The Ale Archive

What they say? Well, www.perfectpint.co.uk reckon this: “A sweet malty beer with bitter hoppy aftertaste brewed in Burton.” Bearing the M & B name but now brewed it seems by brewing giants Coors. Reviews online suggest it is a poor imitation of the original. They may well be right. Inoffensive and a good session beer but a little insipid. 3.6% A.B.V. The White Lion , Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull. October 2016

What they say: “The pale brown to amber medium bodied beer has a strong hop character. It's a bitter but with unconventional warm tones of malt that lingers on the palette, the complex malty flavours gives richness, balanced by the clean hoppy finish. A good session bitter brewed with local British hops picked from the farm seven miles down the road in Worcestershire - Fuggles, Goldings, Challenger and Progress.” Lovely. Didn’t find it too hoppy, just a good honest bitter. From nearby Shropshire. The White Lion , Hampton-in-Arden, Solihull. October 2016

  What they say: “ Crafted from British hops, Maris Otter barley and Cornish spring water, Cornish Best is an easy-drinking, traditional, well balanced bitter with wide appeal. Cornish Best is brewed from the heart of Cornwall but with a flavour that appeals further afield. For its strength it drinks much fuller with plenty of toffee and biscuit flavours complemented with a hint of bitterness on the finish. A very nice well balanced beer.” Our first stop on our summer jaunt is in North Devon just up from Woolacombe but our first taste was from over the border in Cornwall and it didn’t disappoint. In a word, delicious. It was everything I like in a beer, it’s flavour belying it’s strength and at less than three quid a pint, a bargain. The Chichester Arms, Mortehoe, Devon. July 2016

What they say “ A distinguished best bitter with warm malt flavours and a clean bitter finish.Brewed using the highest quality Pale ale, Maris Otter, Wheat, Crystal and Roasted malts and hopped with a blend of Challenger, Goldings and East Kent Goldings whole hops.” Another excellent guest at one of our favourite watering holes in Crystal Palace. Best Bitter is my choice of ale and this was delicious. Nothing fancy, just a mighty tasty pint, served at the right temperature and in excellent condition.   The Grape & Grain , Crystal Palace. February 2016

What they say: “The aroma is toffee malt and fresh green hops with a full body and lingering bitter finish” I was so pleased to come across this on or first ‘research’ expedition whilst staying in Ramsgate. I’d already tried the bottled version back in March and that was lovely – read my entry HERE . I wasnt disappaointed in the cask version either, it was as I remembered it – very tasty indeed. At 4.5% A.B.V it was full of flavour but not one to be taken too lightly. Sir Stanley Gray, Ramsgate, Kent. December 2015

What they say: A tawny-coloured classic best beer with well-balanced malt flavours, finished with a hint of blackcurrant and a slightly spicy, sweet aroma. One of my last tastes of ‘proper beer’ before we headed off to France - which is where this blog is coming from. Nice but a little on the sweet side for me. I went back to the ever excellent Harvey’s Sussex Best for the second pint. Not bad though but at 4.5% A.B.V a bit on the strong side for a session beer - for me anyway. From just over the border in West Sussex, so it didn’t have to travel far. The Rottingdean Club, East Sussex. June 2015

What they say: The definitive English Bitter. This fine golden-coloured beer has a full flavour that lingers pleasantly on the palate. With good bitter sweet balance, this beer has a subtle hop character described as citrus and spicy. It’s a refreshing and very satisfying pint – noted for the aroma of its Fuggle hops and the dry hopping of Bramling Cross to add to its characteristic Theakston aroma Yes, a great Best Bitter but I did find it a little too gassy, even though it was hand pulled. Apart from that - great stuff. 4.0% A.B.V. The White House , Whitby, North Yorkshire. March 2015