Hops

Hops don't grow in Cornwall. Breweries source them from other regions and countries, and that shapes the character of their beers. A classic English bitter is hopped with varieties like Fuggle and East Kent Goldings. The latter has held EU PDO status, the protected designation of origin, since 2013, and hails from Kent.

There, these varieties produce an earthy, spicy, slightly floral aroma rather than fruitiness. That suits an ale meant to be drunk in quantity, one that shouldn't hit you with bitterness on every sip.

A Best Bitter falls between 25 and 40 IBU according to BJCP style guidelines. IBU stands for International Bitterness Units, a measure of bitterness in beer. An English IPA, the stronger, hoppier variant, comes in at 40 to 60.

Proper Job from St Austell shows how the Southwest has opened up to a hoppier style. The brewery calls it a Cornish IPA. The word Proper Job means something like "well done" in the regional dialect. Drink it alongside Tribute and you'll taste noticeably more bitterness and fruit, with a dry, slightly resinous note lingering in the finish.

Bitterness and aroma come from two different points in the boil. Hops boiled for a long time deliver mostly bitterness. Hops added shortly before the end of the boil or afterward bring fragrance and fruit without significantly increasing bitterness. A Bitter leans toward the former, an IPA toward both.