Tasting

What does an East Anglian Bitter taste like? First bread and biscuit, then a touch of fruit, finally mild hops and a dry bitterness. Carbonation is low, and the beer feels soft and rounded. The aromas come through best when it isn't served ice-cold.

Four beers make good examples. Adnams Southwold Bitter is the coastal brewery's pale house beer, Woodforde's Wherry a Best Bitter from Norfolk that was voted CAMRA's Supreme Champion Beer of Britain in 1996. Greene King's Abbot Ale represents the stronger line, and Adnams Ghost Ship is a pale ale also available in a 0.5 percent version.

It's served in the pint, a glass holding 568 milliliters. Many pubs use a 'nonic', a glass with a bulge below the rim that makes it easier to hold and protects the edges. A half pint holds, well, half that amount—284 milliliters—and suits anyone wanting to try several styles in a row.

Pouring often involves the handpump, the 'beer engine'. The beer flows slowly and builds a creamy head. A gentle foam is normal for cask ale, not a flaw. It shouldn't be cloudy, but fruity and fresh, certainly.

When tasting several beers in a row, start with the light Southwold Bitter and finish with the Abbot Ale. That way the sharper flavors aren't lost along the way. Water and bread in between help reset the palate.