Beer Styles

What is Kentish Ale? It's an ale brewed in Faversham under the rules of its PGI status, using well water, a traditional yeast, and hops from Kent. In the glass, it's a golden-brown to copper-colored bitter: medium body, an aroma of biscuit and orange marmalade, with a dry finish and floral bitterness.

It's closely related to English best bitter. "Bitter" here doesn't mean the beer is especially bitter. The name comes from pub parlance, where it was contrasted with the milder mild. So it's bitter in name, but its flavor is actually fairly balanced.

Kentish Strong Ale is the bolder sibling. It has a higher original gravity, meaning more dissolved sugar in the wort before fermentation, and hence more alcohol. It tastes of dried fruit, toffee, and honey, warming and round. By English style standards, it falls into the strong bitter category, also called ESB, though the two names aren't used interchangeably in the trade.

The difference from a German altbier or kölsch lies mainly in the hops and the conditioning. English ales taste softer, fruitier, and less carbonated. Pilsner, by contrast, is bottom-fermented, brewed colder, and more crisply hopped.

The style profiles below show the ranges defined by English style guidelines, not a single brand. Individual beers may vary, and a brewer can change their recipe at any time. To compare, try both styles side by side and pay attention to body, sweetness, and bitterness.