Magpie 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.

Hitchin Beer & Cider Festival 2026, Hitchin, Hertfordshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		06 Jun 2026	4th beer of this festival: Head and lacing on being poured this traditional copper-coloured best bitter but not keeping it and from this Nottingham brewery set up in 2006 by three homebrewers. A very crisp bitterness on its first bite. A dry apple-like bitterness rising. A hoppy fruitiness winning over from its 100% British hops and from the First Gold and Bramling Cross varieties. A slightly caramelised dry bitterness ebbing out from its sweet British malts. Served in very good nick with generous conditioning present.

The Squirrel Inn, Rugby, Warwickshire

Who	Score	When	Notes
Magnus Greel		09 Oct 2024	Copper and full of malt character, boasting fantastically fruity First Gold and Bramling Cross British hops

Gidea Park Micropub, Gidea Park, Greater London

Crafty Crow, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

The King's Head, Leicester, Leicestershire

The George & Monkey (formerly Amwell Arms; Simmons; Filthy MacNasty's; Fountain), Clerkenwell, Central London

Spooner's Bar, Porthmadog, Gwynedd

Who	Score	When	Notes
Ray		07 Aug 2010	Copper coloured, thin, not much character. Maybe 2.1/2*.