Yorkshire bitter ranked (my top five)

Yeah I've done about 38 of the 50, but it's hard.

Most states are so proud of their own breweries that it's difficult to get out of state brews (there's probably a tax angle too), and so you come across some states multiple times whereas others are more difficult, even more so now I'm back in the UK.
I'm going to have a crack at this challenge. All in one night yes?
 
I'm going to have a crack at this challenge. All in one night yes?

It'll take more than one night for you to find some of the more obscure states, and so you'll have to do some prep if you're going to drink them all in one night.

Most of them are cans or bottles, and so it's probably only 25-30 pints, you should be fine.
 
I hate these competitive my list vs your list style threads... This will all end in a lot of bitterness, mark my slurry words

It’s not competitive it’s just your favourite five bitters right?

I’m currently visiting Boro from Australia and the Black Sheep best bitter is ruddy delish. Tried a fair few others but can’t really remember their names 😵‍💫
 
Oh and I’ve had Theakstons Best and that was very nice too. I like Sam Smiths but haven’t had it on the pump yet. Will get one when I see it.
 
Harrogate is known to be the centre of the rhubarb triangle, but, when I lived there, it was the bitter triangle. Masham, Leeds and Tadcaster all within shouting distance, and the pubs were generally on the side of the town nearest to the source of beer. Sam Smith’s always had a policy of the house price being directly linked to the distance from the brewery.
Theakstons changed the best bitter, back in the 90’s to try and tap into the lager crowd, and it made it less flavoursome to my taste, hence my preference for XB.
John Smiths, or Sam Smith’s, when pulled from a cask are anything but chemically induced. You can still get Tetleys Original cask in a couple of places
 
Not including premiums (OP etc), and must be cask conditioned in t’pub

1. Theakstons XB
2. TT Landlord
3. Black Sheep
4. John Smiths cask
5. Tetley’s cask Original

Am I right?
Contradicting your own thread title with your OP.

Landlord is indeed a lovely drop but is a Pale ale not a bitter.
Timothy Taylor’s bitter is Boltmaker
That is a fine pint but not a match to Sheep Best Bitter or Theakston’s Best Bitter.

Black Sheep Special is great too with a higher ABV similar to Theakston XB.

Theakston OP (lunatic broth) and Black Sheep’s superior Riggwelter are both just short of 6% ABV darker heavier ales, not seasonable and I don’t like either.

There are Blondes and Citrus IPA’s offering pleasant variety, but my personal ranking of OP's best Yorkshire Bitters would be:
1. Black Sheep Best
2. Theakston Best
3. Timothy Taylor Boltmaker
Its a while since I've come across Tetley Cask or John Smith Cask.

At the end of the day, its what you like that matters, not the technicalities.

Wainwright was canny despite being Cumbrian, but not so much now its brewed down in the West Midlands.
 
Not one person mentioned the Wensleydale Brewery?

Quite a few pubs round Teesside and N Yorks sell Wensleydale beer and I thought it was outstanding.
 
Competitive? this is mild.

Contradicting your own thread title with your OP.

Landlord is indeed a lovely drop but is a Pale ale not a bitter.
Timothy Taylor’s bitter is Boltmaker
That is a fine pint but not a match to Sheep Best Bitter or Theakston’s Best Bitter.

Black Sheep Special is great too with a higher ABV similar to Theakston XB.

Theakston OP (lunatic broth) and Black Sheep’s superior Riggwelter are both just short of 6% ABV darker heavier ales, not seasonable and I don’t like either.

There are Blondes and Citrus IPA’s offering pleasant variety, but my personal ranking of OP's best Yorkshire Bitters would be:
1. Black Sheep Best
2. Theakston Best
3. Timothy Taylor Boltmaker
Its a while since I've come across Tetley Cask or John Smith Cask.

At the end of the day, its what you like that matters, not the technicalities.

Wainwright was canny despite being Cumbrian, but not so much now its brewed down in the West Midlands.

Good shout on Boltmaker.
TT also do (or have done) a best bitter - which was gorgeous when I tasted it.

I once got told it was just “boltmaker’ re named.
Never seen them on tap in the same pub.
 
Not including premiums (OP etc), and must be cask conditioned in t’pub

1. Theakstons XB
2. TT Landlord
3. Black Sheep
4. John Smiths cask
5. Tetley’s cask Original

Am I right?
Your number one beer isn't a bitter, so no.

Localising it to just Yorkshire is difficult, I've had great bitters from all over the country. Assuming I ignore the OPs incredibly restrictive rules, I'll go

1. Bitter Simonds 1880 - Kernel
2. Best Bitter - Bathams
3. Boltmaker - Timothy Taylor
4. Workie Ticket - Mordue
5. Black Sheep - Black Sheep

I used to drink Black Sheep all the time which is why it's bottom of my list, I think I just became too used to the taste and it ended up being a bit one dimensional.
 
Yeah I've done about 38 of the 50, but it's hard.

Most states are so proud of their own breweries that it's difficult to get out of state brews (there's probably a tax angle too), and so you come across some states multiple times whereas others are more difficult, even more so now I'm back in the UK.
More than a tax angle, it's a licensing issue. They need a licence for every State they sell in.
 
Not one person mentioned the Wensleydale Brewery?

Quite a few pubs round Teesside and N Yorks sell Wensleydale beer and I thought it was outstanding.
Gamekeeper is Wensleydale's bitter, which is very nice. Most of their others are pales of one sort or another.
 
Anyway, Theakstons Best
Had Barnsley for the first time tonight and it was OK
Landlord
Boltmaker/Golden Best
Stod Fold Gold is probably my favourite though.
 
Theakstons Best
Black Sheep
Durham Brewery do a couple that are both good. (Not Yorkshire but close enough)
Rudgate Battleaxe
Landlord
 
"Bitter" is a style of Pale Ale, not the other way round.

The term "Bitter" was originally used by customers to differentiate between Pale Ale and Mild Ale. Brewers then started using the terms to describe their beer.

Ironically, despite the name, most bitters actually have a low hop content and therefore most aren't actually that bitter tasting.

We can surely all agree though that Ruby Ales like the OPs Theakston XB are not examples of bitter, though.
 
You can say what you like about Sam Smith's but ain't "chemically induced liquid poison".
.
Well technically all brewing involves a chemical reaction from the ingredients used to brew the product and create the specific taste and alcohol is a toxic poison 🤷🏻‍♂️

The company describe their Old Brewery Bitter as unique, and I’d agree with them on that. Taste as we know is a personal thing and to me when I tasted it, I got the most horrid ‘unique’ sensory feeling and could not bring myself to swallow any more, Sam and John Smiths are (to me) to date the only bitters in existence that I would refuse to ever drink again.
 
Your number one beer isn't a bitter, so no.

Localising it to just Yorkshire is difficult, I've had great bitters from all over the country. Assuming I ignore the OPs incredibly restrictive rules, I'll go

1. Bitter Simonds 1880 - Kernel
2. Best Bitter - Bathams
3. Boltmaker - Timothy Taylor
4. Workie Ticket - Mordue
5. Black Sheep - Black Sheep

I used to drink Black Sheep all the time which is why it's bottom of my list, I think I just became too used to the taste and it ended up being a bit one dimensional.
Difficult to argue with that top two. Shame Bathams is difficult to get hold of outside the west mids. The mild is outstanding too.

Any beer by Kernel is up there with best in class in their respective style imo.
 
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