21 Kveik Pale Ale Review

21 Kveik Pale Ale comes from BBNo or Brew By Numbers based in Greenwich, London, England. A beer to celebrate Oktoberfest and brewed with Berlin based brewery Fuerst Wiacek. Brewed with Kveik yeast from the Norwegian farmhouse strains now popular with craft breweries. So what’s this Kveik beer like?

21 Kveik Pale Ale is a delight, it’s fruity, tropical and smooth. It pours a light hazy orange with a generous foamy white top. On the nose there is a subtle malt base with mild fruity aromas. The taste is morish with hoppy tropical citrus fruits over a smooth creamy malt base. A well balanced pale ale that is a delight to drink, it’s not in your face, but it’s all there. It gets a rate my beer score of 4.5 out of 5.0.

It doesn’t slap you round the face, but it quietly delivers the goods, a nice beer.

Table Of Contents

21 Kveik Pale Ale Review

Although brewer in September 2023 ready for the Oktoberfest celebrations. This beer is still knocking around with some beer shops and suppliers. The best before date on the can is September 24, so all is good with the beer.

A collaboration between London based Brew By Numbers (which isn’t the brewery it use to be, more on that later) and the Fuerst Wiacek Brewery in Berlin, Germany.

Both breweries are known for their quality experimental hoppy beers, and this one is no exception.

At a pretty low 3.8% ABV this beer is better than expected. A good well balanced body that is well within session status, so fill your boots.

It sits in a stubby 330ml silver can with a vibrant blue and orange label, it’s time to crack it open.

Drinking 21 Kveik Pale Ale

21 Kveik Pale Ale poured by Lou is a light hazy orange with a generous white foamy head. The head does fade to a thin cover but stays for the duration leaving a nice decorative lacing around the glass.

On the nose it is more subtle than I expected for a hoppy pale ale. A fine malt base with mild fruity citrus aromas just lightly rise from the glass.

In for a sip and again pretty subtle, mildly carbonated in the mouth and delicate hoppy tropical citrus fruits notes over a smooth malt base.

Hints of orange, peach and mango it is fruity and hoppy but almost creamy. I like it, for a 3.8% ABV it has a decent body, is well balanced, not sweet, yet not bitter either.

This is not an in your face pale ale, it doesn’t kick you in the teeth. It is smooth creamy and wet, a morish beer than gets a rate my beer score of 4.5 – 5.0.

M’Lady is pretty impressed with this beer too, saying; “A mild fruity aroma, leads to an appealing smooth fruity well balanced taste, this is a nice pale ale, boom.”

Lou scores an identical 4.5 – 5.0, it’s not often we hit a beer with the same score.

It’s a neat little sesh beer that delivers on flavour.

Brew By Numbers

Brew By Numbers was founded in 2011 by Tom Hutchings and Dave Seymour. The pair met on a climbing tour in Asia while travelling around the world.

On their return to the UK in 2010 Brew By Numbers was born setting up in a railway arch in Bermondsey, London. The idea was to be experimental with beer brewing small batches and then splitting them to work the two halves separately.

Each beer has a number representing its style and ingredients, brewing by numbers. The brewery went on to set up new premises in Morden Wharf, Greenwich, London to expand.

All was going well until 2023 after 11 good years of brewing quality beers.

Unfortunately the brewery went into administration in 2023 and then recently brought out of administration by the Breal Capital.

Breal Capital seem to be buying up struggling breweries and hospitality companies, already snapping up Brick Brewery in Peckham, London, Black Sheep Brewery in Yorkshire. As well as Vinoteca Wine bars and now Purity Brewing Co in the West Midlands, England.

The other side of the coin is Fuerst Wiacek Brewery in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 2016 by Georg Furst and Lukasz Wiacek who also apparently met while rock climbing.

If you want a partner to start a brewery, then do a bit of rock climbing.

Production started on a small scale brewing beer at home, but their passion would see them rise and create their own brewery.

However they spent a few years leasing space in other breweries to bring their beer to the market.

But now they operate from their own premises in Berlin and hopefully will weather this storm that has brought so many small breweries to their knees in recent years.

BBNo Beer Range

The nature of the brewery is experimental and they are always brewing new beer. I don’t think they actually have a core range. So things are forever changing.

One thing for sure is the beer is quality, however you might not find the same beer twice. So if you find your new favourite then stock up.

Here are a few beers that are currently (at time of writing) available from their online shop.

42

42 is a DDH Clementine Pale Ale that sounds like it can pack a hoppy punch. Using Galaxy, Nectaron and Simcoe hops it is a hoppy tropical citrus flavour burst that might just bite you with its bitterness.

At a straight 5.0% ABV it sits on the fence of session, so a little caution is wise. I am not sure how long it will be available, but it sounds like a lively vibrant beer with a bitter punch.

32

32 Is a German style Pilsner, a crisp clean lager that is very drinkable. A light but sweet malt base and a nice clean bitter finish carrying some subtle spicy notes sounds good to me.

Weighing in at a middle of the road 4.0% ABV it is okay to quench that thirst with another pint. If you like lager then this could be a good choice.

55

55 is a DIPA, double India Pale Ale brewed for the 11th birthday of the brewery. It’s all about the hops and an array of tropical flavours with a bitter backlash.

A smooth creamy beer with plenty of flavour and bitterness, but it does pack a big punch. At 8.0% ABV it is not for the faint hearted, and definitely not a session beer.

Just the one then while stocks last.

Final Thoughts

Brew By Numbers then are an experimental and innovative brewery that produce quality unique beers full of flavour. It is such a shame that they find themselves in such difficulty.

Breal Capital have saved the brewery and the staff, which obviously is a good thing. However will the brewery still stand out from the crowd with its great beers. Only time will tell whether BBNo remains uncut and original.

As for the 21 Kveik Pale Ale, I enjoyed it, as did Lou. A really morish beer that delivers the goods in a really under the radar way. Smooth, creamy and full of flavour, a decent beer.

If you have tried 21 Kveik Pale Ale, then do share your thoughts below, let me know how it scored for you.