Brewer Greene King unveils its Heritage Series beers created from preserved barley seeds

Five precious barley seeds were the foundation for two new ales being launched by Greene King.

Using the seeds to grow a crop to replicate an ale from the 1800s and using an ancient recipe the Bury St Edmunds brewery has unveiled its Heritage Series.

The limited edition Heritage Suffolk Pale Ale and Heritage Vintage Fine Ale were created using East Anglian Chevallier malted barley. Maltster Crisp Malt used the five preserved Chevallier seed which were re sown and crops from this were harvested to create the volume needed to replicate the ancient ale.

The Heritage Series beers are bottle conditioned premium ales which provide the typical taste for the ales which would have been consumed in rural Suffolk in the early 1800s.

The Suffolk Pale Ale uses Saaz and Strisselsplat hops to give the brew a refreshing flavour with herbal, citrus, floral and spicy notes.

The Vintage Fine Ale is enhanced with biscuity notes from amber malt with a hint of caramel. Fuggle, Bramling Cross and Goldings adding soft fruits, floral and spicy notes to create a rich complex and full bodied ale.

These are available in selected pubs and Tesco stores.