easy drinking and properly approachable. The tropical and citrus flavours gave this a refreshing edge especially in the boiling weather of today. Was this brew perfect? No, it was quite basic however this was absolutely a positive first impression and I look forward to their next brew. Overall, I rate this 4 out of 5. Keep up the good work.

Where did I purchase this beer?

I bought this beer from the brilliant shop in Low Fell called The Rare Drop. Absolutely brilliant service from Calvin as always and I can’t wait to return again.

Thanks for reading my review. If you loved my review you will love my review of another North East brewery and its hazy IPA called Thirsty Moose Hazy Hinny.