- England
- Ale
- ABV = 3.8 – 4.6% (Lower to normal)^
- IBU = 25-40
- SRM = 8-16
A lower-strength pale English ale with an emphasis on hop bitterness over hop flavour.
Appearance:
- Colour^ = Gold to amber
- Clarity = Good to brilliant
Key Aromas & Flavours:
Aroma
- Malt = Low to moderate; bready, biscuity or lightly toasty; often with a caramel quality
- Yeast = Low to moderate; fruity
- Hops = None to moderate; floral, earthy, resiny, and/or fruity, if present
Flavour
- Malt = Low to moderate; bready, biscuity or lightly toasty; often with a caramel or toffee-like quality
- Yeast = Moderate; fruity
- Hops = Low to moderate; floral, earthy, resiny, and/or fruity
- Perceived Bitterness^ = Pronounced
- Balance = Towards bitterness, but the bitterness should not completely overpower the malt, yeast and hop flavours
Aftertaste/Finish
Dry finish
Mouthfeel:
- Body = Medium
- Carbonation = Low, if served on cask; medium, if bottled
Characteristic Ingredients/Processes:
- Malt = Pale ale, amber, and/or crystal/caramel malts; may use a touch of dark malt for colour adjustment
- Yeast = British ale yeast
- Hops = English hops are traditional
- Process = Emphasis is on the bittering hop addition, not the middle and late hop additions for aroma/flavour
Historical Development:
Evolved from the English pale ale and IPA as a lower-strength, draught-only product in the late 1800s. Historically made with all pale malt, crystal/caramel malts became a popular addition after World War I and are commonly used today.
Commercial Examples:
Fuller’s London Pride, Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, Timothy Taylor Landlord
^Sourced from the Cicerone Certification Program’s International Certified Beer Server Syllabus.
All other information is sourced from the BJCP 2015 Style Guidelines.
