Barnsley Bitter
Acorn Brewery Of Barnsley
- From:
- Acorn Brewery Of Barnsley
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- English Bitter
Ranked #79 - ABV:
- 3.8%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #27,437 - Avg:
- 3.73 | pDev: 9.65%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Mar 01, 2026
- Added:
- May 23, 2005
- Wants:
- 3
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
86
Very Good
86
Very Good
Our award winning Barnsley Bitter is brewed using the finest quality Maris Otter malt and English hops. Chestnut in colour, having a well rounded, rich flavour, it retains a lasting bitter finish. Brewed using yeast strains used in the 1850's to brew 'Barnsley Bitter'. Acorn Brewery Barnsley Bitter won a Silver Award in it's class at the Great British Beer Festival 2006 and was also a finalist in 2007 and 2008.
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Reviewed by vinicole from England
3.79/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Cask. Clear chestnut with a moderate beige head. Lacing present.
A toasty and fruity aroma with hints of caramel nut brittle.
Tastes similar to all the above. A malt sweetness with a hoppy bitterness.
A soft inviting feel.
A genuine Yorkshire bitter with an historic name.
Dec 19, 2025A toasty and fruity aroma with hints of caramel nut brittle.
Tastes similar to all the above. A malt sweetness with a hoppy bitterness.
A soft inviting feel.
A genuine Yorkshire bitter with an historic name.
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.53/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
June 2007: Cask conditioned at The Lord Rosebery, Scarborough. Served a little too warm. ABV is 3.8%. Brown colour, minimal head. Moderate aroma, some malt. Reasonably hoppy flavour, "dusty" dry bitter finish. Decent, but not very complex.
July 2017: 500 ml bottle, at the Boot Room, Wheldale Hotel, Castleford. ABV is 3.8%. Malts are Maris Otter, Crystal and Pale Chocolate. Hop is UK Challenger. Colour between copper and chestnut, moderate head, slightly off-white. Malty aroma, slight roast, a hint of chocolate. Malty flavour too, again slight roast and a hint of chocolate, moderate hops. Good body for a beer of this ABV. Quite enjoyable.
Nov 17, 2022July 2017: 500 ml bottle, at the Boot Room, Wheldale Hotel, Castleford. ABV is 3.8%. Malts are Maris Otter, Crystal and Pale Chocolate. Hop is UK Challenger. Colour between copper and chestnut, moderate head, slightly off-white. Malty aroma, slight roast, a hint of chocolate. Malty flavour too, again slight roast and a hint of chocolate, moderate hops. Good body for a beer of this ABV. Quite enjoyable.
Reviewed by stcules from Italy
3.55/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
3.55/5 rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
A very light amber color, very clean, with one finger of white foam.
In the smell tea leaves, light earthy hop, malt, light camomile.
Creamy in the mouth, good maltiness, and a good bitterness, quite long lingering. Balanced.
Light body, for a great drinkability.
Good session bitter.
May 21, 2011In the smell tea leaves, light earthy hop, malt, light camomile.
Creamy in the mouth, good maltiness, and a good bitterness, quite long lingering. Balanced.
Light body, for a great drinkability.
Good session bitter.
Reviewed by wl0307 from England
3.8/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasted by a half pint at a JDW pub nr. Sheffield City Hall. Served by a handpump fitted w/ a sparkler.
A: slightly murky copper in colour; off-white creamy crown with good retention; low carbonation.
S: the first sniff gives an impression of very light aroma, featuring some nuts & apple-ish fruits with a mild sulphurous kick; later, a good swirl awakens the ale~~ showing more caramel malts, apricot, cream, and a lively flowery aroma~~
T: sour-sweet dried stone-fruits open up the palate, balanced by nutty malts, a touch of earthy hops, and some roasted hints (of maltiness) at the back; the dried-leafy hops lend a good aftertaste of hop bitterness, where the roasted-nutty maltiness also complements with a bitter-sweet as well as necessary sour-nutty edge.
M&D: soft on the palate, medium-bodied, showing plenty of malt elements on a par with aromatic hops and renders a lingering bitter tail. Overall, this much-talked-about bitter doesnt disappoint at all; a truly more-ish pint!
Jul 29, 2007A: slightly murky copper in colour; off-white creamy crown with good retention; low carbonation.
S: the first sniff gives an impression of very light aroma, featuring some nuts & apple-ish fruits with a mild sulphurous kick; later, a good swirl awakens the ale~~ showing more caramel malts, apricot, cream, and a lively flowery aroma~~
T: sour-sweet dried stone-fruits open up the palate, balanced by nutty malts, a touch of earthy hops, and some roasted hints (of maltiness) at the back; the dried-leafy hops lend a good aftertaste of hop bitterness, where the roasted-nutty maltiness also complements with a bitter-sweet as well as necessary sour-nutty edge.
M&D: soft on the palate, medium-bodied, showing plenty of malt elements on a par with aromatic hops and renders a lingering bitter tail. Overall, this much-talked-about bitter doesnt disappoint at all; a truly more-ish pint!
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California
3.63/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.63/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Presentation: Sampled at the Red Shed, Wakefield during my Easter Trip back to the UK.
Pump #4, during my Sunday afternoon session, had an old favorite but with a new identity of sorts. The original Barnsley Brewery closed in the 60s, and most recent Elsecar Barnsley Brewery went into liquidation and closed some years ago. The former Barnsley Brewery head brewer started the Acorn Brewery in 2003. Acorn Barnsley Bitter now competes with the original Barnsley Bitter which is now allegedly brewed at the Blackpool Brewery, it is all quite confusing .and there is some acrimony between the two, the slogan Brewed in Barnsley .where else? on the pump clip is obviously a jibe aimed at the other Barnsley Bitter.
Appearance: Copper bronze body with a lovely bleached white head that has good staying power. Supporting carbonation is fine bubbled and well dispersed. A gentle tip of the Pint has the conditioning racing quickly to the underside of the head, it is in fine form.
Nose: Dominated by the Maris Otter, the lightly toasted malts mix with a decidedly bitter bitterness in the finish. Clean smelling with a decent aroma which includes a hint of grapefruit.
Taste: Malty start with a lovely bitterness in the finish. Has a very fruity feel to it, but in the more traditional English Bitter sense, rather than with any specific fruits.
Mouthfeel: Rich feel, lovely soft malts blend well with the sharp bitterness in the ending whilst the fruity character, from the yeast? certainly adds to the depth on the palate.
Drinkability: A full-flavored brew which I recall being much more quaffable than the other Barnsley Bitter.
Overall: Brewed with the original Barnsley Bitter yeast strain, the outcome is a Bitter which has a very definite Northern feel. A familiar taste, the Acorn Barnsley Bitter is a damn good Session Bitter.
May 23, 2005Pump #4, during my Sunday afternoon session, had an old favorite but with a new identity of sorts. The original Barnsley Brewery closed in the 60s, and most recent Elsecar Barnsley Brewery went into liquidation and closed some years ago. The former Barnsley Brewery head brewer started the Acorn Brewery in 2003. Acorn Barnsley Bitter now competes with the original Barnsley Bitter which is now allegedly brewed at the Blackpool Brewery, it is all quite confusing .and there is some acrimony between the two, the slogan Brewed in Barnsley .where else? on the pump clip is obviously a jibe aimed at the other Barnsley Bitter.
Appearance: Copper bronze body with a lovely bleached white head that has good staying power. Supporting carbonation is fine bubbled and well dispersed. A gentle tip of the Pint has the conditioning racing quickly to the underside of the head, it is in fine form.
Nose: Dominated by the Maris Otter, the lightly toasted malts mix with a decidedly bitter bitterness in the finish. Clean smelling with a decent aroma which includes a hint of grapefruit.
Taste: Malty start with a lovely bitterness in the finish. Has a very fruity feel to it, but in the more traditional English Bitter sense, rather than with any specific fruits.
Mouthfeel: Rich feel, lovely soft malts blend well with the sharp bitterness in the ending whilst the fruity character, from the yeast? certainly adds to the depth on the palate.
Drinkability: A full-flavored brew which I recall being much more quaffable than the other Barnsley Bitter.
Overall: Brewed with the original Barnsley Bitter yeast strain, the outcome is a Bitter which has a very definite Northern feel. A familiar taste, the Acorn Barnsley Bitter is a damn good Session Bitter.
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