Burtonwood Top Hat

Formerly brewed at Thomas Hardy (Burtonwood)
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Burtonwood, England

Serve in English pint

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Darkish bitter with a decent head that lasts through the pint. Malty taste, without lots of character but decent enough beer.

First tasted this in Gabriels, Paisley in June 1998. Cask, handpump dispense. Clear pale garnet in colour with a thin white head. Slight hint of berry fruit in the short malty aroma. Thin mouthfeel and good lacing. Pale malt gives digestive biscuit in the robust malt base with a fruity tang of blackcurrant also present. Bitter hop resins impart a dry bitter aftertaste which compliments the woody malt well. Finish is dry but bitter sweet with woody notes ever present. A robust ESB style ale which is full of flavour and an ideal session ale.

Cask Handpump at the London Hotel, Llandudno 06/05/2001 Smooth on the palate with a malty aftertaste.

Did someone say Premium? ESB? Not even Average. Looked thin, tasted instantly forgettable. Smells of something most brewers would throw away at an early stage.

Cask Conditioned at a Wetherspoons. A light brown beer with rich head. A heady floral bitter, sweet and refreshing. My pint tasted a little old, but I was in a Macpub. Heavy bitter hoppy finish, shame about the quality of the pub dispense as I'm sure this could be a great beer.