Original rate August 2013. Re-rated July 2017 at the Sir William Peel. Light brown colour. Easy aromas of wood, grass, with some medicinal astringency. Taste is earthy sweet, tinged with bitter and sour. Classic pint of English bitter, but revisiting it it’s relatively basic.

Clear amber, thick white head. Light, malty fruit scent. Flavour is sweet, fruity malt and a hint of bitter hop. Bit watery in body and aftertaste but as this sort of bitter goes it’s serviceable.

Cask in Crown and Anchor, Welby. Clear copper colour with a tight white head. Slight fruity aroma, flavour is malty sweet, a bit woody. Nothing special

On tap at the brewery. Amber colour with a lasting off white head. Flowery hops and fruit aroma. Moderate bitterness and growing caramel sweetness. A very very good session beer.

Cask at the Forest, Dorridge, Solihull. Poured a clear light amber with a frothy white head and some clingy lace. The aroma is light malt, hop. The flavour is moderate to light bitter with a smooth, light, woody resin hop bitter palate and a lingering bitter finish. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Cask at the excellent Thatched Cottage, Sutterton, Lincolnshire. Poured a mid-brown colour with an off white head. Aroma of roasted malt, caramel, with hoppy notes. Light sweetness with medium bitterness. Light body, soft carbonation. Slight nutty bitterness to finish.

Cask at the Merchants Inn, Rugby, 16/12/13. Clear golden with a good sized off white head that retains well. Nose is orchard fruit, biscuit malt, sugars, toffee apple. Taste comprises caramel malt, toffee apple, biscuit, fruit notes. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, dry bitterness in the closure. Decent bitter.

Appearance: Clear light copper color with a creamy white head that leaves a fine lacing.
Aroma: Toffee, fruity and a bit hoppy.
Palate: Medium body. Moderate sweet and a fine bitterness. Creamy carbonation.
Taste: Toffee, fruity and light hoppy.
Overall impression: Ok standard british cask bitter.
Personal stats: From handpull in Stoke, England.

This is Batemans cooking bitter (as my Dad calls it), meaning it is their basic brew and not their best beer. It is one of only two cask ales at his local and is what I always have when visiting home: surprised I’ve never reviewed it before. This is from a BA review of 29 Oct 2011. This review is of a pint taken at my towns Wetherspoons during their beer festival. Hand pulled and into a UK straight sleeve: Mid to light amber in colour, with a dull white head on top, good lacing and a pleasant look all round. Challenger, Goldings and Styrian hops give the beer a hop aroma but not overly so, the pale and chocolate malts (local Lincolnshire ones) ensure the malts also feature in both the smell and taste. Easy drinking session ale, well balanced, a true classic Pale Ale Bitter. The flavours belittle its alcohol content, well worth trying if you come across it. Rarely seen outside the Batemans pub estate; XXXB being their biggest seller to the free trade.