Breakfast Beer Tasting: Brentwood Hope & Glory

Brentwood are based in the town of the same name in Essex and have been brewing since 2006. Hope & Glory is described as a “traditional red bitter”.

The basics: It’s a standard 500ml bottle and comes in at 4.5%. It poured a deep copper with reasonable carbonation and a medium off-white head. There was malt and some caramel in the aroma.

Taste: Medium bodied. A little fruit and some chocolate malt dominate initially before the East Kent Goldings come through to deliver crisp bitterness on the tongue.

Finish: Medium with lingering bitterness.

Conclusion: I was initially worried it was going to taste like Shepherd Neame, but I needn’t have worried. There was a healthy amount of crisp bitterness here. Probably best described as an old-fashioned Bitter. And there’s nothing wrong with that if you can do it well. One for your granddad.