Timothy Taylor Landlord (Cask)

Brewed by Timothy Taylor
Style: Bitter
Keighley, England

A real legend of an ale, if well kept, it’s most excellent, and this, thankfully, was. Nice off-white head, lovely deep gold colour. Tastes slightly sweet, hoppy, gently easing you into caramel, honey, nut. Leaves a nice aftertaste, not too sweet, slight fruit about it. One of my favourites from the tap to date.

Dark yellow with sparse bubly head. Fruit and flowery hops in the aroma. Nice blends of hops combined with a mix of malt and fruits (apple?) makes this a very nice session beer.

The mystery that is Landlord. A highly acclaimed beer that mostly doesn’t quite live up to expectation. A beer that is widely available due to its huge (indeed, legendary) reputation, but is almost as equally widely acknowledged to be often served in poor condition. The malt base is quite laid back, almost lacking in character, but providing a sufficiently fruity base for the hops to do their thing. And it is the hops for which the beer is most famous. When on form the hops have a dusty English intensity which combined with the fruity malt can deliver a wonderful fresh citric grapefruit edge. At this point the beer is refreshing and invigorating, delivering an impact that approaches the modern American Pale Ales, but retaining the fascinating English dustiness and sulphur notes which are best discovered in a fresh cask ale. But, while this pale hoppy Best Bitter does hold a certain fascination when in top condition, it never quite delivers a world-class punch. So... Landlord mostly lacks character - the malt is just bland, and the hops simply bitter, and even when on form, though tasty and hoppy, doesn’t sufficiently entice or shine with splendour.

(Cask at The Globe (Nicholson’s), London) Clear amber body with off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, pear, floral, some caramel. Taste is medium sweet, earthy/floral, some caramel, light apple/pear. Watery light-medium body, light resin.

Cask at Red Lion, Long Compton, Warwickshire. Small, firm off-white head with good lacing. Golden colour. The aroma was sweet and hoppy with some malt. Taste was gentle and grassy with some dryness at the end.

[Cask at Windsor Castle, Kensington, London] An orange beer with a bubbly off-white head. The aroma is sweet with primary notes of caramel. The flavor is sweet with notes of caramel, and a good hoppy end. The mouthfeel is slightly sticky.

on cask at a wetherspoons pub in london. amberish with a tiny head. some menthol in the aroma and full biscuity malt with decent bitterness

Again drank at the Lantern Pike Inn, Derbyshire. Sweet honey taste and quite light and flowery, Something I’d have never expected to say about a real ale. Very easily drinkable on a hot day too and not too heavy. Also drank a bottle from my local tesco which was a tad more carbonated than I’d like but still had that TT flavour.