There are beers you enjoy, beers you respect, and then there are beers that make you change your plans. White Rat is the third kind. If I walk into a pub and it’s on the bar, that’s what I’m having. End of discussion.
The Beer
White Rat is a pale ale from Ossett Brewery in West Yorkshire. It comes in at around 4% ABV, which is part of the appeal — it’s sessionable without being thin. It pours a hazy gold with a decent white head that actually sticks around.
The nose is all citrus and tropical fruit — grapefruit, a bit of mango, maybe some lemon peel. First sip is crisp, bitter, and refreshing with that same citrus character following through. There’s enough malt backbone to keep it balanced but this is a hop-forward beer and it doesn’t pretend otherwise. The finish is dry and clean, which is exactly what makes you reach for the glass again.
Cask Is King
I’ve had White Rat from bottles and from keg. They’re fine. But the cask version is a different beer. It’s softer, rounder, and the hops have more depth to them. The carbonation is gentle rather than fizzy, and the whole thing just works better at cellar temperature. This is a beer that was made for a handpull.
If you see it on cask, drink it. If you see it on cask and order something else, I can’t help you.
The Verdict
White Rat is my desert island beer. It’s not trying to be clever or fashionable. It’s just a properly well-made pale ale that delivers every single time. Ossett don’t get the hype that some of the trendier breweries get, but they don’t need it. The beer speaks for itself.
If you’re in Yorkshire and you spot it on a bar, get a pint. Then get another one.