Iconic pints of Britain and Ireland

Representing Newport, where a former colleague operated for some years as a special constable until he managed to mace himself in the face while breaking up a domestic, he was equally competent at C++ coding: Tiny Rebel Cwtch, another recent CBoB. Heavy toffee malt base with sherbety Lilt/Five Alive top and pleasant dry finish.

I guess Smithwicks of Kilkenny is the progenitor of the style and would also qualify for this list.

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Went to the Devonshire last night for a post lunch, self proclaimed, “best Guinness in London”. It’s not. As my friend described, “Average. Too cold. Served in the manner of a McDonalds Happy Meal”
 
35 or 40 years ago Guinness invented a pump that poured the perfect pint. The glass put underneath the tap and it pulled down to pour out 1/2 a pint whilst the bartender went off to sort out the rest of the round. Once settled, the tap pulled up and down and the rest of the pint poured. Once settled the tap pushed up and forward to top up. A 2 and a half minute operation. A good pint of Guinness takes patience.

I haven't seen that type of pump in a long time.
 
Thom Blach said:
No-Sam Smiths pubs in London have gone right down the pan. Bottles are excellent, as indeed are all their bottles, just as well because they are expensive.
Interesting to read about Humphrey Smith, who seems to be a complete nutcase.
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A month later, but hey ho - agree with Tom that investment in the Sam Smiths bottles is worthwhile - from a mail order place in York I get a fairly regular drop of Taddy Porter, Nut Brown, Oatmeal Stout and Imperial Stout, the latter two of which certainly are be-ooo-tiful beers. If you like beers with a defined sweetness that is. Which I do. Apart from the Imperial Stout, they all come in joyous near-pint bottles in almost stereotypical Yorkshire orneriness.
 
Thom Blach said:
Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout is quite lovely-I find it about ten thousand times better than Guinness.
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...but I certaiinly find these very different beers - one sweet, the other having (in the past anyway) an appealing sour note, to my palate. Isn't it supposed to have some "old" beer in it, which I assumed contributed to its pre-eminence / distinctiveness, or have I imagined that?
 
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And I suppose my vote for iconic pint / pint in its place would be a Tribute at the Chain Locker overlooking the bay in Falmouth.

A pint of Castle Rock's Elsie Mo (similar Munich malt notes I think) would also be good but I can't give anywhere particularly Nottinghamy to drink it. Ditto Landlord - in fact, I'm too scared to even GO to Keighley.
 
Rob Lockwood said:
And I suppose my vote for iconic pint / pint in its place would be a Tribute at the Chain Locker overlooking the bay in Falmouth.

A pint of Castle Rock's Elsie Mo (similar Munich malt notes I think) would also be good but I can't give anywhere particularly Nottinghamy to drink it. Ditto Landlord - in fact, I'm too scared to even GO to Keighley.
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Elsie Mo was mentioned is discussion of fine pints from the East Midlands at the weekend...
 
Redemption Hopspur - the classic/ubiquitous best bitter of the London craft beer craze a decade ago but I don’t recall having one since then. From cask, balanced, malty base, moderate American hops, not too ‘twiggy’. Over-vented, in the London manner. At the genial Cask in Pimlico. C

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PS Off topic for this thread, but worth noting that the same pub now offers a ‘vintage beer cellar’, a stunning library of bottled beer geekdom, particularly strong on cult bottles from Belgium and the USA, some dating back to 2009. This is a Siberian Black Magic Panther (2017) imperial stout from Westbrook Brewing out of South Carolina, a formidable composition of double espresso, nuts, chocolate, molasses, chinook and East Kent goldings. 12%. A-

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This is a Siberian Black Magic Panther (2017) imperial stout from Westbrook Brewing out of South Carolina, a formidable composition of double espresso, nuts, chocolate, molasses, chinook and East Kent goldings. 12%. A-

What a brew! We made several visits to Charleston, South Carolina in 2021 and alongside Charles Town Fermentory, Westbrook was always a stop. Their continuing series of Mexican Cake Stouts are off the rails and Siberian Black Magic Panther looks like it fits right in there!
 
A mug of something by Kernel (not so often seen in cask) at the Rake in Borough Market is surely a quintessential SE London zythophile experience.

Dry Stout - not perhaps the most enthralling beer in their range but a perfectly serviceable thirst quencher. Mildish with a moderate dose of Ella hops for some spicy tropical fruit notes. C

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