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This classic English Bitter is the first beer to bear the name Ridgeway, and it is a proud flagship indeed: a perfect example of what the Brits call a 'session ale' - the kind of beer you can sit with and enjoy endlessly as the hours roll by at the pub. In the south of England, they call their prized ale 'Bitter' because, when it first appeared, it was distinguished by a crisp, refreshing hop bitterness. A good bitter is superbly drinkable, full of flavor, but light in body and not so high in alcohol. Ridgeway Bitter is in this great tradition, but it is also entirely unique.<br /><br />To make it, Peter uses wonderful Challenger hops (the same variety that gives that striking floral hop aroma to his Bluebird Bitter), but then adds a very new hop, Boadicea, in the late boiling stage. Peter says that the Boadicea is perfect as a 'late copper' bittering hop, as it lends a terrific spicy hop quality to the beer. To be sure it comes out right, Peter personally selects the Boadicea hops that go into Ridgeway Bitter not only from a specific farm, but from a particular patch of ground on the farm. (Small details in soil composition, exposure to the sun, and more, determine the character of the hops on the vine.) Also in the mix is Maris Otter malt, the favored hop of English craft brewers. The result is perfect balance: a wholesome, slightly sweet, bready maltiness offset by a strong but subtle hop bitterness in the nose and on the palate.
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Ridgeway Brewery
