Bitter ‘n’ Twisted is a traditional English bitter made with all that is good about English beers, in particular Maris Otter pale malted barley and East Kent Goldings.
Most BoltHole beers use Maris Otter as the main malt – it has an almost mythical status in English ales: high quality, easy to use, unique flavour profile, (expensive). Maris Otter barley is 50 years old in 2016!
Goldings are the quintessential English hops and have been grown in Kent since 1790. They give a spicy, slightly citrus flavour, and despite being used in Bitter Ales, they are not very bitter … so you have to use a lot to get the required bitterness. Add that to its susceptibility to disease and you can see why these hops are a bit pricey – but worth it!
This beer isn’t the most bitter in the range (that comes with really high alpha hops), but it is at the higher end and has a high hop flavour and aroma imparted form the late hopping in the boil and the dry hopping in conditioning (after fermentation). The use of Maris Otter and Crystal malts gives a full biscuity flavour and richness in the mouth.
At 5% abv it’s not dangerously alcoholic, but as a friend once said “you know you’ve had a proper pint”.
A wonderful beer with cheese and bread … it’s why they invented the Ploughman’s Lunch. It also goes well with rich meat dishes, and foreign stuff like paté.