Southwark Bermondsey Best

Tasting Summary

These comments are the opinion of the individual reviewer and represent what they thought of the beer on a particular day in a particular pub. If a review is less favourable, it may be because the beer suffered somewhere in the supply chain between them and the brewery.

The Furze Wren, Bexleyheath, Greater London

The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	24 Apr 2025	Ran out
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	24 Apr 2025	Went off shortly after I got here.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	23 Apr 2025
Hogan Sampling		22 Apr 2025	Second night on and holding its head and lacing well on this Southwark best bitter. A very malty first hit. A bitterness minus any fruitiness present. A dry spicy and honey-infused hoppiness from those East Kent Goldings accompanying a caramel-infused maltiness lingering.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	21 Apr 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	06 Apr 2025	Others' pints looked flat
Hogan Sampling		06 Apr 2025	Only its second night on for this Southwark Best Bitter but minimal head and lacing on being served it and any remaining soon legged it out of the glass. A very malty first hit. A bitterness winning through. I was left with a sweet maltiness but also a strangely watery finish as if it had been starved of the usual flavourings you get in the majority of bitters.
Hogan Sampling		05 Apr 2025	Fresh on and came with some head and lacing but this did not hang about for long. A first hit of malty caramel. A dry bitter mouthfeel then presented itself alongside its honey-infused hops. A maltiness then got in on the act in its dry aftertaste.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	27 Nov 2024
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	27 Nov 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	26 Nov 2024
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	26 Nov 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	03 Nov 2024	The ones poured for others looked dire and lifeless
Hogan Sampling		03 Nov 2024	Not a lot of head and lacing and what was there soon evaporated. A spicy flavoured bitter with a honey-infused hoppiness.
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	29 Sep 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	29 Sep 2024
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	28 Sep 2024
Hogan Sampling		27 Sep 2024	Also fresh on today and a good head and lacing with a long-lasting bitter mouthfeel.
Hogan Sampling		03 Sep 2024	I thought I would give this one another go since trying it on Sunday. Such a good head and less medicinal than on Sunday by a long way but malty to the "nth degree", as you could not have packed more malt into it if you tried! Think also of chestnuts in a soup for this one, a splash of honey and liberal sprinklings of lavender. A few hours later and I was not sure I would hold it down but my stomach accepted it after all.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	02 Sep 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	01 Sep 2024	Newly on
Hogan Sampling		01 Sep 2024	New on with a frothy head and fine lacing. Sharp to taste and to the bottom of the glass but fizzing on the tongue and very, very malty. It was like drinking a soup as although clear, it had a chewy mouthfeel. One sufficed.
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	20 Feb 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	17 Dec 2023
Philip Pirrip		08 Oct 2023	Not sure how I ended up getting served this as usually give Southwark a miss. First one out of a new cask and a bit fresh
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	01 Oct 2023	AN Other's was flat, no head could be created with multiple decantings between two glasses
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	22 Jun 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Jun 2023	Ran out
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	21 May 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Mar 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	07 Mar 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	06 Mar 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	25 Nov 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	24 Nov 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	23 Nov 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	22 Nov 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	17 Jun 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	16 Jun 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	07 Mar 2022	Ran out
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	06 Mar 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	02 Dec 2021
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	30 Sep 2021
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	29 Sep 2021
Philip Pirrip		01 Jun 2021	New on today and surprisingly good, for once, for a Southwark ale
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	28 May 2021
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	13 Sep 2020	Another customer returned his as flat and vinegary. Taken off sale
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	22 Sep 2019
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	28 Aug 2019
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Jan 2019	Ran out
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	06 Jan 2019
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	28 Jan 2018

Southwark Brewing Company, Bermondsey, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	20 Jan 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	24 Jan 2022
Philip Pirrip		22 Jan 2018	In good condition and moving fast here tonight
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	05 Jan 2018
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	24 Nov 2017
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	10 Feb 2017
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	16 Dec 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	03 Jun 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	01 Apr 2016
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	25 Jan 2016
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	17 Jul 2015
Philip Pirrip		19 Jan 2015
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	22 Nov 2014
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	04 Oct 2014

The Society Rooms, Maidstone, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Andrew	Not Tried	22 Jun 2024
ChrisE		07 Oct 2021	A superb pint. Selling very well this afternoon.

The Mayflower, Rotherhithe, Greater London

Bunch of Grapes, London Bridge, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Wittenden		27 May 2023	Fine condition,spicy,verging on earthy.Better than I was led to expect.

The George, Croydon, Greater London

The London & Rye, Catford, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	04 Sep 2022
Philip Pirrip		03 Sep 2022	Truly lacklustre. A brown liquid

The Gate Clock, Greenwich, Greater London

The Watch House, Lewisham, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	10 Jan 2022
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	18 Mar 2020
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	14 Mar 2020
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Feb 2020
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Feb 2020
Philip Pirrip		08 May 2018	Not very pleasant wet-dog ale with little condition or mouthfeel making it a chore to finish
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	14 Sep 2017
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	28 Aug 2017
Philip Pirrip		10 May 2017	Just about tasted OK but made unappetising by a broken scummy yeasty head. Shortly after I had finished mine another customer demanded a replacement for his
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	05 Jun 2016

The Plume of Feathers, Greenwich, Greater London

The Anchor, Southwark, Central London

Ye Olde Cock Tavern, Fleet Street, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		01 Oct 2019

Catford Bridge Tavern, Catford, Greater London

The Capitol, Forest Hill, Greater London

The George Staples, Blackfen, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		18 Jun 2019

The Gordon Arms, Chislehurst, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		14 Jan 2019	Malty and hazy

The Broken Drum, Blackfen, Greater London

Williams Ale & Cider House, Spitalfields, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		29 Sep 2017

The Harp, Charing Cross, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	09 Sep 2017	Another customer found this as flat as a pancake and left most of it
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	08 Feb 2017
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	19 Dec 2016
Philip Pirrip		16 Nov 2016
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	19 Aug 2016
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	16 Jul 2016
Philip Pirrip		15 Jul 2016
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	07 May 2016	Came on just before close

The Long Pond, Eltham, Greater London

Leadbelly’s Bar & Kitchen, Rotherhithe, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		04 Sep 2017	Soon lost head and went flattish
Stephen Harris		31 Aug 2017	An amber-coloured, standard Bitter.

The Travellers Friend, Woodford, Greater London

The Gregorian, Bermondsey, Central London

The White Swan, Charlton, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		09 Apr 2017	Good enough but not tempted to have a second

Dean Swift, Bermondsey, Central London

Tap East, Stratford, Greater London

The Grafton, Kentish Town, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
ChrisE		29 Sep 2016

Woolwich Equitable, Woolwich, Greater London

The Duke of Sussex, Waterloo, Central London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Andrew		15 Jun 2016	Chestnut brown bitter. Slightly resinous and woody.
Stephen Harris	Not Tried	25 Apr 2016

The New Cross Turnpike, Welling, Greater London

Royal George, Euston, Central London

The Kings Arms, Waterloo, Central London

The Adam & Eve, Homerton, Greater London

Royal Albert, New Cross, Greater London

Well & Bucket, Bethnal Green, Greater London

The Lawrence Arms (formerly London Beer Dispensary), Brockley, Greater London

Leyton Engineer (formerly Leyton Technical), Leyton, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Stephen Harris		21 Feb 2015	Fruity. Very fruity.

163 Upper Street (formerly The Taproom), Islington, Central London

Egham United Services Club, Egham, Surrey

Who	Score	When	Notes
thebrewingman		13 Nov 2014