Thwaites Brewery
Lancashire, UK
Imported by: High Falls Brewing Co.
Rochester,NY
Available: CO, MA, NY
Established in 1807 by Daniel Thwaites, the company originally brewed just two cask beers, bitter and mild.
ABV: 4.4
ABW: 3.5
Color: 30
Bitterness: 30
Original gravity: 1050
Pretty in the glass, with a bright, chestnut color and a light tan, effervescent head that quickly retires to a thin cap. A surprising and welcomed hop presence shows up with some biscuity malt in the aroma. The hops reveal themselves again in the first sip, earthy and lingering as the malty sweetness comes into play. Although it’s not evident on the label, I would call this an extra special bitter, and despite the fact that the beer has only been brewed since 2002, it tastes like it should have been enjoyed in the U.K. for centuries. Nicely juxtaposed with sweetness and a hint of bitterness, at 4.4 percent ABV, it would be easy to savor more than just one Bomber without getting too bombed.
Named for the World War II aircraft, this beer was brewed initially by Mitchell’s in Lancaster, England. When Mitchell’s retired from brewing, it was picked up by neighbor Thwaites and they’ve turned it into a major brand. The flavour reminds me of malt loaf — a sticky, chewy malt cake packed with raisins that the British sometimes eat for tea, and there’s even a hint of tea in the taste of the beer. It’s not all malt traffic, however: a pleasant hop note evens things up, although that’s not as incisive as it is when this beer is sold in cask-conditioned form.
Morrison, aka the Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever and wherever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide and one of Britain's best-known beer writers.
