Tom Caxton - Best Bitter
For the sake of old times I had to try this kit. I suppose it is the modern equivalent of a Tom Caxton kit I bought with pocket money when I was only fourteen of fifteen in the early 1970s.
To be honest I’d probably been harbouring a prejudice towards Tom Caxton bitter as an old fashioned budget kit that would somehow be inferior to the new crop of two can kits from breweries like Woodfordes’s. Of course this is the wrong foot to step off on, so here I would like to state that from my experience today Tom Caxton Kits are really very respectable. As with all single can kits I always add a kilo of malt and brewing sugar to push up the quality of the final brew. With this addition the cost of the brew will increase by at least five UK pounds, which makes the final price equivalent to most of the two can kits.
After a month in the barrel this brew was quite acceptable to drink but it did remind me of the flavours of homebrew of old. As a consequence I moved to drink an alternative ale and gave the Tom Caxton Bitter another few weeks to condition. Did the extra time improve the drink? You bet. During the Xmas and New Year period this ale went down very well.
Tom Caxton has been around for a long time and clearly has many devoted fans, who with good reason expect the characteristic flavours associated with this product. It might not be your first choice but do make a note to try this one day if you have not, I believe you’ll be pleasantly surprised.