Brewed with care, kept well by the pub and served from the cask in perfect condition, British bitter really is a thing of beauty and a true representation of the brewing art.
As a style so embedded in British brewing and drinking history, bitter has huge variety, not only from region to region but even among breweries within those regions – some are bright, dry and relatively pale, others are darker, slightly sweeter and have less hop character, or some seem to strike a perfect bitter-sweet balance.
For me, the real skill in a well-brewed bitter or ‘best bitter’ is creating a beer that is perfectly in balance; where the malt, hop and yeast characters all intertwine and create something greater than the sum of its parts.
And it’s got to be on cask, more than any other beer style, bitter really shines when cask-conditioned and gains so much complexity from that magic secondary fermentation in the pub cellar.
I was pleased to see Oisín Rogers, the licensee of the superb Devonshire pub in Soho – a pub famed as much for its Guinness as it is its food – say recently he actually prefers “a proper beer” – and that beer is Timothy Taylor’s Landlord.
Many of the beers below are great in a bottle – but they are perfection from cask - and the ABVs below are all for the cask versions.
Bank Top – Flat Cap 4.0% ABV
Recently crowned Overall Gold Champion in the Bitter category of the SIBA Independent Beer Awards 2025, this superb golden-hued bitter is bursting with fruit and floral hop character, backed by light biscuit malt. A true local favourite and one of Bolton’s most beloved pints.
Oakham – JHB 3.8% ABVThis very pale straw bitter has the characteristic aromatic hop character and firm bitterness Oakham has built its reputation on, with a clean, balanced and dry finish. The aroma is citrus, pepper and fruit with an underlying golden malt sweetness – inviting another sip on this hugely drinkable bitter.
Timothy Taylor’s – Landlord 4.3% ABV
Landlord is a beer that needs looking after well, famously requiring a few extra days’ conditioning in the cellar before it reaches its peak but, when it’s ready, you’ll have something truly world class. Clean, bright, complex and aromatic, it’s a beer with a fanatical reputation that’s thoroughly deserved. Undoubtedly one of the UK’s finest cask beers.
Harvey’s – Sussex Best 4% ABV
A bright amber-hued bitter, Harvey’s Sussex Best is a beer that showcases a blend of local hops, Sussex spring water and, of course, the expressive Harvey’s house yeast – which adds fresh bread and fruitcake flavours to this perfectly balanced bitter. The sweeter elements of the malt are balanced beautifully by floral spicy local hops.
Five Points – Best 4.1% ABV
Five Points Best is chock-full of the aromatic and spicy Fuggles hop – a classic English hop variety given centre stage here – creating something that is floral, grassy and bitter but with an underlying biscuit sweetness, making the whole package really delicious. A superb example of a newer brewery making bitter a popular part of its core range.
- Neil Walker is a beer sommelier and head of communications at SIBA, the Society of Independent Brewers & Associates, which recently launched the much-heralded Indie Beer campaign. The campaign seeks to make it easier for customers to discover beer from genuine independent breweries and you can find out more via www.indiebeer.uk
