Blessed Thistle - Where Can we get the recipe and Thistles?

[garwatts]

Blessed Thistle
http://www.cairngormbrewery.com/index.p ... how&ref=bt

Truly unique, brewed with Thistles. This special brew takes us back to the days when different herbs and spices would be employed to impart bitterness and flavour. Thistles are boiled in the wort giving bitterness whilst pale, crystal and chocolate grains are used to create a smooth full bodied malty ale. The late addition of goldings hops and a touch of ginger adds to the flavours.

(Alc 4.5% vol.)

Had a couple of pints of this at the Blunsdon Arms (Ember Inns) on Sunday. Absolutely lovely. Does anyone have a recipe please?

[John F]

I did a search using the plant's latin name (cnicus benedictus), but didn't find anything especially helpful. It's an occasional visitor to the UK. I've seen it mentioned in Clive La Pensee's book on house brewing, and possibly in the gruit section of the old (early 90s) Durden Park book. It's possible they use something native, but I suppose the only way to find out is to ask.

[garwatts]

This is a nice grain bill that should give you a reddish brown beer
Pale Malt 4010 grams 80%
Crystal Malt 550 grams 11%
Chocolate Malt 100 grams 2%

I'm not sure where you can source thistles from all year round, I know some places that sell small quantities of dried thistles for flower arrangements (they'll cost a few quid though).

Do you know whether it is the leaves or flowers they use ? They flower at the end of the summer and they are basically a weed that can be found all over the UK if you look for them but they never seem to grow in large numbers where I live so collecting might be a little tiresome.

I wonder whether the brewers use Milk Thistle Extract to flavour the beer rather than actual thistles ?

Thanks for that Chris - have sent them an email but am not holding my breath

[seymour]

This is what I gathered from email with the brewery:

Cairngorm Blessed Thistle Ale
Cairngorm Brewery Co. - Aviemore, Inverness-shire, Scotland
ABV: 4.5%
Grainbill: Pale, Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt
Bittering: Thistle plants (the whole plant, roots, stem, leaf and barb in the boil kettle)
Late Aroma Addition: Goldings, Ginger
Colour: reddish brown

Thistles grow as weeds most places, but only contain the barb/flowers at a certain time of year, so I would think the timing of "ripe" thistle plants would necessarily make this a seasonal brew...