County Best
Exeter Brewery in Exeter, Devon, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.40
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County Best is a premium best bitter. Deep amber in colour, it is rich malty-sweet in the mouth with some fruit flavours and a bitter-sweet finish. The aroma is a balance of fruit and malt. Made with finest floor malted barley and premium quality hops. At 4.6% abv, County Best is at the top-end of the Best Bitter strength range.
All our ales are cask conditioned and made using only the finest local sourced ingredients, including traditionally floor-dried, locally produced malts.
All our ales are cask conditioned and made using only the finest local sourced ingredients, including traditionally floor-dried, locally produced malts.
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6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Thin off white head on a reddish brown coloured body.
Toffee, digestive & nutty aroma.
Medium bodied, lightly carbonated with a cloying back.
Toffee, digestive biscuit, nutty & sugary tastes with a tang on the finish.
Standard stuff.
Toffee, digestive & nutty aroma.
Medium bodied, lightly carbonated with a cloying back.
Toffee, digestive biscuit, nutty & sugary tastes with a tang on the finish.
Standard stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Aug 2025
at 20:06
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Old rating from 21-04-15 - 500ml bottle from the brewery. Pours light brown with a off white foamy head. Aromas & tastes of caramel, toffee, wood, nuts & hints of vanilla. Medium body. Moderate bitter finish. Very enjoyable
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Jun 2025
at 15:35
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 8
500ml bottle from the Jolly Vintner, Tiverton. Drank while doing a BBQ in my back garden on Saturday 17th May 2025. Good looking beer, deep amber body, clean and clear, beige head that hung around. Woody, nutty and earthy with a slight fruity undertone, decent honest Bitter all round. More malty than hoppy.
Tried
from Bottle
at
The Jolly Vintner
on 17 May 2025
at 13:00
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
(Cask at Lyric, Soho, London, 28 Nov 2022) Mahogany colour with creamy, tan head. Malty, slightly roasted nose with chocolate, caramel and nuts. Malty, slightly roasted taste with notes of nuts, chocolate, dark bread, prunes and a balanced earthy bitterness. Medium body, with a touch of sweetness. Tasty and well balanced bitter. Nice one.
Tried
from Cask
on 09 Jun 2023
at 20:26
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask. Rich amber beer with a cream head. Light caramel aroma. Light caramel and light floral flavor. Medium bodied. Light caramel and light floral notes linger.
Tried
from Cask
on 26 Apr 2023
at 21:46
Historic check-in
Tried
on 29 Nov 2022
at 14:58
3.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5
Cask half at The Fountain, Bridgwater. Pours clear chestnut with a beige cap. Aroma: malt & caramel. Taste: light sweet & light to moderate bitter, malt, caramel, earthy, hedgerow fruits. Medium body with soft carbonation. OK.
Tried
from Cask
at
Fountain Inn
on 23 Oct 2022
at 18:33
6/10
Tried
on 04 Mar 2020
at 17:50
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Cask at Black Horse, New Haw. Copper gold. Low key floral aroma. Creamy white head. medium bitter with a sweet fruity streak. Light-medium bodied. Slick. Flat. Abrupt carbonation. Wasn't expecting much but slipped down well. Unfortunately it had just gone off when I asked for another.
Tried
from Cask
on 29 Aug 2019
at 11:49
6.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
[Cask at the Bell, Waltham St Lawrence.] A chestnut coloured pour with a scummy looking head; malty aroma; sweet earthy malt taste; with some caramel and vanilla and a wood finish. A comforting old style bitter.
Tried
from Cask
on 06 Feb 2019
at 17:33