Beer of the Week

Moor Beer Co, Somerset Revival - 4%; £4.35, 660ml

Since the arrival of its US brewmaster, Moor Beer Co has taken an extra step toward improving the quality and flavour of its ales.

Moor is one of the most vocal advocates of unfined and unfiltered brewing in the country. Eschewing finings, additives designed to clear the beer, means that its ales are vegetarian and vegan-friendly in cask, bottle, and keg, while retaining a beautiful natural haze, fuller body, and a depth of flavour that is hard to preserve once any finings are added.

It is a simple, and effective, message: cloudy beer is real ale in its best condition. There’s a wealth of explanatory information on the company’s website that helps clear the issue up, so head to moorbeer.co.uk/unfinedbeer for the full rundown.

Revival is the brewery’s pale bitter pouring. Unsurprisingly, it gives a hazy tangerine hue with a loose dollop of white head. The aroma is delicate and fleeting, giving up wet leaves, cut green apples, and a beguiling hint of warm rice pudding.


The flavour is light and gentle at first, smooth pears and white grapes give way to a white-grape note that cuts through a beautiful vanilla custard, topped off with freshly cut flowers. The body lies at the fuller end of moderate; it is weighty and substantial in the mouth, and yet a substantial hop bitterness kicks in, preventing it becoming cloying. The finish is dry and herbal, leaving a lingering bitter tingle on the tongue.

Complex and drinkable, this is session beer as it should be.

Recommended by Michael Bates, Trembling Madness, 48 Stonegate, York

---