Bitter Ale
Joseph Holt Group plc

After over 150 years, Holt's is still pretty much a family-run brewery in Manchester. Since they are efficient, and spend nothing on advertising, they sell the beer incredibly cheaply (about £1.30 a pint in 2003).

This is the driest bitter I have ever tasted, apparently the hops are East Kent Goldings and Target (high in alpha acids), at 4% alcohol, it has 39 bitterness units. Pilsner Urquell is 44 (which I also like a lot), but this tastes much drier - it is a beer that you love or loathe.

Bear in mind that, if not cared for correctly, it can taste awful - so you need to try it in the right place.

An incredibly detailed review can be found at: http://www.protzonbeer.com/documents/27660-000889.html

I had this beer on cask in a pub glass at Bridgewater Exchange in the Manchester airport.

Appearance: rich dark amber hue with a clear body and a thick finger of creamy tan foam. Love the look of cask!

Smell: light malt with a caramelly, nutty aroma. Not too complicated, but it’s nice.

Taste: bready malt with a little caramelly character; hops flavor is mild but bitterness is moderate. Not too bad.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a very smooth creaminess. I think cask just suits some beers better than others, and it suits this one well.

Overall: maybe not the perfect bitter, but it’s really hitting the spot for me today.

enjoyed at the old monkey pub, manchester, not the best beer in the world, decent enough bitter but just a slight mineral taste on the finish which detracts from the beer a lot, not bad though

Also from the cask, but at two different times, October 2004 and July 2015. Both in a Manchurian pub.
For a more extensive review, see Roger Protz' "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!"

Instead of a review, I offer a micro-review that explains my excellent Overall Hugs for Holt. 175 years run by fifth generation of the Holt family, their beers are poured in 120+ pubs. In reading through their website, Holt's attention to detail is impressive and it is easy to understand how they have won so many international awards. Their Bitter's History has a dedicated page, which is impressive. So does their food pairings which are thoughtful and well-practiced.

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Jan 2015, so it's a bit out of date. Acquired a while back from a B&M store.

A: Poured into a pint mug. A clear brownish-amber hue with good carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy off-white foam that lasts for a minute or two before settling as a patchy surface layer.

S: Aroma of grainy malt with hints of caramel, husks, stewed leaves and mild ale yeast. A touch of cardboard in the background. Uninspired.

T: Tastes of vague caramel malt with a dry, bitter finish. Notes of grain, mild caramel, husks, stewed leaves, faint ale yeast and cardboard. Well-attenuated, followed by a moderately harsh bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with spritzy carbonation and a somewhat insubstantial body. Slightly astringent, accompanied by an aftertaste of harsh stewed leaves/cardboard, weak caramel malt and subtle ale yeast.

O: So-so; pretty average stuff. Looks alright, while the aroma and flavour tend towards maltiness with hints of stewed leaves and faint yeast. Body is a bit thin. Possibly better on cask but rather forgettable. No need to seek it out.

 

Pint of cask Holt's Bitter served unfortunately in a plastic glass at the pop up pub in front of Manchester town hall as part of the Christmas markets served via classic handpump with sparkler giving a beautifull looking beer that has dulled slightly in aggressive flavour over the years

 

Tasted again, this time in my local JDW pub in East End London and served without a sparkler (hooray!).

A: tawny to orangey amber hue, a fluffy beer head sustains well, on top of a mild carbonated body.
S: resinous-hops, plum-fruitiness, on top of a very light caramelly malty overtone--simple, nice.
T: a teaish-hoppy flavour approaches along with a very profound, tannic and sprigs-like bitterness... leaving a teaish aftertaste buttressed by a lightly peppery and spicy bitter hoppy overnote.
M&D: light and refreshing, this is a quaffable and traditional example that one shouldn't miss when exploring the whole world of similar yet very colourful bitters!