Beer Review: Timothy Taylor Landlord

Craft beer imports are a quickly growing market. With so many different U.S. craft labels available, the job of the importer is to find new delectable rarities to offer. Shelton Brothers of Belchertown, Mass., has spent nearly two decades bringing worldly brews to American shores. A new beer on the roster is Timothy Taylor Landlord, a highly regarded, award-winning English pale ale brewed in West Yorkshire, U.K. Timothy Taylor has been brewing beer since 1858 and was one of the first breweries Shelton Brothers approached when they began importing in the late 1990s.

Poured from a tall, 16.9-ounce bottle, Landlord appears coppery clear with an attractive white head. The nose presents a welcoming touch of hops coupled by a strong, bready malt base. As opposed to American pale ales, British pale ales slant toward accessible flavors and low alcohol content.

True to style, this brew is one of the easiest drinking and most flavorful English style pale ales we've tried. Bready malts first found in the nose play nicely on the palate, next to light hops and a subtly sweet malt character. Though full bodied, Landlord is very light and clean tasting, leaving a delightfully crisp finish. Coming it at a low 4.1 percent ABV, Landlord is a perfect candidate for a night out or long, weekend afternoon — it's a true session beer.

That Shelton Brothers waited nearly 15 years to import Timothy Taylor Landlord to American soil should be enough to pique any brewhead's interest. The company has distributors in all 50 states, so it should not be too tough to get your hands on a bottle. Once tried, this highly drinkable English pale ale is worth coming back to again and again.

— Danya Henninger, The Drink Nation

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