Woodforde's, founded in 1981, is one of Britain's longest-running craft breweries and is a major force in East Anglia and surrounding areas. It's based in the attractive Broads village of Woodbastwick, where there's a shop and an attached pub, the Fur & Feather. Tours of the brewery are available (01603 720353).

Woodforde's, Headcracker (England) Headcracker, in common with a Belgian Tripel, has a deceptively pale bronze colour, but this bottle-conditioned barley wine packs a punch. It has a pronounced barley sugar/rich malt aroma balanced by a peppery Goldings hop note and tart citrus fruit. Sweet malt coats the tongue but any tendency to cloy is offset by generous hopping and tangy fruit. The finish has great length and complexity, with bitterness building to balance the rich malt and barley sugar, along with a continuing citrus fruit note. Headcracker is brewed with Maris Otter pale malt, caramalt, Goldings and Styrian Goldings. Malt: high. Hops: moderate/high. Fruit: high. While many beer shops and supermarkets in Eastern England stock Woodforde�s beers, few offer Headcracker on the grounds of its strength � an absurd attitude, as it�s weaker than wines and spirits. The easiest option is to buy online from Woodfordes where the cost includes post and packing. 7.0% ABV, 50cl, �33.36 X 12, brewery website, Realaleshop.