Sussex Best
Harvey's in Lewes, East Sussex, England 🏴
Bitter - Ordinary / Best Bitter Regular|
Score
6.54
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Sussex Best is our most famous beer, a superbly balanced bitter with prominent hop character. The brew evolved over decades, satisfying the expectations of the people of Sussex and its adjoining counties. Finest Maris Otter malted barley is supplemented with a dash of Crystal malt for balance. Our hops are a blend of four different local varieties, to give a distinctive hoppy finish.
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7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Pint on tap at The Fox, Small Dole, Sussex. Pours a clear golden bronze with a thin creamy head. Zero carbonation. Laces well. Nose is brioche, fruit toast, sultanas, it's exquisite. Taste is sweet malt followed by an increasing smoky bitterness. Superb bitter.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 Mar 2018
at 12:39
6.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 4.5
1st January 2018
Can. Almost clear amber beer, decent cream colour head. Palate is light, dry and has a fine minerally crispness. Thin malts, has a bready character, not that sweet. Tangy dried fruits, trace of orange peel. Crisp finish. Lacks the awfulness of the cask version, but is now just a fairy dull standard bitter instead of a completely grim one!
Can. Almost clear amber beer, decent cream colour head. Palate is light, dry and has a fine minerally crispness. Thin malts, has a bready character, not that sweet. Tangy dried fruits, trace of orange peel. Crisp finish. Lacks the awfulness of the cask version, but is now just a fairy dull standard bitter instead of a completely grim one!
Tried
from Can
on 01 Jan 2018
at 12:51
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Cask at Cheltenham Real Ale Festival 2017. Clear dark amber colour, off-white head. Aroma and taste are very malt-forward, biscuity, quite fruity, light sweet, gentle bitter finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 28 Oct 2017
at 16:52
5.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 8
Overall 5
(2017 London) 1/2 Pint Cask @ Harp. Sampled cask @ Waterloo Tap. Amber clear, off-white head. Nose is buttery, grainy, milky. Taste is far too buttery grainy, spoiled milky, bitter grain, soggy cereal, spoiled caramel. Body is spoiled milk, grainy,… I heard great things about this beer, should it be like this? Am I not getting something here?
Tried
from Cask
on 11 Sep 2017
at 15:30
4/10
Beetje moutig, slechte jaren 80 hardrock op de achtergrond. Tja
Tried
from Cask
at
The Market Porter
on 07 Sep 2017
at 14:47
7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
F: small, light off-white, not long lasting. C: coppery, light hazy. A: malty, caramel, grassy, fruity, toasty. T: malty, caramel, grassy, toasted tones, fruity, medium body, low carbonation, very good, enjoyed, half pint @ The Wheatsheaf pub near Horsham.
Tried
on 03 Jun 2017
at 07:17
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Tap at Harveys. Unfiltered caramel orange-brown body. Foamy steady head. More butter than bitter. Stale caramel. OK perhaps, but not as nice as I remembered or hoped for.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 May 2017
at 00:24
From London trip
Tried
on 23 Apr 2017
at 18:26
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
A perfectly kept and served pint of best bitter. Lots of sweet malt, some bitter hops and minimal carbonation resulted in a lovely mouth feel and very pleasant drinking experience.
Tried
on 06 Apr 2017
at 03:27
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Can from brewery in Lewes. Just as good in can form as it is from cask which surprising especially given lower %. Re-rated. Disagree with the above, the canning has taken it's toll this time. Maybe the quicker you drink it in the can the better. Certainly tasted some metal here. But hey ho, once in a glass it is almost like a pint of the good stuff. Average bitter this time. 4.2 down to 3.6. Re-rated, bottle from brewery. After a while not having it, it put a huge smile on my face. Just such a great reminder of home, shame the bottle was only 275ml, I wanted it in a big brimming pint glass (X5). Just so smooth and rich. 3.6 to 3.7.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Feb 2017
at 13:44