2026 Gentleman George Recommends
One of the festival organisers referred to the 2026 beer list as ‘One hell of a bar!’. We think they are right. As does Gentleman George, the Bent and Bongs Beer Svengali.
With one hell of a bar comes one hell of some recommendations. Gentleman George has delved back in time, checked his notes, discussed with his most trusted beer svengalis inner circle, and come up with a few recommendations.
These are some of, if not the best beers in the festival1, graced this year with a beer that will challenge for the title of the best beer in the world. Serious stuff indeed. If you want to get around the festival to try the best of what’s on offer, this is the place to be.
Take care though. Some of these beers are mighty strong. If they were appearing on the World’s Strongest Man they would be the ones completing every Atlas Stone in record time. If they were appearing on the World’s Strongest Woman they would be doing exactly the same just with one hand while holding the World’s Strongest Man in the other. You’ve been warned.
Cask Beers (Cask Bar)
Orkney – Skullsplitter (8.5%) Scotch Ale
You spoke, we listened, back by popular demand all the way from Orkney. Skull Splitter 8.5% Scotch Ale. A rich fruity wine like complexity. It sold out really fast last year so hurry up and get it.
Moorhouse’s – Witchcraft (5%) Brown
This beer was brewed especially for BBBB and the opening of the Witch Taphouse, a five minute walk down the road.
North Riding – Hairy Bobs Bitter (3.9%) Bitter
This is not just for hairy Bob it is a new beer from across the hills in Scarborough. We have had many beers from this brewery and have never been disappointed, I am sure this will be just like all the rest.
UK Craft Beers (Craft Corner Keg Wall)
A Double Dose of Ginger
It’s a fantastic bar this year with so much choice. There’s also an interesting aspect on the keg wall with two beers with ginger in them; both very different. This contrast makes for a great recommendation for seeking out the best of the best. Try them both. See what you think.
Dolphin Brewery – Superstar (4.2%) Sour
Superstar is an easy-drinking gose infused with root ginger. It has citrussy esters from the yeast, spiciness from coriander seeds, and subtle saline notes from fleur de sel. The ginger adds a warming, earthy character, yet the beer remains beautifully light and refreshing. Superstar is a personal favourite at Dolphin HQ – guaranteed to fill your glass with seasonal cheer.
Runaway Brewery – Gingerbread Stout (6.2%) Stout
Rich, full bodied, sweet stout, brewed with root ginger, cloves and cinnamon to give a subtle but seasonal twist. The dark roasted flavours of the malt are balanced by the sweetness of the spicing and the biscuit character of the yeast, oats and wheat. This beer showcases the great flavour of traditional British malt.
The Belgium One, Two, Three, and Four (Foreign Bar, Belgium End)
Such is the standard of the Belgium beers this year that Belgium gets it’s own little section of Gentleman George’s recommendations. A Belgium One, Two, Three, and Four; or in Belgium Beer terms a blonde, a dubbel, a tripel, and a quad.
Brugse Zot Blonde (6.0%) Belgian Blonde
A beautiful example of the Belgian Blonde style of beer. Golden colour and rich and fruity to taste. If you want a lager on steroids this is the place to start.
Westmalle Dubbel (7.0%) Belgian Dubbel
This has been a Bent and Bongs Belgian favourite going back as far as the days of the Formby Hall. It’s a dark beer, rich with complex flavours of sweet sweet malty tastes and a hint of herby freshness, finishing with a nice twang of bitterness.
Delirium Tremens (7.4%) Belgian Tripel
Think Delirium and think Pink. Pink Elephants. This was hugely popular with the Saturday afternoon crowd at the Formby Hall and we expect the same this year too … if there is any left. Belgium tripels go back to a light colour. DT brings a lovely biscuity taste followed by a long dry bitterness.
St. Bernardus Abt 12 (10.0%) Belgian Quadrupel
If you Google around the subject of The Best Beer In The World you will often see West Vleteren 12 appearing at the top of the list. Brewed by the monks of St. Sixtus, VW12 is only available from the abbey itself. A few km away in Watou, brewed by at the St. Bernardus brewery, St. Bernardus Abt 12 is a near exact copy of VW12. Same process, same ingredients, only the yeast is different, and even that wasn’t always the case. We’ve been trying to get this beer onto the Belgium bar for years. This year the stars finally aligned.
Expect a deep, dark taste with luscious fruits and caramel sweetness. A very delicate background hint of spice gives it a warmth to balance the richness that makes it almost its own food group.
You are going to want to buy a half of this, and then hold it and nurture it to let it warm up. It’s flavour will open up as the beer warms from chilled to room temperature. An occasional sip to see how it’s doing is a great way to enjoy it.
Foreign Bar
Cherry Chouffe (8.0%) Fruit Beer
If you were a lover of the original Liefman’s Kriek this is the beer for you. It has that richness of balance between sweet and sour with the taste of cherries. It’s a bit delish.
Vinohradský pivovar Vinohradská 12 (4.8%) Czech Pilsner
The Czech’s invented the pilsener (in the little town of Plzen). This is a lovely example of a traditionally brewed Czech pilsner. Fresh, light, and balanced bitterness. It is dangerously drinkable.
Floris Cactus (4.2%) Fruit Flavoured Wheat Beer
On one end of the bar lives a beer that will compete to be the best beer in the world. On the other end is a beer that’s green. Let’s not kid ourselves. Cactus isn’t going to win any awards, unless it’s the which-is-the-greenest-beer award. It has a lager-and-lime taste, slips down a bit too easily, and it’s green. GREEEN! And not just any green. It’s a bright, neon, nuclear-spillage green. What’s not to love about a green beer.
Have A Great Night
These are some of the best beers in the whole beer festival. Some of them are also the strongest. Anything over 7% is sold as a half pint only due to the strength.
Don’t set out thinking you’re going to neck a pint of each. You won’t be doing the beers justice. Respect them. Enjoy them. Drink them slowly. Have a taste before ordering each one. Not everyone likes the taste of every beer and these beers definitely have taste.
Drink responsibly, have a great night out, and a great day tomorrow.
- Excluding Cactus, but that’s green so fully deserves a mention. ↩︎