Sussex Pride
Welton's Brewery

 

Tasted by half-pint at the Capitol, a JDW pub at Forest Hill, SE London. The pump clip says the beer is brewed by local Sussex hops, hence the name.

A: dark reddish-copper hue, clear and elegant; an off-white fluffy head comes thin but lasting, on top of low carbonation.
S: lightly sour fruitiness of plums and apples in addition to burned-sugary sweet maltiness. Unbalanced, with a little barn-ish damp and sour hint of a cider farm. A bit off-ish, perhaps?
T: light-bodied crystal malts with a light touch of roastiness and chocolatey bitterness, quickly passing on lots of tongue-plucking, rough-bodied bitterness of hops--herbal, a bit earthy, and reminiscent of chopped roasted tea-leaves... dryish bitterness lingers well in the end.
M&D: semi-flat on the texture and light-bodied, I'm sure the cask has past its prime; nonetheless, the hop profile and the assertive bitter aftertaste adds plenty of joy to this pint of traditional southern bitter. Well worth a try when the beer is on form~~