Interesting update on the yeast, i understand the Ringwood yeast is an old yorkshire strain (which i'm guessing they have adapted). A few months ago i was in London where my mate insisted i tried their fantastic new Brewery (Sambrooks) and its best bitter (Wandle). It was fantastic, but my instant reaction to him was that the yeasty middle tasted exactly like Ringwoods beers. He just gave me a telling off about being a beer geek.... Anyway i looked them up online a few days later, the brewery was set up by non other than the ex owner of Ringwood Brewery!!
I've also tasted Flack Manors Double Drop, another best bitter, from a brewery set up by the other ex Ringwood owner. It has the same yeast characteristics.
In my opinion (and after rigerous futher testing
)both beers have a yeasty taste that is 90% similar to Ringwood, but not identical, so i'm guessing they are using a similar but not identical strain, much in the way Whitelabs or other breweries may be doing.
As for the Diacetyl, i've heard this before, and that it gives of butterscotch/caramel flavours and smells, which is actually one of the characteristics i enjoy most in these beers. Does that make me a heathen?
I've heard diacetyl can be desireable in small quantities.
