Arthur's Best Bitter
Otto's Pub and Brewery

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From:
Otto's Pub and Brewery
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
English Bitter
ABV:
5.3%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 14.47%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
22
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 10, 2016
Added:
Feb 17, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
This British style ale is single hopped with Cascade Hops in the kettle and also dry-hopped with Cascade. It is being served from the cask hand pump.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.92 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Jul 10, 2016
Photo of ajm5108
Reviewed by ajm5108 from Pennsylvania

2.22/5  rDev -43.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 2
Pours a clean straw color. Aroma is very hop forward - viney & earthy - which was the first sign of trouble. English bitters certainly have that bite to them, but they are typically crisp and milder on the hop spectrum. This thing is way over-hopped for the style and ends up tasting like some homebrew west coast IPA. What's worse is that it is one of the thinnest, most watery beers I've ever had. Zero body. Otto's has some good brews but this one is a dud.
Jun 27, 2016
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Had on-cask (hand pump) at Otto's in State College, PA. poured into a small tulip.

L: Pours a golden orange color. Two fingers of thick creamy off-white head. Nice lacing.

S: Light bread and lightly toasted malts... floral hops and faintly herbal.

T/F: Light in body... baked bread and malts up front with a stronger than expected hop profile. Floral and citrus hops and faint peppercorn mixed with cracked grain. Served at cask temp so warmer than most beers (as per the style). Very creamy and smooth on the mouthfeel.

O: A very nice take on the English Bitter style... and this would be at home in any pub in London. A strong effort from Otto's.
Mar 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.16 by envizz1 from Pennsylvania

Sep 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by ErinGoBraugh from Pennsylvania

Jul 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by traxstar7 from Texas

Jul 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by AMarkle6524 from Pennsylvania

Mar 31, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bigfnjoe from Pennsylvania

Nov 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by FlakyBiscuit from Pennsylvania

Aug 13, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by billmayo from New Jersey

Feb 24, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by JimmytheSaintPSU from Pennsylvania

Aug 21, 2012
Photo of Darkmagus82
Reviewed by Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.29/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Had on cask at the brewpub

Appearance - poured a deeper copper color with a nice head. A bit haze.

Smell - A nice floral note meets the noise with a little bit of maltines later on.

Taste - Meet with some floral hop spiciness with a bit of pine coming in later on. A nice malty taste was present thoughout the whole tasting experience.

Mouthfeel - For an on-cask brew it had a rather nice level of carbonation and for the ABV it had actually a thinker mouthfeel then would have been expected.

Overall - A pretty good brew and one worth trying.
Jan 04, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by SteelCityHops89 from Pennsylvania

Dec 22, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by rastapenguin22 from Pennsylvania

Dec 13, 2011
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Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Serveed on cask via a hand pump at the brewpub on 10/19/08.

Pours a hazy, golden orange with a finger of EXTREMELY creamy off-white head. A 1/2 finger of retention just sits there like a rock, sticking around and leaving gigantic rings of sticky lacing down the sides of the glass. The aroma is yummy smelling mix of floral hops, citrus character, and pale malt sweetness underneath.

The taste ia a mellow, sweet tasting mix of tangy citrus, light grainy malts, and just a touch of bitterness in the back for balance. The mouthfeel is light bodied with an incredibly smooth and creamy feel. Finishes sweet and tangy on the lips.

This is just about the definition of a session beer on cask with it's silky smooth flavor profile and creamy, easy drinking body. Great stuff that you could go to again and again.
Oct 20, 2008
Photo of Hojaminbag
Reviewed by Hojaminbag from Colorado

4.52/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
Light copper colored body with a good head. Looks like a standard beer that would come out of a hand pumped beer engine.

Smells of lots of floral hope notes, a touch of sweetness and some sweet grains. Very nice.

Taste is also good. Very slight bitterness from the hops with the floral notes coming through once again. Some citrus and fruity sweetness. Pale tasting malts reminiscent of cereal.

Always have trouble grading a cask beer's mouthfeel, but this is rather light bodied.

Very drinkable, I could drink a ton of this stuff. Pretty awesome bitter.
Oct 14, 2008
Photo of WesWes
Reviewed by WesWes from New York

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a nice gold color with a thick and creamy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a very malty scent with just a mild hop aroma at best. The taste is decent as well. It has a smooth, malty flavor that boasts of pale and light crystal malts along with a nice hop bitterness. It goes down like water and finishes a bit thin. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This a malty brew that tastes very nicely off the cask.
Oct 02, 2008
Photo of treyrab
Reviewed by treyrab from California

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Had this on cask last night at Zeno's, State College, PA. Had it poured into a pint glass from the cask...

A: Very clear light copper with a nice, creamy and frothy white head. Lightly carbonated, but was very sticky and laced nicely to the glass.

S: Smell of very floral hops, but nothing extremely bitter. Minor malt characteristics and cereal grains coming through also.

T: This was a very refreshing bitter. It went down smoothly with a nice taste of pine hops. The bitterness was there, but not by much. It was a very mild bitterness that blended well with the malt body.

Overall, this was a good bitter that, while not overly complex, was very refreshing and moderately flavorful.
Sep 28, 2008
Photo of jsbrendle
Reviewed by jsbrendle from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Pulled by hand-pump into a shaker glass. Appearance is a nice amber with a white head. Aroma is subtle... some floral hops, some cereal grains, touch of sweetness. Flavor echos this with some slight citric notes & faintly honeyish sweetness. Feels light and somewhat creamy (from the cask tap) on the way down. Perhaps just a touch too light. Compares favorably to the imperial pint sized bottles of Youngs bitters. Very pleasant session beer because of easy drinkability. Recommended.
Apr 23, 2007
Photo of Phatz
Reviewed by Phatz from Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is a tasty simple easy drinking smooth English bitter. I was in the middle of a 4 hour drive and I stopped at Zeno's for one pint and a growler fill before hitting the road again. This is a beer I could easily handle one before needing to drive again.

Appearance: Served an amber copper with a creamy white head and very nice lacing .

Smell: The aroma is reserved but pleasant. It has a light bread malt, caramel element and a touch of floral hops.

Taste: Simple and approachable just as an English bitter should be IMO. A mild floral (and slightly citrus) character, blends gently into honey and caramelized sweet malts.

Mouthfeel: It does feel light and maybe even a bit too light but the cask gives it a creamy feel that makes up for it and overall it probably appeals to a large market that prefer an approachable beer.

Drinkability: This is the epitome of session beer. This is a go-to session style and this beer is no expectation. Nice easy dinking beer.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!
Apr 19, 2007
Arthur's Best Bitter from Otto's Pub and Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 22 ratings