Brakspear Bitter (Bottle)

Brewed by Brakspear (Refresh UK - Marstons plc)
Style: Bitter
Witney, England

Serve in English pint

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For a 3.4% abv bitter this really does the business for me. Most bitters of this strength are short on flavour and character, but this isn’t. It has a lovely bitter finish with a lightish malty hoppy taste, and a classic English ale nut brown colour.

Tasted right after an APA, so that may be why it kinda disapeared in my mouth. Pretty good, it seemed, but I need to re-rate when I get a chance.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Great beer. Very hoppy and bitter, in the english style, and particularly for an english beer. Deep hazelnut color, with a slightly off white head. Pours well, with a thick tight head. Aroma is almost entirely hops. I’m not too familiar with british varieties, but my guess is goldings or target? It doesn’t smell like Fuggles. A bit of underlying malt. Flavor bursts with the same hops, the malts riding under to provide balance. Enough malt to carry the bitterness, but still let it take center stage. Wonderful stuff.

Clear medium amber with a small uneven off-white head. Aroma of cut hay, apricots, slight moldy hops. Nice bitter taste. A great tasting beer that at 3.4% I could drink all night. Slightly dry finish.

500ml bottle
3.4% ABV
I tried this beer on July 26, 2008 after pirchgasing from one of my local LCBO outlets. The beer poured a beautiful translucent red with a 1" off-white head that lingered a while. The aroma was sweet malt, and a definite hoppy sense. The mouthfeel was medium bodied, amply carbonated, and slightly bitter. The flavour was sweet malt, hops, and spicy. Easily drinkable.

Copper coloured with a frothy off off-white head that quickly dissipates but not completely leaving a thin, almost creamy layer. Aroma of caramel, biscuits and dried apricots. The taste is well balanced, medium bitterness backed up by a robust malt sweetness. Relatively long lasting slightly bitter after-taste. Low carbonation with small bubbles. A classic bitter, perfect with a packet of Salt & Vinegar crisps.

The Henley brewery is now closed. This brown 500ml bottle claims to be brewed in ’England for Tillverkare The Brakspear brewing Co’. Best before April 2008, drank on a wet cold July 2007 evening in my front room. I poured the bottle into one of my Duvel glasses. It looked great, a good solid foaming head, slightly off white. The beer was a lovely deep terracotta red. The aroma was of hops, malts and some barley tones too, a typical English bitter smell. Nothing very strong, but there if you search for it. Considering the 3.4 ABV, this is a very good beer, the soft roundness often found in English bitters is here in an abundance. A kind of understated fruitiness is also to be found. This is a well balanced beer, not sweet or sour, just a pleasant session beer, ideal for an afternoon in a beergarden on one of those rare sunny days we have during an English summer.

bitter and citrusy aroma, pours with a light amber hue and small white head, nicely balanced hop/malt flavours, biscuity with citrus-like flavours, sharp bitter finish.

Just what you’d expect from a bitter: not too out there, nice flavor, but nothing terribly special, either.

Great colour with medium carbonation. Nice dry bitterness. Nice beer.