Name: Butty Bach
Brewery: Wye Valley
ABV: 4.5%
Style: Bitter
Location: Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire
Aroma: Hints of apples, gum drops, golden syrup with notes of grassy hops and distinct malty overtones.
Colour: Deep amber with a two finger white head.
Taste: A grassy bitterness is immedietely noticeable followed by a background of sourness and a hint of maramalade thrown in, from the use of Maris Otter malt, which is quite distinct. The mouthfeel is smooth, bready and medium bodied, good retention from the creamy head which offsets some of the biscuity dryness. Low levels of carbonation are present, that help spin round the flavours. There is a hint of syruppy sweetness in the background but it is not forced, which makes the bittersweet taste more noticeable.
Verdict: A classic take on the best bitter style, malt takes centre ground when it comes to forming the flavours, it blends well with the tangy grassy notes from the hops. Its best served lightly chilled, in order to reserve much of the tasting notes whilst being refreshing at the same time. The bitterness is quite noticeable, particuarly with the lack of sweetness, which gives it a slight astringent quality. It has a morerish and distinctive taste, somewhat reminiscent of a green hop beer, and its good to see both malt and hops given equal billing in this fine double act.
Rating: 8/10
