Cotleigh Tawny Owl Bitter

Brewed by Cotleigh
Style: Bitter
Wiveliscombe, England

Serve in English pint

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Bottle, courtesy of a hardcore Danish crew
Hazy copper color. It’s dark colored dirty water, with a metallic smell, weak mouthfeel, dry and light caramel flavor, ordinary bitterness.

Taster from bottle at Binny’s, Downers Grove. Fruity smell, nice amber color, a bit cloudy. Large bit of foam from this tiny sample. Taste again is fruity. Very nice, about all I can say about it. Excellent version of this style, why I’m rating it up.

Cloudy orange-brown with a short, cottony, light tan head...sticky lacing all the way toi the end. Very faint nose of sweet toffee, a little apple or pear...Taste is Toffee, Caramel, Malt, slight fruitiness. Flat. Medium flavour...a bit bland, but not too bad.

First tasted this at the Ale House, Paisley in May 1991. Cask, handpump dispense. Clear garnet red in colour with a thick creamy white head. Slight hint of toffee in the short aroma. Thin mouthfeel and good lacing. Pale malts give a poor digestive biscuit base with a hint of sweet fruit but hard to detect. Slight prickle of hop resins gives a slightly herbal tea note to the bitter aftertaste. Finish is weak and fast running out of legs. An ok session bitter but not the best one from their extensive portfolio.

[cask at the 2008 London Drinker Festival] Clear brown bitter, not much on the nose other than a faint whiff of toffee malt. Mild, slightly hoppy taste, this is the dictionary definition of session bitter. Love the owl, however [10032008]

bottle 12/5/10. orange color with a white head. it smells of metal, toast, spice and earthy british hops. the flavor is more of the same with a dry earthy hopped finish. light/medium bodied and boring. 5/3/5/3/

Amber colour with decent white head. Aroma of malt and caramel. Surprsingly hoppy, especially in the finish. Notes of grass and caramel. Had it too long ago to really remember the finer points. One of my favourite bitters though. Also, owls are cool.

500ml bottle. Hazy orange-brown with a thin, creamy off-white head. Light to medium bodied, very sessionable as advertised. Toasty, biscuity malt tones, with a touch of caramel, toffee. Balanced by a soapy hop balance. Kind of boring and watery, one dimensional. Not bad, just bland.

Good bottle, label and overall appearance. Generally cloudy tea color with a fluffy head. Slightly candied bitter aroma with fruit and tannins. Moderately bitter, definite toffee notes, some butter, tea. Slightly briny, modestly sweet. Medium heavy mouth. Bitter, brothy aftertaste. Pretty good. Chan’s Wine World, PCB.

wow, i got this at a clearance sale at the local beer store not expecting much. color me surprised. very bready in aroma and flavor, with some toasty grains and mild hoppiness, with a perfect balance of bitter and maltiness on the palate. i need to go back and guy a few more bottles of this.

Appearance: orange haze with a bit of tan under a pithy head which leaves lace and lingers as a stubborn thin blanket. Swirls pretty much the same.
Nose: biscuits and bread. Fall fruits, apples and pears – their fruity esters underneath and tannic skins atop. Dash of citric skin hits last and disappears fast. Whole wheat with a fleshy bready middle but not chewy, lightly dry.
Palate: bready and sweet, whole wheat. Kiss of marmalade with apples and pears. Apple spread, apple jam. Dry in the finish, lingering in back of throat with dry grains and apple skins. Overall mild. Applesauce up front. Whole grain crackers add to the dry finish, almost too dry. Orange essence lingers on lips.
Final Thoughts: not too shabby but I liked the Golden Seahawk better. Overall milder and rather average with the flavors and aromas there but you gotta work for them.