Perhaps “XB hits the spot”might be better. This is Theakston XB (4.5%). It’s a ruby coloured beer,quite a rich and full-bodied. A very hoppy smell,and a bitter,slightly caramel taste –very nice.
A couple of interesting points about this beer –the first concerns the beer’s name. Apparently,at the time when the brewery were deciding what to call their new beer,they used to stencil the side of the casks –Best Bitter was stencilled with “BBB”and Old Peculier was stencilled with “XXXX”. Being Yorkshiremen,and not wanting to have to acquire a new stencil,they decided it would be either “BX”or “XB”–and “XB”it became! Note –being a Yorkshireman myself,I’m allowed to use the stereotype of Yorkshire folk being mean! Anyone who is not from Yorkshire –well,who cares what they think anyway?
The other point is more about the brewery. The XB bottle proudly states “under old management”. The brewery was,for a few years,out of the hands of the Theakston family –it was taken over in 1984 by Matthew Brown of Blackburn,and in 1987 they,themselves,were taken over by Scottish &Newcastle. In 2003 control of the brewery was regained by 4 Theakston brothers –a rare instance of a brewery going from being owned by one of the big brewers to being family-owned. Details of the brewery’s history are on the Theakston website.