Cotleigh Golden Seahawk

Brewed by Cotleigh
Style: Bitter
Taunton, England

Serve in English pint

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Bottle pour. This was one of the most enjoyable beers I have had in a very long time. The color was a rich, hazy gold, like sunlight in August; the flavor was rich with notes of honey, nuts, and earth. There was enough hoppy bitterness on the finish to stay clean, and keep me wanting another drink. I’m smitten.

The day after I review the bottle: I walk into my local and it’s on a cask hand pull, what a lovely surprise. A pint was poured for me into a UK sleeve. The same amber/orangey body, clear and bright, old gold colour as the bottle. Again an impressive snow white head which produced some, lacing and head throughout the tasting. The smell was, like the bottled one, it’s weakest part and although there were hop and malt esters they didn’t excite or bother the nose at all. The last paragraph is almost the same as my bottle review: really liked the mouthfeel and taste, good blend of ingredients to produce a fine beer. A mixed bag of flavours, some sweet malty molasses, but no honey: the hops came behind the sweet molasses in the taste stakes but not far behind: this is nicely balanced and easy to drink. 500ml Bottle, best before 17 Oct 2012, poured into an Abbot Ale glass tankard on 4 Nov 2011. Amber/orangey body, clear and bright, old gold in colour if you want to stay in golden mood as per the beers name. On top an impressive snow white head of some substance, lacing and head throughout the review. Couldn’t get the whole bottle into the glass because of the head size, makes a change for a UK bottled bitter. I struggled to find any of the hops in the smell, the malts didn’t fair to well either, this isn’t a heavy smelling brew. I suppose some citrusy notes could be found as the beer warmed, but otherwise it was the beers weakest point. Really liked the mouthfeel and taste, good blend of ingredients to produce a fine beer. A mixed bag of flavours, some sweet malty molasses, not sure I traced any honey: it’s mentioned on the rear label, sweetness yes, honey, no. The hops come second in the taste stakes but not far behind the malts: this is nicely balanced and easy to drink.

UPDATED: APR 27, 2007 Cask at GBBF 2006. I normally really like Cotleigh beers, but I thought that this was slightly average. Copper colour with thin beige head. Reasonably good hop aroma. Juicy malts in mouth. Not the best Cotleigh, but fruit and hop are ok. 3.1.5.0 Re-rate Cask handpull at County Hotel, JDW, Ashford. Like all Cotleigh beers, has good flavours, good ingredients, excellent mouthfeel. Great easy drinking bitter with a significant bitter finish. Wide mouthfeel, minerality but just a great bitter
Earlier Rating: 6/28/2005 Total Score: 3.4
Cask at County Hotel, Ashford. Golden beer. I like Cotleigh beers and this did not let me down. Good balance of fruit and hops and left me wanting another pint, but I had to get home.

Pours golden with a spattered head that reduces to some powdery clouds. Smells rustic with aged citrus. Medium full nectar with decent carbonation. This is very typical of it’s genre and was rather enjoyable.

Crisp and lightly bubbling light amber ale with a big white head. Big cereals with hints of both sweetness and savouryness. Dusty and rustic. Very sweet with grape and kiwi fruit notes. A sandy dryness also makes an appearance in the mouth. A very good consistency for this kind of airy bitter. This is a genuinely tasty ale. Fruity yet dry. Dusty yet smooth it offers a lot to the palate.

Cask-Conditioned. A clear, golden ale. Fresh, malty, fruity aroma. The flavour is fruity, and well hopped. Sampled at: The Royal Standard, Wooburn Common, Buckinghamshire.

Bottled, 500ml. Golden orange with white head. This was a nice surprise, a well bottled, low ABV English Bitter that tasted as it should do. A light, buttery pale malt gave a clear base for a delicate, green hoppy taste, i’d guess Goldings, but could be wrong. But the fact that you can taste the different elements in a bottled beer is great. Well done Cotleigh.

UPDATED: OCT 19, 2011 Oct, 2005JDW, Old Holborn. Nice balance of fruit and hops. A good all round beer that does what it should. [3.4]
April, 2007 Hesketh Arms, Torquay. A hoppy pale best bitter. Citric flavours and dusty flower tops. A lovely drop. Juicy and satisfying. Served in lovely condition. [3.8]
Oct, 2011 500ml bottle from Waitrose. Pleasant bottled bitter. Nice balance of hops and malt. Well done and tasty. Cotleigh do make decent beers. But somehow I never get excited when I see Cotleigh. Perhaps because the beers are rather unadventerous. Perhaps because the pump clips and labels are all of birds - which is rather boring and naff. [3.3]

Pours hazy light orange-amber with a thick, light tan head. Aroma has a touch of sour malt, fruit. Taste is creamy, light caramel, apple, pear, peach. Very nice and smooth.

From a hand pulled cask at The Whole Hog in Malmesbury, England. This came a clear yellow to orange color with a moderate white head and good lacing. Nose of malts with some citrus hops. Medium body and slick and oily mouthfeel and low carbonation. Flavor is somewhat sweet with bitterness showing up in the finish. Quite decent bitter.