Beer Review: Coach House Blueberry Bitter

Brewery: Coach House 

Style: Bitter

ABV: 5%

Location: Warrington, Cheshire

Aroma: A strong aroma of blueberries immedietely is noticeable, some floral notes with hints of caramel and a malt. There's some hoppiness going on the in the background that give the impression it's not a typical fruit beer. 

Colour: Golden amber with a thin white head. Although claims it's a Bitter, it's more like a Golden Ale in sheep's clothing.

Taste: Rather bitter with some residual biscuity dryness, a potent flush of blueberries is quite notieable on first sip, yet it dovetails with the other flavours effortlessly. It is moderately hoppy, and a sweetness from the malt adds to the character. The mouthfeel is smooth, although the lack of a hefty head make its overall less creamy. 

Verdict: Distincty fruity and flavoursome, the use of blueberries is placed firmly in the foreground where much of the beer's character emulates from. Yet the flavours are not imbalanced as they could be like many infamous fruited beers of late, the bitterness from the hops is still detectable and there is a strong malty background that helps the give the flavours some extra depth. Yet the choice of hops uded was a bit of a let down, as a 'fruiter hop' could have benefited by adding to the overall flavour profile. A decent example of a English style fruit beer that is refreshing and perfect for a Summer's day.

Rating: 7/10