five points - best

Five Points are, by the novelty-addicted sugar-rush standards of the craft scene, a reassuring presence. They’ve been about since the heady days of 2013 and one of their lovely, warm, minimal labels says now, as it always has - “I don’t have to worry that this is going to be anything less than solid.” This might sound like I’m edging into faint praise, but in a brewing scene as delighted by novelty as ours can be, consistent quality should be applauded.

While their Best is also available in cask (and you can rest assured that you’ll enjoy it on draught), the bottled variant is a slightly different beast. We’ve currently got in the version hopped with Fuggles, a grand and storied hop that has, unfairly, fallen out of fashion.

Anyhow, you can expect to pour out a half litre of polished beer that glows a light, burnished copper, with a fine white head. The carbonation is a little higher than the cask variant, but still fine and gentle enough not to obscure subtleties. The body is lighter than you might think and crisp, with malt shading from biscuit to toffee, all a little honeyed. Hops, as mentioned before, are classic fuggles - coppery, a touch of mint-led herbal notes, some spice and a little earthiness. It has a clean finish, with the residual malt sweetness intertwined with a balanced bitterness that compels another sip.

As you might be guessing, we’re in recognisably classic bitter territory, and all the better for it. That said, it’s a little cleaner and brighter with that additional carbonation, making for a deeply refreshing drop this summer.. Should the heat and humidity be getting to you, a bottle of Best might just be the cure for what ails you.

Five Points. Best. Best Bitter.