Hobsons Best Bitter
Hobsons Brewery

20 litre polypin bought from the brewery. Contains yeast. appearance: amber with reasonably thick head, slight haze. smell: herbal hop. taste and mouthfeel: strongly hopped, lengthy aftertaste. Herbal hop with some lime. overall: impressive english bitter. Distinctive yeast and hop flavours.

This is the only regular beer at my two local Real Ale pubs (they both have ever changing guest beers on at all times). I have also visited the brewery on guided tours 4 times, my 5th trip will be in September 2006.

This medium brown, light amber coloured best bitter with its off-white head always looks good.

The aroma is complex, fruity combind with hops and malt.

The taste is also a mix of flavours, with hops and malt winning the battle over the others.

This is not a thick, heavy bitter, nor is it watery or thin. It is a very drinkable, good session bitter and a fine benchmark to rate other British bitters.

NERAX 2006 (Fri)

Nice, reddish, coppery amber with a light head.

Some sulfur in the nose.

Sulfur bite puts a suggestion of spice into the appley malt. Sticky, nutty resin in the finish.

I was a bit put off at first by the sulfur, but in the end it really adds to the beer.