Lion dOr Bishops Best Bitter

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry and Blankboy, my bottle. Nice dark orange, big fluffy head with orange tints. Lovely very bitter aroma - very fruity hops full of soft citrus, earthy English hops - wow lovely and fresh! Taste - wow, tastes like it is fresh from the cask! Bitter taste - tons of hops - citrus, more grapefruit than orange and a good malt base. Spicy finish. Stunningly fresh and just a joy to drink. Certainly one of the best ESB’s I’ve had, especially on this side of the Atlantic.

Amber and very clear. Moderate effervescence, rich creamy head. Very floral hoppy nose. Fresh hops explode out of your glass. Very clean beer. Beautiful stubborn bitterness. Like chewing on a bag of hops.

Bottle (500ml). Shared with blankboy and tupalev, tupalev’s bottle. Beautiful clear refractive amber with a large, lasting fluffy beige head, pillowy lacing left behind - almost a 5. Funky, rich UK hop aroma, dry, bitter, spicy, citrus rind - not much malt but who cares; pungent - excellent. My first thought on tasting was "weed!" - tastes very hempy- all of the above hop character, some fresh grain, slight grassiness in the finish, but this is an amazing ESB - tons of hops, very fresh and dry, almost sour alphas in the finish. Thick, dry mouthfeel, incredibly astringent - this tastes like a fresh cask bitter, I have a hard time believing this is bottled - excellent.

Aroma:Hops and butter. Appearance:Red amber good head. Flavor:Hops,bitterness and butter. Palate:bitterness.

On tap at the brewpub

Bright bronze colour. Very toasty, fresh malty character. Earthy yeast, woody hops. Complex, flavourful English ale. Takes on a bitter, ashy character over the course of the pint.