Charles Wells

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For a man that broke the bank at Monte Carlo, see Charles Wells (gambler)

Charles Wells is a British brewery founded in 1876 by Charles Wells in Bedford, England.

1 Charles Wells biography
2 History
3 Notable beers
4 External links

[edit] Charles Wells biography

Charles Wells, after whom the brewery is named, was born in Bedford in 1842; he left school at the age of 14 and ran away to sea by boarding the frigate 'Devonshire' which was bound for India. In the late 1860s, Wells was promoted to Chief Officer when he fell in love with and proposed to a Josephine Grimbley. Unfortunately, his prospective father-in-law put paid to his plans when he announced that no daughter of his would marry a man who would be away at sea for months at a time. And so Wells, desperate to marry his sweetheart, left his sea-faring career and in 1876 established the Charles Wells Family Brewery to provide beer for the local population of Bedfordshire.

[edit] History

Label on a Cobra beer bottle

The Charles Wells Family Brewery was founded by Charles Wells in 1876. In 1875, a two and a quarter acre site came to auction on the banks of the River Ouse as it ran through Bedford. This site contained both a coal depot and a brew house; included in the price were 35 pubs, mainly in Bedford and the surrounding area.

Wells thought that beer would always be in demand, and with the help of his father he purchased the site and began work to turn the small brew house into a fully fledged brewery which could serve the county.

As water is an essential ingredient for any beer, good quality water is needed in order to create the best beer. In 1902, Wells climbed a local hill a couple of miles from the brewery and sank his own well to tap into an underground reservoir of water, purified through layers of chalk and limestone. All Charles Wells beer, and with the recent joint venture with Youngs so are all Youngs beer, is made with water drawn from this well.

By 1976, exactly 100 years since the Brewery was established, the Brewery moved from its Horne Lane site to a brand new site on Havelock Street, the Eagle Brewery. The move came about due to an increased demand for the companies beers, spurred on by the Breweries deal with Red Stripe brewery Desnoes & Geddes. This offered the company the chance to install the most up-to-date brewing equipment, and a state of the art Bottling line.

Today, the Brewery is still in the Family's capable hands, with the fifth generation coming into the business. There are currently three members of the family who work at the brewery, all serving on the board of directors. The brewery now has an estate of more than 250 pubs across the Eastern region, and has its beers sold in bars across 23 countries through its John Bull enterprise.

On May 23rd 2006 the company announced that it was to form a new company with Youngs brewery, who were to move from their Wandsworth site. The new firm is to be called Wells Young Brewing, with Charles Wells having a 60% stake and Youngs 40%, and goes into operation on the 2nd October 2006. Brewing of all Youngs brands will be at the Eagle Brewery in Bedford.

[edit] Notable beers

Bombardier Bitter (4.3% ABV)

An award winning flagship English bitter which is described by Alastair Gilmour (British Guild of Beer Writers) as a "Superlative bitter with an unexpectedly light, fruity flavour and a mere suggestion of malt settles on the palate after a lap of honour over every curve of the tongue."

Banana Bread Beer A beer made with bananas. Available filtered and pasteurised in bottles at 5.2% abv, and unfiltered in the cask at 4.3% abv.

Eagle Bitter (3.6% ABV)

This session pint is described by award winning beer writer Alastair Gilmour as follows: "The aroma is of freshly sliced ripe apples. Its amber hue is emphasised by a tight rich head which set it up as an Ale with real credentials."

Kirin Beer (5.0% ABV)

Kirin is a Japanese-style lager, brewed under licence in Bedford by Kirin's Japanese Master Brewer. The traditional Japanese recipe, which uses rice, is carefully replicated ensuring that Kirin drinkers enjoy the unique flavour sensations. Kirin is identified as "having a clean crisp refreshing taste."

Red Stripe Lager (4.7% ABV)

Red Stripe is brewed under licence and follows the authentic recipe using specially imported Yakima hops from the Washington state. "It is rooty with a fresh, earthy, aroma and a mellow, unruffled sweetness."

Cobra

Cobra is a 5% abv lager containing maize and rice. It is contract-brewed for the Indian businessman Karan Bilimoria. It was first brewed in 1989 and was originally an import only beer brewed in Bangalore, India. From 1997 it has been brewed by Charles Wells.