What does being organic do for a beer? In my opinion, not very much however, it at least guarantees the barley has been grown sustainably, and that can only be a good thing.
This Best Bitter from St Peter’s Brewery gets the Soil Association tick of approval which is enough to make anyone feel better about downing a pint, but it doesn’t end there. The pale green label reads like an inner city cafe menu with organically grown Chariot malt barley, organic Goldings hops, and water pulled from their own 300ft borehole in Surrey.
The bottle itself is also unique, its oval textured shape setting itself apart from the other beers on the shelf. It’s a cast from bottles created for Thomas Gerrard of Gibbstown (Philadelphia) around 1770, and all St Peter’s brews come packaged in these 500ml flasks.
This bitter is 4.1% ABV and comes in at 2 standard drinks.
The Verdict
As you would expect from a bitter, the beer pours with a modest amount of head over a lovely hazy golden body. Malt, carbonation and fresh sweetness great your nose.
The palate is a good healthy slug of malt that hides biscuit and bread like flavours in its depths, capped with a slight effervescent tingle. With each successive sip the hops begin to reveal themselves as a subtle bitterness that refreshes after each mouthful and you begin to understand how the unique water profile plays into the whole experience.
It’s a beer that improves the closer you get to the bottom of the glass. I’m in two minds as to how well it travels, and think if the opportunity arrives to try this closer to the brewery, one should jump at the chance.
Whilst this is not the best Bitter I’ve ever had, it is a pretty good one.
7.5/10
Drink If You Like….
Are you a traditionalist? Getting into the Young Henry’s Real Ale? Like your beer with a little bit of character but not fond of hops? Well look no further!
Trivia
English Bitters belong to the English Pale Ale style of beers and hark back to the first beers made with malt that had been dried with coke (a distilled version of coal that burns cleaner) ovens rather than wood or coal fuel which resulted in a paler grain. The terms Bitter, Pale Ale, and Real Ale have been used interchangeably throughout different times in history (and different parts of the UK) although the convention for naming based on alcoholic strength appears to be consistent. Ordinary Bitter, Best Bitter, Special Bitter, and Extra Special Bitter are all variations of the same drink but with different alcohol contents (and subsequently malt flavour) ranging from 3-4% at the start of the spectrum and finishing at around 7% at the higher end.
A Quick Pint 
