Organic Best Bitter
St. Peter's Brewery Co Ltd
- From:
- St. Peter's Brewery Co Ltd
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- English Bitter
Ranked #20 - ABV:
- 4.1%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #20,684 - Avg:
- 3.91 | pDev: 11.76%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 33
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 02, 2025
- Added:
- Mar 03, 2002
- Wants:
- 22
- Gots:
- 9
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
A copper coloured, full-bodied organic best bitter made with organically grown malted barley, and organic hops to give the distinctive fully hopped character. This Best Bitter has a sweet biscuit aroma and pleasing citrus hop flavours from the Sovereign, and First Gold hops.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by SadMachine:
Rated by SadMachine from New Jersey
3.69/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Dec 06, 2015
3.69/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Dec 06, 2015
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Spike from England
3.44/5 rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.44/5 rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
500ml bottle. Clear, copper colour with a short-lived head. Light malt aroma. Tastes of sweet malt and earthy hops. Bitterness is moderate to high. Medium body with a smooth mouthfeel and an extra dry finish. A decent English Bitter in the traditional style.
Nov 02, 2025
Reviewed by James94 from England
3.63/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
L: Golden amber colour, good lacing
S: Light hops, not much
T: Biscuits, slightly metallic, citrus, vanilla
F: Slightly overcarbonted, low-medium bodied
O: 3.5
Jan 21, 2022S: Light hops, not much
T: Biscuits, slightly metallic, citrus, vanilla
F: Slightly overcarbonted, low-medium bodied
O: 3.5
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England
3.78/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev -3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A 500ml bottle with a BB of June 2019. Purchased a little while back from Morrisons. The label mentions that this is hopped with Sovereign and First Gold.
A: Poured into a straight pint glass. A rich marmalade-orange hue with faint haze and moderate carbonation. Produces a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a minute or so before subsiding to a patchy surface layer.
S: Aroma of grainy malt with hints of barley sugar, biscuits, ale yeast, mild leafy hops, hay and a touch of earthiness. Traditional but rather nice.
T: Tastes of grainy malt with notes of biscuits, barley sugar, ale yeast, mild esters, leafy hops, hay, faint herbs and earthiness. Pretty dry, followed by a balanced hoppy bitterness upon swallowing.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with soft carbonation and great body for the strength. Mildly astringent. Aftertaste of grainy malt, bitter leafy hops and ale yeast.
O: A rather nice bitter - balanced and traditional. Looks alright, while the aroma and flavour are a pleasant blend of grain, leafiness and ale yeast. Lovely body. Undemanding yet satisfying; very drinkable and well worth sampling.
Oct 04, 2018A: Poured into a straight pint glass. A rich marmalade-orange hue with faint haze and moderate carbonation. Produces a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a minute or so before subsiding to a patchy surface layer.
S: Aroma of grainy malt with hints of barley sugar, biscuits, ale yeast, mild leafy hops, hay and a touch of earthiness. Traditional but rather nice.
T: Tastes of grainy malt with notes of biscuits, barley sugar, ale yeast, mild esters, leafy hops, hay, faint herbs and earthiness. Pretty dry, followed by a balanced hoppy bitterness upon swallowing.
M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with soft carbonation and great body for the strength. Mildly astringent. Aftertaste of grainy malt, bitter leafy hops and ale yeast.
O: A rather nice bitter - balanced and traditional. Looks alright, while the aroma and flavour are a pleasant blend of grain, leafiness and ale yeast. Lovely body. Undemanding yet satisfying; very drinkable and well worth sampling.
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England
3.37/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.37/5 rDev -13.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
L Amber into chestnut, proper proper that is :) Pours with 1CM white head very slowly reducing.
S- I've moved house today, and am filled with dust so can't smell much of anything. I'll give this a neutral-ish 3 as a result.
T- Fresh, bright CO2 on the tongue, and some toastiness into the finish.
M- Fresh bright, a hoppy edge that's a slight counter vs a really pretty light 4.1%ABV.
O - Perhaps a good pick for a bitter drinker, who wants something lighter and clean/refreshing. Not quite my thing to make a regular but pleased to have tried it.
ps. I'm having another bottle of this today. The 'Beer info' in the header lists this as 4.1%, and shows a bottle with a mustard/ochre coloured lable. The bottle I have in front of me says it is 3.7% [the brewery website also confirms this]. This explains why in my original rating^ I suggested it tastes light for 4.1%; it no longer is! The lable has also changed, it is bright orange, with a 'fan' of pale orange lines, like radiant sun-beams shining down from the top of the lable.
Aug 21, 2018S- I've moved house today, and am filled with dust so can't smell much of anything. I'll give this a neutral-ish 3 as a result.
T- Fresh, bright CO2 on the tongue, and some toastiness into the finish.
M- Fresh bright, a hoppy edge that's a slight counter vs a really pretty light 4.1%ABV.
O - Perhaps a good pick for a bitter drinker, who wants something lighter and clean/refreshing. Not quite my thing to make a regular but pleased to have tried it.
ps. I'm having another bottle of this today. The 'Beer info' in the header lists this as 4.1%, and shows a bottle with a mustard/ochre coloured lable. The bottle I have in front of me says it is 3.7% [the brewery website also confirms this]. This explains why in my original rating^ I suggested it tastes light for 4.1%; it no longer is! The lable has also changed, it is bright orange, with a 'fan' of pale orange lines, like radiant sun-beams shining down from the top of the lable.
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
3.21/5 rDev -17.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.21/5 rDev -17.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured into an English pint glass.
The appearance was light burnt orange to copper color with a finger's worth of white foamy head that slid off immediately. Sliding messy lace.
The aroma had a nice laid back toast to biscuit maltiness flowing over some grassy to earthy hops, somewhat dirty with the expected diacetyl.
The flavor was malty sweet with the expected diacetyl coming about and punching the aftertaste as expected.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation was nice and low. ABV felt as projected. Smooth malty and buttery finish.
Overall, well, I get it and understand that the English have brewed a Bitter here, me, I'm not so sure if I'd have again. Still, I can't quite tell if it's their yeast or not.
Oct 20, 2017The appearance was light burnt orange to copper color with a finger's worth of white foamy head that slid off immediately. Sliding messy lace.
The aroma had a nice laid back toast to biscuit maltiness flowing over some grassy to earthy hops, somewhat dirty with the expected diacetyl.
The flavor was malty sweet with the expected diacetyl coming about and punching the aftertaste as expected.
The mouthfeel was between light and medium bodied with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation was nice and low. ABV felt as projected. Smooth malty and buttery finish.
Overall, well, I get it and understand that the English have brewed a Bitter here, me, I'm not so sure if I'd have again. Still, I can't quite tell if it's their yeast or not.
Reviewed by vinicole from England
3.63/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.63/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Bottle. Amber in colour. Thin bubbly head.
Grassy aroma with caramel.
Diacetyl immediately apparent. Quite malty for a bitter.
Moderate body and carbonation.
Good example of a true bitter.
Mar 11, 2017Grassy aroma with caramel.
Diacetyl immediately apparent. Quite malty for a bitter.
Moderate body and carbonation.
Good example of a true bitter.
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.86/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5
3.86/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5
I was new to St. Peter's over 15 years ago; but I haven't had them since I started giving micro-reviews, probably 8 years ago. So I went on their website and see they were a craft innovator/pioneer thirty years ago. With the brewery buildings nicely ensconced in the Suffolk countryside, they also have a restaurant and rent their space for events. St. Peter's founder also did a lot of careful branding and elevated the craft's packaging. And they fill their fair share of casks, too. They were one of the early adopters of organic malts. For all this, they get excellent Overall Hugs.
In a good looking style, Organic Best Bitter Looks a pretty amber with a lasting foam poured out of a uniquely traditional bottle. Smells are mostly sweet malt with some hops in the back of my nose. Tastes are well-balanced and the biscuity malts pair well with crackers and a traditional British cheese medley, with just enough hops to cleanse the palate and linger flavours for more. Medium-mouthed. I was going to save some of this Bitter for later, but it was too good to wait.
Reviewed in Roger Protz' CAMRA classic "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!"
May 04, 2016In a good looking style, Organic Best Bitter Looks a pretty amber with a lasting foam poured out of a uniquely traditional bottle. Smells are mostly sweet malt with some hops in the back of my nose. Tastes are well-balanced and the biscuity malts pair well with crackers and a traditional British cheese medley, with just enough hops to cleanse the palate and linger flavours for more. Medium-mouthed. I was going to save some of this Bitter for later, but it was too good to wait.
Reviewed in Roger Protz' CAMRA classic "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!"
Rated by mdfb79 from New York
3.88/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From 10/07/15 notes. On tap at The Jerusalem Tavern in London, England.
Bitter hops taste
Ruby red Amber
Oct 19, 2015Bitter hops taste
Ruby red Amber
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