Cwmbran Crow Valley Bitter

First published in BEER March 2008 as part of a piece about Welsh beers. For more Welsh beers see previous post.

ABV:  4.2 per cent
Origin: Upper Cwmbran, Torfaen
Website www.cwmbranbrewery.co.uk

Cwmbran Crow Valley Bitter

When Martin Lewis and Keith Gullick first created this cottage brewery fed from a mountain spring under the shadow of Mynydd Maen in 1996, they decided to concentrate on perfecting just one beer – the nicely balanced Crow Valley Bitter. Since then they’ve added a number of different cask beers as well as their only Real Ale in a Bottle, a version of their still-impressive flagship. It’s made from a traditional recipe of Maris Otter pale, crystal and dark crystal malts with Goldings, Fuggles and Northdown hops.

This rich amber beer starts with a relatively reserved lightly nutty aroma with hints of minerals, burnt toffee and hops. A lightly oily and juicy palate has more mineral salts, nuts, citrus and grassy hops, with a hint of raspberry on the swallow. Straw and hop flavours emerge over subtle fruit and faint boiled sweets in a chaffy finish with some late delicate leafy notes. Overall this is a subtle and characterful beer of very high quality, well repaying the time the brewers have spent on getting it right. 

Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/cwmbran-crow-valley-bitter/31550/