Thats b******d it.

[Aqualung]

Having drunk Brakspears for the best part of 50 years, I am delighted to say that in my view Brakspears Bitter is now as good as ever. The sometimes variable quality of the past, is now exactly that - ie. mostly a thing of the past.

I can't match 50 years, nearly 40 for me, although I rarely drink it nowadays. I think Wychwood HAVE recreated very well the original bitter, but what's happened to the Special and Old? I've yet to try the Oxford Gold!!

[Wittenden]

Likewise Ruddles, totally trashed by Grand Metropolitan, better known as Watneys (or Grotneys)

Amen to that!

[Mobyduck]

The stand outs for me, other than the cruel jokes played by Greene King, are HSB, which I think changed for the worse in 1979 (they switched from whole to pellet hops).

Cant exactly remember when my first pint of HSB was but it would have been around 1978/79 so maybe I never tasted the original HSB,I think the current offering is a decent beer despite the Fullers connection. Not a fan of Fullers in general ,London Pride as intimated by oldboots is a shadow of its former self,having said that I rate Fullers London Porter as one of the very best of its kind around and will always seek it out when available.

[Farway]

Cant exactly remember when my first pint of HSB was but it would have been around 1978/79 so maybe I never tasted the original HSB,I think the current offering is a decent beer despite the Fullers connection. Not a fan of Fullers in general ,London Pride as intimated by oldboots is a shadow of its former self,having said that I rate Fullers London Porter as one of the very best of its kind around and will always seek it out when available.

I go along with Mobyduck on HSB, a good one is excellent. And although not sure if I ever tasted the original way back I do know the Gales offerings were not always good, one clap of thunder & vinegar all round. I will keep my eye open for the Porter, never had it but worth a try by the sound of it

Pride, again I agree with OB & MD, I remember Pride way back, lovely stuff, but now around here since Gales demise I have choice of HSB or Pride in same pub HSB gets it every time

[Mobyduck]

Iv'e had a few Young's Beers this week,
Young's Bitter (Ordinary), totally ruined nowday's what was at one time a really good beer is now just bland.
Young's London Gold,which I think is the same beer as Young's Gold and Kew Gold, an absolutely insipid waste of time.
Young's Special I actually liked, not my favourite style of beer but quite drinkable.Its been many years since I last tried a special and so I'm not sure if it is now inferior to what it used to be when brewed by Young's.At the end of the day I enjoyed it and would happily have more.