Fans of Flowers Original swear by it, but it’s an increasingly rare find. Traditional copper coloured English ale with a creamy head it delivers a fruity aroma with a touch of caramel. Then, a sweetish malty mouthful followed with gentle bitter notes.

Easy drinking it’s also a great match for traditional British grub such as pies and game casseroles - as befits a brew that made its debut in 1831 when Flower & Sons opened in Stratford-upon-Avon.

For 130 years it served the Bard’s hometown well. But then, enter stage left the mighty Whitbread. Seven years later the curtain fell. Since then Flowers has been a wandering minstrel as, victim of the merger freefall It’s now owned by InBev, the world’s largest brewer. Drink it while you can at the Pant yr Ochain.

Twelve beer enthusiasts from around the company worked with Tony Allen of Phoenix Brewery developing our own cask ale over a period of seven months. This version - brew No. 8 - was the one we were finally happy to put our name to. It was an arduous process, but we were prepared to make the personal sacrifice for the good of the cause.

Brewed using East Kent Golding hops with a touch of American Mount Hood hops for aroma, this has been fermented using a Timothy Taylor derived yeast. Tony used predominantly Maris Otter malts with a small amount of Crystal to give colour and body, and the water is sourced from Ullswater as it is particularly pure and soft.

This beer has a gentle and pleasant aroma with a fine dark gold/amber colour and a good creamy head that clings down the glass. Taste wise, this has a malty, fruity sweetness and a long, rounded but refreshingly dry finish.