Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

16 Worst Rated English Beers (Styles and Brands)

Last update: Fri Jan 31 2025
16 Worst Rated English Beers (Styles and Brands)
VIEW MORE
01
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Ordinary bitter is a beer style with low carbonation and low alcohol levels. It is an easy-drinking and approachable style with gold to copper color and light to medium body. Among the bitter group, it is a version with the lowest alcohol content, typically falling between 3.2% and 3.8% ABV.


Ordinary bitter has a good balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness, and neither should be overpowering. Malt aroma often has caramel-like qualities, and most ordinary bitters will have bready, toasty, and biscuity notes, along with moderate fruitiness. 
02

Ale

KENT, England
3.3
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Kentish ale is a local English brew that is exclusively produced in the County of Kent. It has been produced since 1698 at the Shepherd Neame Brewery—the oldest brewery in the UK. Kentish ale is made with locally grown hops, Kentish Ale strain of yeast, and with water that is sourced from the artesian well, which is located under the brewery.


The beer comes as the regular Kentish ale with the alcohol content that ranges from 3.5% to 4.8% ABV, and as a Kentish strong ale with the alcohol content from 4.8% to 7% ABV. These amber and brown colored beers are fruity and bitter with distinctive hoppy and toffee aromas. 
03

Ale

ENGLAND
3.4
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Old ale is a dark and malty English strong ale. These beers were initially aged in wooden casks, and they usually had a yellow-brown color, firm body, slight carbonation, and mellow flavor. Hop character was not present. Modern interpretations can be amber or brown, and their dominant trait is a firm malt backbone.


The aroma and the flavor are reminiscent of caramel, nuts, molasses, and dried fruit. Some versions may have roasted or chocolate nuances. Alcohol content typically ranges from 6 to 9%, and they usually have little or moderate carbonation. Old ales are often compared with barley wines, and though the styles often overlap and the line is somewhat blurred, old ales will usually have less alcohol and less prominent hops. 
VARIATIONS OF Old ale
04

Ale

ENGLAND
3.5
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Brown ale is an old and versatile beer style whose origins lie in the British brewing tradition. In the 19th century, the name was used as a generic term for various types of beers that were produced from brown malt. With the introduction of pale malt, brown ale style nearly died out, and it was only slowly reintroduced in the 1920s.


Newcastle Brown was the first prototype that carried the name brown ale—though it did not rely on the original versions—however it did make a foundation of the modern style. Nowadays, the style incorporates the more traditional British version and slightly different American brown ales. 
05

Ale

ENGLAND
3.5
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Bitter is a classic British beer style used to describe cask-conditioned ales mainly sold in UK pubs. The style is quite versatile and includes brews of different color, strength, and flavor, but most examples have a malt-driven character, moderate hop bitterness, light to medium body, and low alcohol content.


The group is usually classified into three sub-styles, which mainly differ in strength. Those include ordinary bitter (3.2 to 3.8% ABV), best bitter (3.8 to 4.6 ABV), and strong bitter or extra special bitter (4.8% ABV and over). 
06
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Although golden ale is often used interchangeably with blond ale, some suggest that the two styles slightly differ in character, and British golden ale is usually listed as a separate style. This beer style is generally light and hoppy.


It is traditionally made with British ingredients and is often compared to American pale ale. British golden ale is usually pale, bitter, moderately malty, and hop-forward. It is an approachable, easy-drinking, and thirst-quenching style with a medium body.


Hop flavor and aroma can be earthy or citrusy. These beers usually have low alcohol content, typically around 4-5%. 
07
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

In the group of British bitters, strong bitter is the highest gravity version. The examples range from dark gold to copper, while the alcohol content falls between 4 and 7% ABV. They have a malty character, often complemented by caramel, toasty, and fruity notes.


Hop aromas and flavors are moderate, the carbonation is low to medium, while the body is medium to full-bodied. The key to strong bitter is moderation. Despite the name, these brews are not dominated by bitterness, and it should only accentuate the malt. 
08
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Despite its unusual name, English barley wine is a beer style that is often dubbed as the grandfather of all brews. This style is strong, rich, and usually moderately hoppy with pronounced malt flavors, and typical aromas of bread, toast, toffee, dried fruit, and molasses.


Those aged for more extended periods can attain similar characteristic to port and sherry wines, and though these beers usually have high alcohol content, alcohol flavors are never harsh or overpowering since the brews mellow with age. Their color is quite versatile and may include deep gold and even dark brown varieties, but they are always full-bodied, complex, bold, intense, smooth, and velvety. 
09

Ale

ENGLAND
3.6
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Although the name pale ale originated in 18th-century England, it was mainly used for brews that were made with pale barley malt and which were slightly lighter than the standard dark and brown beers. To add to the confusion, the name was often used interchangeably with the term bitter—and to this day the difference in these two styles is somewhat vague.


Throughout the following centuries, the style evolved into different directions that were mainly influenced by different brewing practices and the choice of hops, creating a diverse style with a broad range of colors, strength, and flavors. However, most styles are malty, hop-forward, and range from gold to amber. 
10
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

India pale ale is one of the most intriguing beer styles whose origin is still widely disputed, but it is believed that it first appeared out of necessity to transport pale ale brews to distant British colonies—namely India—because the climate in the colonies was too hot to brew beer.


It is believed that IPA was created by increasing alcohol levels and adding more hops—which would help preserve the beer on longer voyages. Although the first reference of the name India pale ale dates back to 1830s, it is assumed that the style appeared much earlier. 
11
12
13
14
Ale
ENGLAND
3.9
15
Ale
ENGLAND
3.9
16

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “16 Worst Rated English Beers (Styles and Brands)” list until January 31, 2025, 1,041 ratings were recorded, of which 946 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

Show Map
English Beers (Styles and Brands)