Wanderer wrote:Had a very nice pint of Old Bear Brewery (Keighley) Hibernator 5.0% last Sunday in the Fox & Goose at Hebden Bridge ... a lovely ruby red malty winter warmer.
Also dropped in at the wonderful Old Bridge Inn at Ripponden ... the only down side being my choice of drink. Went for John Eastwood Best Bitter but in all honesty it was a golden IPA and not what I would call a Best.
Indeed....
Quote:Session or ordinary bitter
Strength up to 4.1% abv. The majority of British beers with the name IPA will be found in this group, such as Greene King IPA, Deuchars IPA, Flowers IPA, Wadworth Henrys Original IPA, etc. Though bearing the name IPA, these session bitters are not as strong and hoppy as an India Pale Ale would be in the USA and elsewhere. IPAs with modest gravities (below 1040º) have been brewed in Britain since at least the 1920s.[4] This is the most common strength of bitter sold in British pubs. It accounts for 16.9% of pub sales.[5]
Some IPAs are however Best bitter, those between 4.2% ABV and 4.7% ABV.
Best of course being a strength, not a quality.
But you knew that.
People who go into a pub and order a pint of Best bitter often are just saying it thinking it means
finest ... and it doesn't.
