Essex Boys Best Bitter (bottle)
(Batch of Essex Boys Best Bitter)
Crouch Vale Brewery in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex, England 🏴
Bitter - Ordinary / Best Bitter Regular|
Score
6.40
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Full bodied, traditional-style mid-brown “best” brewed from 100% English barley malt and copious English Challenger and Boadicea hops, which shine through.
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6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Tight white head on a still copper coloured body.
Traditional malt & caramel aroma.
Medium bodied, lightly carbonated with a cloying back.
Malt, toffee, caramel & berry tastes with a lightly hopped finish.
Just like a 1970s Bitter - Good one.
Traditional malt & caramel aroma.
Medium bodied, lightly carbonated with a cloying back.
Malt, toffee, caramel & berry tastes with a lightly hopped finish.
Just like a 1970s Bitter - Good one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Feb 2026
at 20:38
6.4/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 5.5
Flavor 6
Texture 7
Overall 7
Bottle at home and it's a good one. Balanced towards malt so there is a sweetness to the taste but very refreshing. And loads going on for a sensible abv. Very good example of the style.
Tried
from Bottle
from
BEER:shop
on 15 Jul 2025
at 17:53
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
[Cask at the Royal Standard, Wooburn Common.] A chestnut pour with a tight white head; malty aroma; malty taste with a twiggy bitterness; then biscuit and caramel to finish. A good old-fashioned bitter.
Tried
from Cask
on 20 Feb 2019
at 22:17
6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 5
Cask at the Queens Head, Chelmsford. Pours amber brown with a small off-white head leaving good lacing. Aroma of malt, caramel, hop and light fruit. Medium body, slight oily texture, soft carbonation.
Tried
from Cask
on 15 Oct 2017
at 04:01
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask @ Queens Head, Chelmsford. Nice head with good duration. Color is amber. Aroma and taste are caramel, fruits, toasted malt, hops and has a nice hoppy finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 14 Oct 2017
at 07:12
6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
500ml bottle from Ales by Mail. Pours clear amber with a thin white head. Aromas of light caramel and malt. Taste is watery, light sweet, burnt toffee. Watery finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Aug 2017
at 08:30
4.4/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Clear nutty color with no head at all. Did not look that inviting. Decent intensity in the aroma. A bit light body and a soft carbonation level. Caramel malty and mild fruity flavor. Dull beer.
[Handpull at Queen’s Head in Chelmsford, England – shared with Rune a Sunday afternoon]
[Handpull at Queen’s Head in Chelmsford, England – shared with Rune a Sunday afternoon]
Tried
on 15 Mar 2017
at 07:18
5.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Cask ale, half-pint, at Queen’s Head, Chelmsford. Bright copper coloured body. Naked surface, minimal lacing. Vague malt-fruity nose. Taste of caramel, bread and with a mild fruity bitterness towards the finish. Clean in the mouth. Satisfying, ordinary Brit bitter (Shared with Cunningham 19.02.2017).
Tried
from Cask
on 07 Mar 2017
at 01:20
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
500 ml bottle, from Ales by Mail. ABV is 3.8%. Clear copper colour, moderate head, slightly off-white. Nice lacing. Aroma of malts, hints of toffee. Slightly dry flavour, fairly distinct earthy hops, bitter finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Oct 2016
at 02:04
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Cask at Charlies Bar, Copenhagen. Pours clear amber with off-white head. Malty, toffee, caramel, bread, some fruit. Moderate bitterness. Medium bodied. Nothing spectacular, but a good bitter.
Tried
from Cask
at
Charlie’s Bar
on 05 Sep 2016
at 14:16