Best Bitter
Descendants Brewing at the Old Ship Inn

 

 

Served on cask @ The Ship Inn in Milford, NJ.

Pumped from the cask, Ship Inn's Best Bitter is medium amber and slightly hazy with a small head consisting of big bubbles. The carbonation is very low and the beer is served almost still. Very mild aroma but you can pick out some light caramel malt and earthy hops. Bitter and fruity flavor, but it's very light and feels a little too thin and watery. It's an easy drinker though, and one that benefits from being consumed quickly and in large quantities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Edit: I've been informed by the establishment owner that they are taking care of the off-flavor in the lines. I'll upgrade the review after my next fresh pint*

This is a dark amber-colored bitter. It is a little hazy but has some good red tones to back up the brown. On hand pump it is appropriately lacking in carbonation and head. The aroma is malty sweet with a well blended and mellow hops bitterness.

There is a slight bit of toastiness but predominantly a dense, caramel-toffee sweet underlay cut with the hoppy bitterness.

The mouthfeel and drinkability is of course the predominant selling point of this beer. Even a 20 oz pint is amazingly sessionable and goes down quite easily.

The taste rating was reduced due to some latent sanitzer flavor in the hand pump from getting an early, if not the first glass of the afternoon.

On cask at the brewpub. Pours a dark amber brown, clear, with a white head. Aroma of buttery popcorn and sweet malt. Flavor is very sweet initially with lots of caramel malt. Some diacetyl, but less in the flavor compared to the aroma. It was ok overall.

On cask at the Ship Inn on 4/5/2008. They served it to me in a Fuller's Imperial pint glass.

This Ship Inn brew poured a clear amber/orange with a 1 inch creamy head of white foam. This head of foam had good retention that left behind a handful of white foamy rings along the edge and streak after streak of beautiful white lace around the glass. The aroma was light to mild with juicy fruits, a hint of banana, toasted malts, and then it ends with some lightly sour bitter hops. The taste was lightly bitter and dry with fruity hops, toasted malts, a splash of lemon, and then it finishes up with some liglty tart and bitter grapefruit. The mouthfeel was light and refreshing with a mild aftertaste of grapefruit, citrus hops, and a quick touch of toasted malts. Yet another refreshing session British style ale from the people at the Ship Inn.

Hazy copper with a thin head that becomes a bubbly patch. Minimal lacing sticks to glass.

The smell is of floral, lemony, fragrant hops with some woody earthiness..

The taste is bitter with a tea-like leafiness. Sweet malt balances out some of the bitterness. Earthy and grainy Some buttery noites. Honeyish sweet malt rounds it out in the bitterish, dry finish. Fairly mild.

Some watery thinness in the feel. Appetizingly dry. A decent session ale. Inoffensive/mild enough to accompany most dishes.

The Ship Inn- Best Bitter

Appearance- reddish brown with a thick and dense frothy head. Heavy lacing on the glass.
Smell- Brown sugar malt with a hint of nutty hops.
Taste- Vanilla caramel malt with a nice blend of dry nutty (hazelnut, walnut) hops.
Mouthfeel- Dry, no carbonation ( maybe some natural), with a sweet big flavor.

Overall- Delicious, of course. All of the Ship Inn's beers are phenominal!!

The beer pours an amber color with a spotty white lace head. The aroma is good. It has a nice malty scenty that boasts of pale and caramel malts. It also has a floral hop aroma that adds a bit of balance to the nose. The taste is decent. It has a grainy pale and crystal malt flavor that seems a bit watery and light on malts. It has a mild hop bitterness that is not that pronounced. The mouthfeel is decent as well. It is a medium bodied brew with adequate carbonation. This is an average English bitter. It is a little too watery for my taste. Also, the grainy flavor detracts from the overall drinkability.