The Ordinary Bitter
Anspach & Hobday

An interesting cross-cultural side-by-side I did here.
With the Ordinary Bitter (my rendition had a nitro smoother) I paired three English cheeses, all dry. The A&H Ordinary Bitter paired well with all three because... that's what they've done for centuries.

But the cross-cultural comparison was against DeKonick's Bolleke, a Belgian Pale, with a common French brie. The Brits won the cheese contest and the Belgians won the beer contest. I won't go into detail because this review is supposed to be about an A&H ale central to UK beer culture. (But I'll give a hint: It's not about the cheese, it's the yeast.)

A&H's Ordinary Bitter is a beer that you cook up once you've made yourself into a successful brewer and have a lot less to prove to both the heritage brewers and the young upstarts. That's were A&H is: successful, but not pedigree... so can't rest on their laurels. So they cook up a brew that cements them to the traditional London brewing scene. And with Ordinary Bitter, they did a pretty good Job. At least that's how it Looks, a nice amber bod (albeit with a nitro-induced head.)

Mostly malt in my nose. Tastes start the same, but finish with lingering hops, a contemporary update. Medium-mouthed. I'd drink it again with the cheeses !

 

Comes out a fine amber, with a tight off-white head that does eventually settle. Disappointingly thin on the mouth, to the extent that any taste above "sour" and "bitter".

 

Beautiful amber colour
Malt smell, a little spicy to me. Taste is the same. Nice cask ale

Had on tap, yes not cask but tap. Sad! Anyways, big toffee malt, herbal hops and brown bread in a light a nuanced way for the smell. Taste adds faint dark fruit. Carbonation was high for the style, but still malty and smooth, lighter bodied, hops felt way more than most ordinary bitters. Prototypical brown pour and tan head. A new generation's take on the classic style with the stronger hops