Bitter weekend for Bitter!

Regional Forums United Kingdom and Ireland
1

I am sad to announce that Golden/Blond Ales have overtaken my Bitter ratings to become my largest rated style over this weekend.

I am going for a lie down.

<*))))))><

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2

You have my sympathy. I know this is something you have been dreading for the last 3 years plus.

3

Bitters are still 189 ahead of golds for me and I intend to keep it that way.

Of more concern is my losing battle over the last three years to keep stouts and porters ahead of APAs. Sadly stouts fell by the wayside over the winter and APAs are now only 1 behind porters.

#boredofpalealevariants #bringbackdarkermaltybeers

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4

I celebrated the day when first IPA’s then APA’s went past Golden blondes.

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5

My top four now look like this:

Golden/Blond Ales
Bitter
IPA
Premium Bitter/ESB

Ashamed to say 5th is Pale Lager!
6th is APA
7th is Belgian Strong

So not all bad.

<*))))))><

6

Congratulations and welcome to the club.

Maybe stating the obvious but I’d imagine CAMRA fests are good places to pick up new bitter ticks?

7

You’d think so wouldn’t you, but that’s not really the case. I was a judge at the Shrewsbury CAMRA Beer Festival last year (for the Shropshire Beer of The Year), of the nine beers presented to me only one was a Bitter. Brewers are producing what the public want and around here it’s golden ales with a citrus leaning from New World hops. They brew their traditional Bitter and premium Bitters all year but any seasonal is usually a gold, hence the fewer rates for new Bitters, they are not being brewed.

<*))))))><

8

Yes, on a previous thread someone (Chris?) gave the example of how Brewers might make a series of single-hopped goldens but just have the one or two bitters. I suppose the days of breweries producing dozens of bitters (a la Cottage) are dying out.

At least the goldens I’ve had lately are an improvement of the buttery ones I often got from the regionals. A simple golden was my joint top rate last year.

I had a look at my bitter rates since moving in August. Most from more traditional-minded pubs like Broood and the Salmon, but also quite a few when we holidayed in Cumbria, possibly thus giving me access to the core range of local breweries that were new or newish to me.

9

My bitter ratings were ahead of gold. That was until I decided to try and rate as many Surrey beers as possible. So It’s now my top rated style by default.