RCH Pitchfork

Brewed by RCH
Style: Bitter
Weston-super-Mare, England

Cask @ Akkurat, Stockholm
Strange that I haven’t rated this before as it is one of my favourite uk real ales. Has a great flowery malt aroma. Persistent head. Rich natural hop taste balanced wonderfully with a certain fresh maltiness. Taste developes into a rich and complec, though still balanced, hop freshness. Very hoppy by UK standards. A beer one can drink all night with equal pleasure throughout.

Pours gold into an English pint. Bright white micro head tophats the rim. Leaving sheet lacing as it slowly recedes. Grapefruit and lemon zest aromas. Crisp and full malts upfront turning creamy summer fruits before the dry, lasting grapefruit finish. IPA-like.

Multiple cask half-pints/pints at NERAX on 5/4 and 5/5/07
What a beer! This was definitely high on the list of most samples I had of a beer at the fest.
Great appearance. Perfectly bright, with a rich, white head that leaves good lace and sits atop a dark bronze body.
Lovely, clear, fresh, highly aromatic hoppy nose is not the typical tangerine, nectarine, lemon, but rather a much more deep, green, lush hoppiness with light resins and some sweet grapefruit. Very fragrant, with lightly sweet caramel malts in the background and just a wonderful balance overall. A slight touch of earthy, mineral-laden yeast is enjoyable as well. Absolutely flawless, with no alcohol noted.
As hoppy as the nose is, the malt is foremost present in the flavor. Dry, not overly so, but with a creamy, soft texture that belies the good attenuation. Hops are not as overly flavorful as the aroma is aromatic, but still provide plenty of leafy, brisk flavors (resin, grapefuit) and lots of bitterness on the end. Similar to the Fullers beers, the malt had a very polished, almost woody flavor to it, with very light biscuit notes. Some esters on the end as well. Perfectly engaging, tight carbonation leading to a very drinkable texture. Flawless.

A very refreshing light coloured ale with a supurb taste and dry crisp finish. Excellent and very moreish.

Pours with a large foamy head. This has a fresh, fruity, grain aroma. Flavours are malty, fruity but its the hoppy finish that makes this so good. Oily hops are complemented by a JHB-like grapefruit zest. A proper bitter. Try it.

I had this in a cask, and it was possibly the best bitter I’ve had while in England. Almost IPA like hoppiness with distinctive flavors (lingering bitterness afterwards is slightly annoying, however; it might be that this is even more pronounced in the bottle). Floral and spicy notes, perhaps a hint of clove. Light orange color not the most appealing, and virtually no head in my glass. Was awarded ’best bitter’ at the Great British Beer Festival 2001. I think it deserves that if the 30 or so bitters I’ve had in the past six months is any indication. (on tap, The Wharf pub, Oxford)

A clinic on bitter. Very typical bitter aroma with some vinegar-- sensuous malt as it warms. Good label, astonishing lager yellow. Lemon colored, white tall webby head. Dusty, dry, a bit herbal. A bold statement in the bitter category. Enough sediment in the bottle to cloud it up like a hefe. Session-weight and spot-on finish. Very good balance in acidity. Nice medium-long finish without being abrasive. Going against the grain on this one because it's a fave style, and the beer is well-balanced but still has a ballsy approach to the style. Bottle at Peculier Pub in Greenwich Village.

Cask - malt and some floural hop in the nose. Beautiful golden color with a white, white head. The flavor is amazing for such a small beer! Started malty. As I proceeded down the glass and it warmed the hops came charging to the front, hitting me at both sides of the tongue. Palate was very smooth and soft. This is a beautiful - and underrated - beer!