ABV: 0.5%
Calories per bottle: 50 (18 per 100ml)
John Harvey started brewing beer in Sussex way back in the 1820s. The family business is still going strong, and is firmly established as one of the best-known brewers in the south-east of England. Every Tuesday, they deliver beer by horse and dray to local pubs, and 80% of the beer they make is sold within 50 miles of the brewery. Thankfully, what with miracle of the internet and all that, you can now get Harvey’s beers much further afield, and there are plenty to choose from.
It seems that they’ve been producing low-alcohol Sussex Best for quite a while now but it’s been under a lot of drinkers’ radar. So, they’ve had a bit of a re-launch, ideally timed to meet the growing demand for less boozy beers.
As the name indicates, this is a traditional bitter. It pours well, with a light caramel colour (quite similar to the Leeds OPA) and with a decent head on it. There a nice hoppy flavour but it’s not overpowering. If you’ve found, say, Nanny State, too bitter, this Sussex Best may be more to your liking. It does feel a little bit thin; but according to one of our taste testers, it’s just perfect with a bowl of salted peanuts!
