Hand pulled half pint in Ye Olde Fighting Cocks on 2nd December 2025. Clean amber body, off white crust on top. Malty yet hop bitter too, then some sweetness creeps in, interesting and I liked it.

Cask at Hops, Crewe. Pours an amberish red with minimal off-white head. There’s malts, caramel and a hint of butter in the aroma. In the mouth it starts off sweet and creamy with a slightly watery texture, but bitterness comes through very quickly. Flavour starts with Belgian hops, yeast and caramel, but a lot of extra layers come through later. Cake and marzipan plus hints of biscuits and apricots leading to a dry and slightly sharp finish. This is decent but not really an ESB, more a best bitter.

Cask taster. Thornbridge. Because I’m not paying a penny for something with SMODs name attached to it. Clear amber. Slim white head. Nose has caramel. Vinous notes. Light toasty grain. Cake mix. Taste is semi sweet with some fruity nutty bitterness. Feels a tad thin. Has a light sourness throughout. Dry-ish finish.