The announcement of the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain is always a highlight of the Great British Beer Festival, but this year's was more newsworthy than usual: For the first time in the competition's 38-year history, the tasting panel passed over bitters and milds to select what the British call "Specialty Beer": Bingham's Vanilla Stout, a "dark stout infused with vanilla and dark malts."
I'm intrigued about trying it, but like many beers from smaller British breweries, Vanilla Stout probably won't make it to America anytime soon. To compensate, I decided to pour myself a glass of one of my favorite English ales: Timothy Taylor's Landlord, a smooth and malty Yorkshire bitter that has been the Supreme Champion Beer of Britain four times, most recently finishing as the runner-up in 2010.
Forget fancy Teku glasses: This bronze-colored ale is right at home in a nonic pint glass. Bitter marmalade, caramel and stone-fruit flavors dominate, but the sweetness of the barley is perfectly balanced by floral, citrusy hops.
Take the advice on the label and serve Landlord cool (51 to 55 degrees) rather than straight out of the refrigerator: When it’s ice-cold, you lose some of the rich malt, which is what makes Landlord such a classic.
Timothy Taylor’s Landlord. timothytaylor.co.uk. $6 per 500-milliliter bottle at specialty beer stores, such as the new Craft Beer Cellar on H Street NE.
— Fritz HahnMore from Food:
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