BEER REVIEW: 417

BREWER: Stone Daisy Brewery, Wiltshire, England

STYLE: Best Bitter

ABV: 4.2%

VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle

DATE OF POST: 3rd October 2025

 

SAMMY SAY’S…

You approach with anticipation. The name alone conjures grandeur: Longleat. A place of stately drama, of golden beasts and sweeping lawns. You imagine a pint worthy of the setting—bold, balanced, maybe even a little wild.

But from the first pour, the illusion begins to fade. It lands in the glass pale and timid, more amber whisper than bitter bellow. You squint, hoping the nose will redeem it—and for a moment, it does. Burnt caramel, earthy malt, a hint of woodland floor after rain. It’s evocative, like catching the scent of the safari park from the treetop walk.

Then comes the sip. And the lion lies down.

Sweetness leads, chocolate notes flicker, but the bitterness—the defining trait—is nowhere to be found. It’s thin, almost spectral. No grip, no growl, no mouthfeel to speak of. A best bitter in name only, like a lion with clipped claws and a silent throat.

You wanted a beast. You got a shadow.

Packaging’s fine. The name has pedigree. But the x-factor? A flat zero. Because this isn’t just about taste—it’s about expectation. And when a beer carries the Longleat name, you expect it to stride, not skulk.

A damp squib in the savannah. The kind of best bitter that makes you long for the real thing—a proper bitter with teeth, with texture, with pride.

Sammy’s Rating: 24%

 

JYMI SAY’S…

It was a sunny Wednesday morning when my lovely little family and I set sail for the South West Coast of England. Of course, we couldn’t resist making a pit stop at Longleat, mainly for the in-car safari trail. The drive through adventure was stunning, and we all survived with limbs intact (unlike the poor family whose N-reg Nissan Micra started smoking in the lion enclosure).
After the safari, we wandered through the grand house, but, as tradition demands, inevitably ended up in the gift shop. Ooooooooh, beer, I thought, eyes lighting up. Yes, Longleat does its own branded beer! The bottle of Best Bitter was instantly earmarked for testing once we’d safely returned from our travels.

A few days later, settling in at my reviewing desk, anticipation running high, I cracked open the bottle. This was one smart looking beer, I have to admit. Popped, poured, and sniffed: Longleat Best Bitter gave off a wonderfully fresh and clean aroma. Expectations soared as I went in for the first sip… only to find my face morphing into that questioning/confused look at the glass, then the bottle. Why on earth does it not taste of…well, anything?
Second sip: same confused look. Why is the body so thin?

Third sip: still searching for the bitterness that never arrived. This pattern continued right to the final, forgettable drops.

Was it unpleasant? Not really. But with next to no flavour, texture, or bitterness, this is a beer that’s destined to be a gift shop gimmick. I suppose I should have known, as clearly they saw me coming a mile off!

Jymi’s Rating: 34%

 

MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 29%

MOB review next weekend: RED KITE by BLACK ISLE

Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017

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M O B 2025