The Best Ales in Yorkshire

Yorkshire doesn't do things by halves when it comes to beer. It's home to more breweries than any other county in England, a real ale tradition that stretches back centuries, and a drinking culture that treats a well-kept pint as something close to the heart. Picking "the best" ales in a county this well-stocked is never going to be an exact science, but here's our honest roundup - starting, unapologetically, with our own range, and moving on to the beers elsewhere in the county that we genuinely rate.

Black Sheep's Own Range

We've been brewing in Masham since 1992, when our founder Paul Theakston set out to prove that independent, traditional brewing still had a place in Yorkshire. More than three decades on, here's what we think are the standouts from our own range.

Black Sheep Best Bitter Ale

Our Best Bitter (3.8% ABV) is where it all started, first brewed on day one back in 1992 and still our most-poured cask ale today. It's built on a bold malt base with Challenger, Goldings and Fuggles hops giving it a peppery, earthy bitterness, and it's fermented in our rare Yorkshire Square vessels, a traditional method that gives it a clean, crisp finish. If you want to understand what a classic Yorkshire bitter should taste like, this is the place to start.

Black Sheep Premium Amber Ale

Our best-selling bottled beer, Black Sheep Ale (4.4% ABV), is up next. Expect an amber colour, aromas of dried fruit and orange, and a fuller, rounder body where the hop bitterness is balanced out by sweet, caramel malt notes. It's the beer most people picture when they picture Black Sheep, and it's been a fixture on supermarket shelves since we first bottled it in 1993.

Black Sheep Riggwelter Ale

Named after an old Yorkshire Dales farming term for a sheep that's rolled onto its back and can't get up, Riggwelter (5.7% ABV) is our dark strong ale, and it's not shy about it. Rich espresso aromas, dark fruit and roasted malt give it real depth, and it's picked up a shelf full of awards over the years for good reason. If you want something with a punch to sit with by the fire, this is the one.

Black Sheep Blonde Ale

For something lighter, our Blonde (4.0% ABV) is a golden ale built for easy drinking, with a cleaner, crisper profile than our darker beers. It's a good option for anyone new to cask ale, or for a warm afternoon when you want flavour without the weight of a stronger beer.

And a couple of others worth trying

Our range doesn't stop there. Holy Grail, brewed in partnership with Monty Python, is a hop-forward golden ale with a distinctive fruity character, and our Milk Stout brings a smooth, slightly sweet take on the stout style that's picked up its own share of award recognition. Between the core range and our seasonal beers, there's a Black Sheep beer for pretty much every mood and every season.

The Rest of Yorkshire's Real Ale Scene

We're proud of what we brew, but we'd be doing Yorkshire beer a disservice if we pretended we were the only good thing on the shelf. The county's brewing scene is genuinely one of the best in the country, and here's a name we think deserve a mention.

Saltaire Brewery (Shipley)

Over in Shipley, Saltaire Brewery has built a strong reputation for its range of pale ales and its Blonde, brewed close to the UNESCO World Heritage village that gives the brewery its name. Well worth seeking out if you're exploring that side of the county.

So, What's the Best Ale in Yorkshire?

Honestly, it depends what you're after. For a classic, no-nonsense session bitter, our Best Bitter is hard to beat. For something with more depth and weight, Riggwelter is an excellent choices. And if you want a well-hopped pale ale, Timothy Taylor's Landlord or Rooster's are the beers most Yorkshire drinkers would point you towards. The honest answer is that Yorkshire's strength is its range - and the best way to find your own favourite is to work your way through as many of these as you can.

If you'd like to try our range for yourself, you can find our full lineup of cask, keg, can and bottled beers here, or better still, visit us at the brewery in Masham and taste them fresh from the source.