360° Bluebell Sussex Best Bitter

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 River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	10 Feb 2026	Ran out but one customer sent back their nearly last out of the cask
Hogan Sampling		10 Feb 2026	A 3rd offering of this bitter was rejected on the basis of its murkiness that was not present in the other two sampled. I was told it was at the end of its cask at this point and having just come on from the 4pm opening time. Clearly it was well liked by those in earlier.
Hogan Sampling		10 Feb 2026	1st beer of this visit: Had a sample and it tasted perfectly fine and so went for a pint of this Sussex Best bitter from originally Sheffield Park, on the edge of the Ashdown Forest, and next to the southern end of the Bluebell (heritage) Railway and some 5 to 7 miles north-west of Uckfield.* It presented a good head and lacing but not lasting. A dry malty first bite from its English malt. A dry bitterness rising with a good fruity hoppiness shining from its East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Cascade hops and lingering. It became rather flat in appearance but managed another because it presented a good flavour. *The brewing operation has vacated its original Sheffield Park site (the "Bluebell" location) in July 2025 after the brewery deciding not to renew the lease and so the brewing has recently moved to a smaller but undisclosed location.
Hogan Sampling		12 Sep 2025	Fresh on today is this East Sussex-based best bitter from Sheffield Park, east of Haywards Heath. Very good head and lacing and lasting to the very end. A malty bitter first bite. A hoppy bitterness rising and a hoppiness positively bouncing with its fruitiness, aided by its East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Cascade hops. A pleasant malty bitterness, from its helpings of English malt, sailing out down the estuary.
Hogan Sampling		22 Aug 2025	Fresh on and so very good head and lacing and lasting throughout. A very bitter first bite on this East Sussex bitter from Sheffield Park, east of Haywards Heath. A dry bitterness rising along with a caramel malt or two. A moreish hoppy bitterness, derived from its East Kent Goldings, Fuggles and Cascade, lasting with a maltiness, from its exclusively English malts, sailing off. Very moreish and so stuck to it!
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	04 Feb 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	04 Feb 2025
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	02 Feb 2025
Hogan Sampling		02 Feb 2025	Very good head and lacing on this East Sussex bitter, north-west of Uckfield. A malty first hit. Almost too malty for anymore. Two sufficed. It had a lasting bitterness.
Hogan Sampling	Not Tried	25 Oct 2024
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	20 Nov 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	05 Nov 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	27 Jul 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	26 Jul 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	16 Jul 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	03 Jan 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	01 Jan 2023
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	18 Sep 2022
Philip Pirrip		20 Dec 2021	I did not find it as inspiring as others said they did
Philip Pirrip	Not Tried	19 Dec 2021
Philip Pirrip		16 Aug 2021	A fine quaffer

The Star, Plumstead, Greater London

Parkerville, Herne Bay, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Jack William		06 Sep 2024	Full bodied but rather too malty for my taste.

The Rusty Buffer, Eythorne, Kent

York Tap, York, North Yorkshire

The Hangar, Sidcup, Greater London

Steamworks, Seaford, East Sussex

The Sussex Arms, Twickenham, Greater London