In a craft beer world gone mad with constant new releases and morphing styles, perhaps the most innovative thing you can do is stick with the classics. British Bulldog is not aboard the beer hype train, and they don’t have any interest in buying a ticket. Think ESBs, not NEIPAs.

British Bulldog primarily distributes kegs to local restaurants, but they also have occasional tasting and growler fill days at their brewery north of Chico, California.

When I visited British Bulldog they had six beers on tap. All are brewed with traditional British malts and hops. For me the most interesting brew of the day was the Mad Jack Scottish Ale. Brewed with peat smoked malt and a bit of acidulated malt. It had the perfect level of peaty smokiness, and the hint of tartness brightened things up.

I went with the Black Bart Robust Porter for my growler fill. This is a collaboration with Miner’s Alley Brewing in Oroville, California. It is a fantastic example of an English style Porter.

If you see British Bulldog on tap take a break from your usual quintuple IPAs and appreciate a traditional malt forward brew!