Latest news with #BestBitter
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Popular pub campaigner and YouTuber gives verdict on Black Country boozers
A POPULAR YouTuber and avid pub campaigner who travels up and down the country with his partner reviewing the nation's watering holes has given his verdict on his top Black Country boozers. Dale Harvey and his wife, Holly, run the Great British Pub Crawl, which has amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media who are eagerly supporting the couple's mission to visit every pub in the UK. From London to Nottingham to Manchester and everywhere in between, the pair have been all over the country, but Dale told The News that the Black Country has something special about it. "It's just such a great area," he said. "The people are friendly, and it has two of the best, if not the best, breweries in the UK - Bathams and Black Country Ales. "It escapes people's radars, as people automatically think of Birmingham when in the West Midlands." On top of his high praise for the Black Country as a whole, Dale revealed his favourite town, and also his favourite boozer, which he has visited in the region. He said: "I've never had a bad day out in the Black Country, but Stourbridge is especially brilliant. "The selection of pubs in the Amblecote Triangle is truly great. "That crawl is a proper hidden gem. "Then, nearby over Brierley Hill way, The Delph Run never disappoints. "It was sad to hear about The Black Horse closing recently - all the stops on that route are great." But where did Dale crown his favourite pub in the Black Country? Here's what he said: Favourite pub: The Queen's Head, Wordsley "That place is out of this world," Dale said. "It has to be my number one." The Black Country Ales pub is a firm village favourite, with a classic interior, a nice beer garden and a great atmosphere. Honourable mention: The Vine 'AKA The Bull and Bladder', Brierley Hill Dale said: "Whatever you know it as, it is a phenomenal boozer." The Bull and Bladder has also recently been crowned not only The Telegraph's Best Pub in the West Midlands, but also the 2025 Dudley CAMRA Pub of the Year. Honourable mention: Severn Stars, Stourbridge Dale gave this Black Country Ales pub a special shout-out, and he is not the only one to have given it praise as of late. The Oldswinford drinking hole has been crowned the 2025 Stourbridge and Halesowen CAMRA Pub of the Year Honourable mention: The Court of Requests, Oldbury Despite being a Weatherspoons pub, which Dale said he does not often praise highly, he said The Court of Requests is truly unique. Set in an old courthouse, this pub has a rich historical character that makes it unlike any other pub in the region. It isn't just the pubs in the region that Dale has praise for. He said: "I have never been a cask ale drinker, but Batham's Best Bitter is undeniably good. "I would go as far as to say it is the best bitter in the world." Dale is planning a return to the Black Country in a couple of weeks, taking on Stourbridge for the third time in June.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Beer Nut: Bunker Brewing Chick-a-Dee sings a beautiful song
I can get grumpy sometimes, but I'm not really a bitter person Unless you mean the beer style – then I'm definitely a bitter guy. As longtime readers might recall, bitters (or 'best bitters' or 'ESBs') are probably my favorite style, at least when they're done well. The problem is that in these days of IPAmania, American brewers don't tend to make them – or make them regularly. And that's a shame for several reasons. One issue I have encountered with people who don't know a lot about beer is that the term 'bitter' turns them off. They assume it means an astringent, overly hopped brew like some IPAs can be. Of course that's not the case at all. The term 'bitter' came about as a way of distinguishing it from some other pale ales, such as mild ales, back in the 19th century, but 'bitter' was a relative term and not meant to describe anything like the latter-day IPAs. The reason I like the style so much is that a well-made bitter hits almost all the marks I cherish in a good beer. Most bitters are low to moderate in alcohol; bitters are usually fairly balanced, providing a scrumptious and solid malt structure and subtle but notable hop counterpunch; they also taste unbelievably good on cask – probably the best style for real ale in my humble opinion. I have some favorites, of course. Fuller's ESB is always a welcome addition to my table, and Coniston's Bluebird Bitter is hard to beat. Locally, I've always enjoyed Northampton Brewery's Daniel Shay's Best Bitter. But I might now have a new No. 1: Chick-a-Dee English Style Bitter from Bunker Brewing in Portland, Maine. Named after Maine's state bird, which is also our state bird here in Massachusetts, I immediately took a liking to this beer. While the Northern Cardinal is my favorite bird, the Black-capped Chickadee is probably second. After all, on two separate occasions chickadees have eaten out of my hand. If you're into birds, you know how exciting that was. But aside from the avian considerations, what also grabbed my attention was the 'English style bitter' appellation. And it turned out that this bird was singing my song. I sampled it from a nitro can and It poured a slightly cloudy orange hue with a frothy two-finger head. (I assume the nitrogen aided that latter aspect.) The nose was subtle but hinted at cracker-like grains with herbal notes also blossoming as the beer warmed. The first sips revealed a firm bready malt base with a perfect amount of herbal hop bitterness to make it incredibly easy to drink. Nothing is hitting you over the head here, except its balanced deliciousness. A dried fruit aspect emerges as the beer warms, but just at the edges, and the hops expand their floral aspect at the same time. The next time I have it, I'm going to let the beer warm just a bit before pouring it or drinking it. It gets even better when it's not too cold. (Then again, I think that about most well-mad beers, hence my love for cask ale.) Not to overstate things, but this is one of the best beers I've had in a while. I'm going to try Bunker's Barncat Dark Mild next. After all, May is Mild Beer Month. Read the original article on MassLive.
