Courage Directors (Cask)

Courage Directors (Cask)

Cask; Regular.

Note: Sometimes available pasteurised in keg in some export markets. Please enter ratings for that version under the listing for the Bottle & Can version, not here.


Originally brewed at Alton Brewery in Hampshire in 1903 for the Courage directors; spare beer was sold as Alton IPA, which acquired the nickname of Director’s Bitter.

Moved to the Courage owned Simonds Brewery in 1969, then to the Anchor Brewery in Bermondsey, then, in 1981 to Bristol. When Courage was taken over by
Scottish and Newcastle, production moved to John Smith’s brewery in Tadcaster. Production was later contracted out to Youngs in London, and
in Jan 2007 the Courage Brand was purchased by Wells & Youngs who brew it in Bedford.


This premium cask ale has a strong following throughout the country. It is genuine premium beer, pale brown in appearance with a deep rich taste.

Full bodied with a clean, bitter taste, balanced with a sweet burnt, malty and fruity notes with a distinctive dry-hop aroma and flavour.
2.9
207 reviews
Bedford, England

Community reviews

3.0 Cask @ The Wadkin, Nr Selby, North Yorkshire. Good solid traditional looking bitter. As the commercial description says it edges towards the sweet biscuity, malty taste, very slight bitter follow through. Medium mouthfeel.
3.4 Cask as Davy’s Old Wallop in the Botlescrue. A good English bitter, that was perhaps served a little cold, but it was very welcome on a scorching day in the City. A sweet biscuit flavour from the malt, a bitterness from the hops and that quite pleasant soapiness that you get from a proper English bitter.
2.5 On holiday in wales at the cottage Loaf from tap amber colored body with a white head and with a malt hop aroma a malt hop sweet bitter taste with a light bitter finish
2.8 Cask Pint at Edward Rayne (JDW), Raynes Park, London in Aug 2009 - Dark Amber in colour. Malty; toasty grainy malts, caramel. Hoppy; grassy hops. Fruity; apple. Bitter-sweet malty throughout. OK. (2009-08)
3.4 10th August 2016 GBBF Day 2. Cask. Clear amber beer, bubbly pale cream colour head. Palate is airy, semi dry and has great fine carbonation. In lovely condition this beer. Mild caramel malts, modest dried fruits. Light floral finish. A modest beer elevated by great condition.
3.1 It’s strange, but the aroma reminds me of thai food. Malt and peanuts. Oily mouthfeel.
3.5 On cask at the Baillie. Aromas of caramel, malts, citrus. Taste is well-rounded, complex.
2.8 Ambra pieno con schiuma pannosa. Aroma di malto. Sapore deciso con ingresso di malto e subito retrogusto amarognolo. Finale secco. Media frizzantezza. Giusto discreta.
3.0 On tap @ GBBF 2015. Amber with a tiny off white head. Hoppy and malty tones. Hops, malt, fruit and bitterness. Medium to light body with dry finish.
2.9 Tried at bar in Bourne. Deep Amber with a thick white head. Aroma and taste are malty And a touch sweet.
2.5 Cask at The Black Swan, Leek. A clear amber colour with a thin white head. Aroma of fruity malt, brown sugar, some bread, subtle wood and grain. Taste of fruity malt, some plum, a little bread, caramel and peppery hops. Light bodied but a watery, slightly oily texture. A soft, fruity malt bitterness in the finish. Had this years ago and enjoyed it, this is disappointing. Maybe it’s the condition.
3.5 Cask at Lamb & Flag, London. Clear amber brown color with thin creamy off-white head, great lacing and soft visible carbonation. Aroma of caramel, toffee, biscuit and dried fruits. Taste starts with smooth light sweet caramel and toffee, follows by mild fruity acidity and mild bitter finish. Medium body, oily texture and soft carbonation in palate. Good enough to encourage you for another one...
2.7 Clear amber with a medium off white head. Aroma was fruity with malty and hoppy notes. Flavour had fruity hops, pine, malt and hints of caramel. Finished dry and bitter.
3.4 Cask @Great British Beer Festival 2014, London Olympia. 16-08-2014. Pours clear copper. Malty, some liquorice, sweet aromas. Taste follows the nose, with some roasty notes. Enjoyable.
2.8 Cask at Williams, Lincoln. Copper ale with foamy off white head. Aroma is malty and bread. Taste is mild umami, slight bitterness. Mild carbonation and a medium body. I think you’d struggle to find a more average ale.
3.8 Light caramel aroma. Amber color, beige creamy head, very good lace. Sweet, malty, light bitter, caramel. Long lasting finish with caramel and hops a extremely good beer highly recommended
3.4 Cask 1 Pint, Sir Percy Florence Shelley, Bournemouth, England, UK. Bursztynowe piwo z puszystą pianą i słodowym zapachem. W smaku kremowe, słodowe z bardzo łagodną goryczką na finiszu.
2.9 Cask at Cricketer’s Brighton. Had from bottle before but never rated. Clear amber, still, small white head. Aroma is malty … not much more to say. Body is medium, low carbonation, pretty smooth. Taste is toffee sweetness, thin, nail varnish, drying and astringent, maybe even slightly sour. Not terrible.
3.2 Cask @ Chambers, Jersey. Clear brown with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel and light hoppy - grass. Flavor is medium sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and moderate bitter finish. 170714
3.0 Cervesa suau, maltosa i amb molts tocs a galeta i caramel. Cerveza suave, maltosa y con muchos toques a galleta y caramelo.
3.1 Appearance: clear amber with ivory head. Aroma: biscuit, fruity, caramel. Taste: Low bitter and sourness with medium sweetness. Palate: Thick smooth texture, light body, average carbonation, abrupt fruity, malty quite insipid watery finish. Comments: Tasty enough and glass lace. Rating is for 4% cask version.
1.3 Find this very disappointing and almost gravy-like. Initial fresh, sharp taste, turning to malty notes with sweetish edge. Leaves a dry thick taste.
3.9 Mild pleasant aroma. Light brown clear appearance. Hardly any head. Mild bitter aftertaste. Smooth rich taste.
2.7 Cask @ Mug House, London Bridge, London Pours clear amber with a off-white head. Aroma has notes of malt, caramel and hint of citrus. Taste is light to medium sweet and light bitter. Body is light, texture is thin, carbonation is soft.
2.8 Aroma: very light hops. Appearance: dark gold. Taste: slightly bitter. Palate: flat, light body. Overall: bit on the bland side, but drinkable. Pint at Davy’s as Old Wallop, London.
3.2 Cask at The Vic, Preston, with memories of many a night at the student’s Union bar, Leeds. Nutty aromas, some toffee and light spice. Sweet taste, sweet finish, bit sticky. I’m sure this used to be darker and stronger in the 90s. And we had proper music then, not like what they have nowadays.
2.4 Cask at The Station Inn, Whitby, September 2013. Clear ruby-brown with white film. Winey, alcoholic, slightly toasty aroma, but all in all very faint. Rather tasteless, VERY mild bitterness. Watery, short finish.
4.1 I rate beers I think significantly better than average, simple as that. I am not into showing off through word games. :)
2.0 Brown golden, grey head. Buttery, biscuit, light. Very light malt taste, butter again. Not good. (Pint at The George Inn)
1.9 (Cask): Clear amber with a small off white head. Weak but sharply sweet aroma of malt, fruit and grain. Taste is mostly generic malt with a bit of caramel and fruit. Huge sharp sweetness, like theres an additive in the beer to make it fake sweet. Really leaves a horrible tacky aftertaste like youve just swallowed a pint of E-numbers.