Bitter Simonds 1880
The Kernel Brewery in Bermondsey, Greater London, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
7.27
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Available on Cask and Bottled.
An 1880 Bitter recipe from Simond's brewery, Reading. Pale Maris Otter and Amber malt only. Goldings all the way through. Perhaps in style closer to how we now consider an ESB or Burton Ale.
Malt – Maris Otter, Amber Malt.
Hops – Goldings, Bramling Cross
Yeast – Blend of 2 London Ale Yeasts with a Yorkshire Ale strain
This recipe for a Victorian Bitter is brewed to an 1880 one from Simond's Brewery in Reading, via the archives of the Durden Park Beer Circle. Their notes on the beer state simply: 'Dream Bitter with a lovely flavour.
A Durden Park Favourite.
Round the brewery we just call it 'Dream Bitter'.
The malt bill predates the common use of crystal malts (which hugely influence a modern bitter's flavour), so comprises of just Pale Ale Malt (our regular Maris Otter being ideal for this purpose) and Amber Malt (a lightly toasted malt). Hopped with Goldings all the way through with some Bramling Cross lightly handed the dry hopping duties.
Aroma of citrus, spice and hedgerow leading through to a smooth body, flavours of marmalade and toast, with a touch of tea. Firm bitterness to balance. Perhaps in style closer to how we now consider an ESB or Burton Ale than a modern bitter?
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bottle at home in Hackney - picked up from the brewery taproom. Pours just faintly hazed rich honey-gold with a tight, creamy off-white cap. Moderate sweetness with a stiff leafy bitterness, some dry grass, toasted grains, bread crust. Light bodied with fine, massaging carbonation. Fairly dry in the finish, further sun-baked grains, biscuit, leaf and grass, a hint of dried citrus peel. Great stuff overall.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Hazy amber, frothy white head. Looks perfect. Aroma is malty with light hops, a little zesty and a nice malty base. This is just a really nice bitter which I always enjoy given there are so many identikit 6/10 ones out there.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Bottle from Utobeer and drunk at home. Haze amber brown colour lasting beige head. Malty aroma with Englsih hop aroma. Goldings?? Decent malty mouthfeel and flavour. Quote intense English hops. White pepper. I mean i love it. Really good malt some biscuit some brown bread. Good building black pepper finish. Good hop flavour. Grapefruit. Good hoppy burp. Loved it.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
On tap at The Green Goddess, Blackheath Royal Standard. Reddish amber pour with a white head. Nose is toffee apple, caramel. Taste is heavy sweet malts, more toffee apple. Malty sweet finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Cask at Kernel Arch 7, London 18/11/2023 Sweet toasted biscuit malts with some fudge and caramel like sweetness, herbal hoppy accents, medium body and nice soft cask carbonation, malty and bitter hoppy finish. Lovely condition. --- Beer merged from original tick of Bitter Simonds 1880 (Third Iteration) on 26 Mar 2025 at 12:28 - Score: 7. Original review text: Sweet toasted biscuit malts with some fudge and caramel like sweetness, herbal hoppy accents, medium body and nice soft cask carbonation, malty and bitter hoppy finish. Lovely condition, and great traditional folk entertainment here today ??
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
On cask at The Kernel, pours a cloudy dark amber orange with a small white head. Aroma brings out a very nice earthy piney hop character — unusual for a cask bitter — along with bready malt and toasted caramel malt. Flavour is robust, with toasted dry caramel, bready malt, and some English piney hops. Man, if this was how all cask bitters were, I could get behind the style. Impressive.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5
Cask at the brewery taproom bermondsey arch 7. Without a sparkler. A hazed burnt orange amber coloured pour with a a lasting loose beige cap. Aroma is semi sweet, nutty malts, layered, toffee, caramel, grass, hedgerow hop, nice yeast esters, jammy fruits. Layered. Palate is semi sweet, rounded, lovely cask condition fine bubbles. Flavour is composed of semi sweet, nutty malts, biscuit, toffee, grass, light apricot, dried fruits. Lovely cask.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Bottle from Against The Grain. Hazy amber body with a thick off-white head. Fine carbonation. Good lacing. Aroma of marmalade and apricot. Flavour of orange rind and a bitter, earthy finish. Medium body with a smooth mouthfeel. Soft fizz. Earthy and tangy.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Cask at Mother Arch ii, 13/10/23. Moderately hazed golden amber with an off white cap that dissipates to a swirl. Nose is biscuit malt, herb, stewed fruits, grains, brown bread. Taste comprises biscuit, toffee, pinch of tobacco, prunes, dates, fruit cake mix. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, semi drying close with a mellow bitter edge. Solid flavoursome bitter.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Cask @The Kernel Brewery Arch 7 Taproom, Londres. 14/10/2023. Color marrón espuma escasa aromas y sabores malta, caramelo, cuerpo medio.