Timothy Taylor Landlord (Cask)

Brewed by Timothy Taylor
Style: Bitter
Keighley, England

On cask in cloisters, Edinburgh. Excellent light amber session bitter. Perfumy, floral Golding hop aroma. Clean, fairly dry, slight caramilisation and good hop flavour. Finishes with a clean bitterness. Overall one of the best session bitters around.

At the Charles XII, Heslington. Golden-orange brew with a nice lasting head, little lace. Some caramel in the aroma but more pronounced hop citrus, even more pronounced grassy notes. Taste was much the same, with flowery notes and grass predominate, some caramel malt in the background. Easy drinker, fairly carbonated. Re-rate: Need to bump this one up a couple notches as I’ve been drinking it more regularly. Very much on par with the best bitters I’ve had so far. More pronounced citrus in the taste than I had first experienced.

Frankly, not as good as it used to be. Had it in a number of pubs over the last few months and noted that it doesn’t seem to have the depth of taste and character that it once did.

On cask at the Old Coach and Horse, Harbledown near Canterbury. First had a pint of this when I studied up in Darlington. Almost 15 years has past since then but my face lit up when I saw this guest ale. Soft fruit (faint citrus) and a grassy, refeshing hop twang. This is the kind of quality session bitter that I miss so much now I’ve moved away from England.

This is a wonderful bitter, great session brew but more than that. It’s a golden tangerine studded with intricately cut diamonds. Without doubt this can walk the tightrope.

Cask in London. Small head, pale brown beer. Some malt, but dominated by grassy hops. Nice.

Thin white head over lightish orange body. Light tea aroma. Light, sweetish delicate tea and citric hops taste with faint, dryish, smoky aftertaste. Nice session beer. (0.5pt on cask. Should rerate.)

1/2 pint cask, Bert’s Bar, Edinburgh. Darkish golden colour. Throws a really fine-laced creamy white head. Aroma seems to indicate that the beer is somewhat off. Slight sulphur. Flavour-wise it feels quite alright. Refreshingly bitter when it enters the mouth. Minty drying grassy hops. Nice mouthfeel with some crispness, which a lot of other cask ales seems to be missing. I don’t think it is neccessarily the carbonation, but just as much the bitterness and the livelyness of the beer. Without it the beer can just feel too flat and uninteresting. Head clings to the glass.