Bittings Best Bitter

Brewed by J.J. Bitting Brewing Co.
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Woodbridge, New Jersey USA

Serve in English pint

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Had both versions the cask and the tap. The two versions can't be compared. The cask version was hoppy. The tap version was very carmelly. Really good. Enjoyable.

Amber and well stocked. Smooth and mellow. Well balanced with some characteristics of a macrobrew. Earthy malt. Pretty good.

UPDATED: FEB 16, 2004 Had both the cask and standart tap versions. The cask version seemed to have an subtle apple-sour aroma with hops, while the tap version had a carmel slightly fruity aroma. Flavor was carmelly with hops in the aftertaste, and perfectly balanced. Not for hop heads, rather for English ale fans. Decent brew.

Cask conditoned: Orangy amber hue with nice creamy slightly off-white head and excellent lace, a product of cask conditioning? The aroma has a fruity nose (orange, pear, grapefruit), earthy and spicy hops, chalky yeast esters, roasted malts and buttered biscuit. Well balanced taste of tradtional malts and hops with a fruity and piney undertone. Lingering bitterness and woody finish. Very smooth and creamy mouthfeel, again a product of cask conditioning. Outstanding. Taste better than it smelled, damn good solid cask bitter, the Brits would be proud.

UPDATED: FEB 13, 2005 Very bold bitter. Woody overtones. Sweetish malty character. I would live in a JJ Bittings beer tun if I could. **New Rating - Cask Version (04/23/2004)*** Very creamy with distinct English malty character. Sharp but quickly receding bitterness. Leaves a slight toast flavor in th aftertaste.

Cask Conditioned - Poured muddy copper with a fairly large small bubbled white head. The head quickly dissappears to a small white lacing. The aroma was warm and a bit orangy. The flavor was much of the same - not as bitter as I would have liked and not as good as the ESB’s that I love.

Cask at brewpub. Pours pale golden amber with lacing off white head. Orange and caramel aroma, but faint. British Caramel and toffee malt flavor, finished by a mild bitterness. Even for a bitter, this was tad thin. Plus this lacked the earthiness of a true bitter. Still respectable in my book.

Crystal clear, yellow ale. Large, creamy, off-white head. Great retention. Great lacing. The nose is of butterscotch, citrus fruit, toffee and straw. The well-bittered flavor delivers bursts of lemon and butter. Light-bodied with a silky mouthfeel and lively carbonation. Lengthy, bitter and pungent finish.