St Peter's Brewery has been making the Without range from their idyllic farmhouse site in Suffolk for years, and the Original is the one that shows you what they're really about. This is not a lager-in-disguise beer. It is a dark, malty bitter — amber-coloured with a creamy head — that tastes like it means it. The malt character is the whole story here. Barley and rye give it a bready depth, with roasted notes and a faint earthiness that runs all the way through. Hop bitterness is assertive, particularly in the finish, where it lingers in a way that most AF beers never quite manage. The mouthfeel is surprisingly creamy and full-bodied, with low carbonation that puts you in mind of a well-kept cask ale rather than something from a can. It is not universally loved — if you want fruit and fizz, this is the wrong beer. But if you're after a proper dark bitter with genuine depth and a real bitter finish, the Without Original is one of the more convincing AF takes on the style. Widely available in multiples and at independent retailers.