CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR BELFAST TELEGRAPH NEWSPAPER DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR EVERY DAY

Belfast Telegraph

  • nijobfinder
  • nicarfinder
  • propertynews.com
  • Classified

The 50 best beers

In search of the perfect pint? Toby Green presents the experts’ guide to crisp and clear lagers, hoppy ales and brilliant bitters

Monday, 26 October 2009

BITTER 
Hook Norton Old Hooky 
'This often-overlooked beer is a classic example of an English bitter,' says Zak Avery. 'Copper-brown in colour, with lots of toasted biscuity malt, dried fruit and a hoppy spiciness in the finish, Old Hooky is complex and drinkable in equal measures.' 
BreweryHook Norton Brewery (www.hooknortonbrewery.co.uk) 
How much £1.66 4.6% ABV - 500ml

BITTER Hook Norton Old Hooky 'This often-overlooked beer is a classic example of an English bitter,' says Zak Avery. 'Copper-brown in colour, with lots of toasted biscuity malt, dried fruit and a hoppy spiciness in the finish, Old Hooky is complex and drinkable in equal measures.' BreweryHook Norton Brewery (www.hooknortonbrewery.co.uk) How much £1.66 4.6% ABV - 500ml

This panel

Roger Protz is a contributing editor for beer-pages.com;

Pete Brownis the author of ‘Hops and Glory’;

Zak Avery runs a beer events firm (thebeerboy.co.uk);

Jeff Evans is the author of the ‘Good Bottled Beer Guide’

>>Click the image for list

Post a comment

Limit: 500 characters

View all comments that have been posted about this article

Comment
Your details

* Required field

Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.

Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.

To not include at least one of the excellent Brooklyn Lager products? I've been to the Brooklin Brewery (NY) and sampled several of their different draught products. Sensational micro-brewed beer.
Up there with the Belgians.

Posted by John Kyle | 19.11.09, 18:02 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

How about a 50 WORST BEERS List?

Posted by Keith | 13.11.09, 22:35 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

Hey, where's the Canadian Breweries!? Dozens upon Dozens of breweries that I am sure can break this list...

Posted by Pepher | 01.11.09, 15:31 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

Definitely some great beers here, though I've never had most of the English ones.

Orval, Saison DuPont, Rochefort 10, and the three German hefes listed (Schneider, Weihenstephaner, and Franziskaner) are all excellent beers.

I'm definitely not a fan of some of the others listed, though. Sam Adams, for example, is a beer I've never been able to appreciate

Posted by Daniel | 29.10.09, 15:47 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

Here in Aus my current favourites are actually Scottish from the Harvistoun brewery - Schiehallion (a lager with a hint of grapefruit) and Bitter and Twisted - and only $4 for 500 mls...

Posted by Niall | 29.10.09, 11:38 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

What of all the great African Beers.... Tusker, White Cap, Castle, Ndovu, Nile Special, Safari, Lion, etc etc. evryone deserves a place on that list unless its about fashion and not drinkabilty!

Posted by Bob Thompson | 29.10.09, 10:03 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

Here in Vermont there are some great local beers.
Long Trail, Otter Creek , Magic Hat. And in Pennsylvania there are small breweries which brew some delicious beers Yeungling etc.
As for Harp. Don't drink it. I can't believe it comes from the same company that makes Guinness, the real king.

Posted by toadstool | 28.10.09, 01:21 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

Jelen Pivo - a beer that you can find around the south east of Europe.. Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, etc.

By far the best beer I've ever binged on.

Posted by P Wilson | 28.10.09, 00:55 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

Sam Adams is on this list, which, in my opinion, waters down the other 49.
Give me an Upper Canada Pale Ale any day.

Posted by tommy hall | 27.10.09, 22:06 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

i agree with Damian!!! Harp is tasteless dire stuff.

Posted by stephen | 27.10.09, 16:54 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

I was in Romania, They have this beer called 'Ursus' with a picture of a bear wearing a crown on the label with 'King of Beers' written below. The taste of the beer is very crisp and the clarity of the beer is good probably because it is made with good aquality water source. Goes down really well! (especially when the temperature was 42 Degrees C) too well in fact! I would like to nominate this beer. Myfriends consider me to be a bit of a beer monster, and I have tavelled around a good bit across Europe and America - nothing comes close to Ursis in my opinion.

Posted by Tony | 27.10.09, 13:54 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

I'll tell you what you wont find on the list - Harp lager. Quite possibly the worst ber I've ever tasted.

Posted by Damian | 27.10.09, 08:21 GMT

Post a complaint

Please note Name and E-mail are required.

Contact details

TeleToons

TeleToons by Stevie Lee

Cinema trailers

Movie guide cinema trailers

Guide to latest movies

Pet Gallery: Cats will sleep anywhere

Gallery: Cats will sleep anywhere

Readers' Gallery Click here to send us your pet pics