I\u2019ve been trawling through my anniversary edition of the Good Beer Guide and a couple of things have struck me. It is always unfair to take the mickey out of tasting notes because one person\u2019s clear elucidation of taste is another person\u2019s overblown tosh. But one thing that ought to be reasonably consistent is the categorisation of beers but the category of \u2018bitter\u2019 seems to have become singularly elastic. For instance, Adnams brew what used to be called Bitter and is now called Southwold Bitter and Black Sheep brews what used to be called Bitter and is now called Best Bitter. The good book categorises them all as \u2018bitter\u2019. But it also categorises Adnams\u2019 Mosaic Pale Ale and Black Sheep\u2019s Twilight Pale Ale as \u2018bitter\u2019. You\u2019d have thought the name would have given the compilers a clue. At the other end of the alphabet, St Austell\u2019s Tribute and Timothy Taylor\u2019s Landlord are classified as \u2018bitter\u2019 yet what they have in common with others similarly categorised, such as Sambrook\u2019s Wandle or Woodforde\u2019s Wherry, defeats me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently I called in at a couple of GBG entries. One had eight hand pumps, four of them with the badges turned round and the functioning four selling variations of the same yellow beer. The other was selling Tribute, Landlord, Crouch Vale Gold and one other like that and I\u2019m ashamed to say I took refuge in Warsteiner! I fear the world has left my palate behind and I\u2019ll soon be driven to temperance except for one bit of good news. You report McMullen\u2019s moves into the capital. But those I\u2019ve been to recently have been prone to being without the distinctive AK. Perhaps it is selling faster than anticipated and they\u2019ll catch up. I do hope so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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