Parish Bitter (Wood's)

I bought a few Wood's beers back from Ludlow Food Festival, so time for a review.

Wood's brew eight staple beers, and Parish Bitter is a well known drink around Shropshire, popular in the pubs of this ale heartland.

The bottle is brown and neat, and carries a picture of the church at Wistanstow, where the drink is produced. It describes itself as "best pale", and pouring gives a beautiful golden pint, although not as pale as you might have expected, more honey-coloured.

It's 4% ABV, and the nose is toffee and biscuit. Being a lighter strength, I was anticipating a bit of a compromised drink, like TT Landlord (not keen on that in a bottle), but this is a delight.

The sup is fresh and with good length. Initial malt-caramel gives way to a cosy fruity middle. The beer is bittered with the noblest of English hops, Fuggles and Goldings. This lends the taste a touch of Shepherd Neame character to my tongue, but without the idiosyncratic Neame yeast.

Above all the drink is refreshing and moreish and I can tell why it's endured so long locally. This is probably not one to see on supermarket shelves outside Shropshire, but I'd thoroughly recommend it if you can find it. Put me down as a fan.

8/10 - if only all session beers were this good.

- The Broadside