Bantam Best Served On Draught At The Pub Shed

Bantam Best is a traditional best bitter from Ainsty Ales, a small brewery located in York, England. I do like a traditional best bitter, but is this one any good?

Bantam Best is a cracking little bitter delivering great flavour with a good amount of bitterness. It pours a golden amber with a generous two finger white top. On the nose it is sweet caramel malts laced with a slight fruitiness. The taste is rich and sweet up front with caramel toffee malts, a slightly fruity edge that leads to a satisfying bitter finish. A great best bitter that gets a great score of 4.8 out of 5.0.

If you like a traditional best bitter, then Bantam Best is worth a test drive.

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Bantam Best Beer Review

I do like a standard bitter, so I am looking forward to trying Bantam Best, however there is a little extra excitement with this one.

I have just finished setting up a draught beer system in my pub shed the Welsh Cockney. So I ordered Bantam Best as a beer in a box and it will be the first beer to be poured on draught.

I pour the beer from the hand pull and when it settles it is a clear amber coloured gold with a thick two finger foamy white head.

It looks pretty magical if I’m honest, but is it as good as it looks?

Drinking Bantam Best Bitter

So in for a sniff and you get the sort of aromas you would expect from a standard bitter. Sweet caramel and toffee malts do their thing, while a slight fruity edge compliments in the background.

The taste is a similar experience with those sweet caramel and toffee malts up front blending with a little fruitiness. A smooth full body leads to a long bitter finish with a lingering aftertaste.

Proper that is, rich and malty with a good body and a lovely long bitter finish and aftertaste, proper beer. I like it and it gets a rate my beer score of 4.8 out of 5.0.

M’Lady is not so keen, although she recognises it is a decent bitter, but she is not keen on this style of beer. “It’s the finish I don’t like, everything up to that point is really nice, but this finish is really quite bitter.” Lou scores it 4.0 out of 5.0.

Bantam Best for me is a great beer, and it is even more special being on draught in the pub shed.

Ainsty Ales

Ainsty Alea is a brewery and taproom founded by Andy Herrington in 2014. It is located in Acaster Malbis, York in England. It lies within the York and Ainsty Wapentake a historical district of Yorkshire.

Ainsty is a small brewery and has been producing traditional and craft beer for ten years. However with all the problems over recent years the brewery has been hit hard.

Recently the brewery went into liquidation, which is pretty sad. That said it has been saved by investment from others and now has four share holders.

Andy finally left the brewery in June 2024, but is pleased that the brewery move forward and grow with new investment.

Ainsty Beer Range

Being a small brewery Ainsty hasn’t got a vast range of beers, but it is a decent range. There core range casks, as well as some limited edition casks. These are also available in cans and bottles, and as I found out some supplied as beer in a box.

Here are a few beers that have caught my eye from Ainsty Ales.

Rattlesnake Ruby

Rattlesnake Ruby as the name suggests is a Ruby ale and is part of the limited edition range. Brewed with five malts and just one hop this ruby ale should have a sweet and pretty malty body.

It is a decent session beer at just 3.9% ABV, but is only available in cask, not cans or bottles. However it might be available as a beer in a box. It could make an appearance at the Welsh Cockney.

Cool Citra

Cool Citra is a West Coast American Pale Ale hopped with the popular Citra hop. It is what you would expect, full of grapefruit bite and plenty of citrus aromas.

Said to be clean, crisp and refreshing it sits well within the session bracket at 4.4% ABV. Cool Citra seems to be available in permanent cask and cans too, as well as beer in a box.

Ainsty Assassin

Ainsty Assassin is an oatmeal stout and brewed with oats as well as chocolate, crystal and brown malts. Aromas and flavours of blackcurrant, chocolate and coffee with a smooth silky mouthfeel.

Sounds like a winner and just stays within a session beer at 4.9% ABV. This stout is available in permanent cask, cans and beer in a bag too.

Final Thoughts

It is sad that Ainsty Ales has been through a tough time, and a massive shame for Andy. But at least the brewery is still alive and we can continue to enjoy their beer. Just like any business with new owners I am sure there will be changes, lets hope they are all positive.

As for Bantam Best, well I think it is a cracking beer and it is a treat to have it on draught in the pub shed. If you have tried Bantam Best, then do share your thoughts below and give your own rating too.