Christmas has come and gone, but the party still goes on. Tonight, another family get together. Another tray of meats and cheeses. Another stomach-full of sweets. But how I love it so! Christmas really is my favourite time of year. Time for cheer!

And Bitters are some of my favourite styles of beer. I just love the richness of the sweet malty character in perfect balance with a crisp bitter hoppiness. Though there’s no absolute definition that states the differences between “Bitter”, “Best Bitter”, “Extra Special Bitter” and so on – typically the more ‘extra’ or ‘special’ it is, the more alcohol. Tonight I most thoroughly enjoyed Picaroons take on the Best Bitter variety.

The pour fills the glass with a murky, hazy, rootbeer coloured brew. The head is creamy off-white and sticks around for ages. This particular beer leans much more to the malty side of things rather than hops, with most of the aroma and flavour being notes of toffee, dates, orange marmalade and an aftertaste of toasted brownbread crust. The finish is crisp and dry, making the beer thirst-quenching and easy drinking. I just wish I had more than one bottle!

Once again, I’m impressed with the beery offerings of the East Coast. Picaroons Best Bitter is giving me one more reason to be a proud maritimer.