Bust Head English Pale Ale
Old Bust Head Brewing Co.

Bust Head English Pale AleBust Head English Pale Ale
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From:
Old Bust Head Brewing Co.
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
English Pale Ale
Ranked #145
ABV:
5.6%
Score:
79
Ranked #26,684
Avg:
3.42 | pDev: 14.91%
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
103
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 06, 2023
Added:
Apr 17, 2014
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  20
Brewed in the tradition of an English Pale Ale, but infused with the spirit of new American craft brews, our flagship beer is drinkable, balanced, and enjoyable year-round. Additions of Goldings, Fuggle, and Cascade hops provide our pale ale with the aroma of floral hop tones, as well as imparting a refreshing, clean bitterness. Our use of caramel malt in the grain bill balances out our generous hop additions, and provides the beer with a smooth and bready backbone. Perfectly balanced, it’s our brewmaster’s favorite beer!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thufflife:
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Rated by thufflife from Missouri

3.5/5  rDev +2.3%

Jul 28, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.56 by cgrunin from Texas

Jul 06, 2023
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Reviewed by BJB13 from Maryland

3.81/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12 ounce bottle poured into a nonic style pint glass.

Clear and dark amber with a two inch off white head that fades to a cap in a few minutes. Leaves a little bit of lace. Nose is medium in strength featuring toasted caramel malt and piney and spicy (tea like) hops. Tasting much the same, full, but not sweet caramel malt balanced by herbal hops, dry and moderately bitter sharpening at the finish. Body is medium-light with high carbonation and a little gritty.

Nice easy drinking Pale that in my opinion, does taste British.
Mar 12, 2022
 
Rated: 2.65 by Erg88 from Virginia

Dec 11, 2020
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Reviewed by akaizer from Virginia

3.69/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a bottle. Has a nice 2/3" off-white foam head with a clear amber body. Scent has a nice balance between hoppiness and maltiness, with notes of floral and caramel most prominent. Taste matches well with the smoothness of the caramel being more evident but also welcome. The floral hoppiness provides a nice contrast, offering a bit of crispness too. The body is somewhat on the lighter side of medium with a very pleasant aftertaste that borders on just barely hoppy. The balance between the competing hops and malts here is superb and well worth a try!
May 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.59 by DrBass from Maryland

Apr 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Apr 05, 2020
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Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.66/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at brewery:
Clear amber beer with a nice head and resulting mountainscape producing ring.

Nose is light caramel malt with a bit of spice. Flavor has a clean, slightly caramel malt driven opening with a hint of lemon tea. Lightly grassy bitterness has a little spice to back that up.

Carbonation is a little on the strong side, and I’m missing the more mineral yeast note of other British pales, but this is a fairly balanced pale ale.
Nov 30, 2019
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

4.52/5  rDev +32.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Brilliantly clear copper, two fingers of dense white head that sticks around and leaves lace with every sip.
Low-key (by today's standards) aroma, but complex. Citrus, floral, herbal. a bit of caramel malt underneath.
Bready, caramelly malt to start, then the hops wash over. Hop flavor echos the aroma. Malt come back in and tussles with the bitterness at the end.
Medium bodied with spot-on carbonation.
I've been passing by this beer whenever I was down in VA for a couple of years now. Wish I had picked it up sooner.
Jun 13, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by jwat from Pennsylvania

Apr 24, 2018
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Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia

3.53/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
From the bottle, it pours a nice clear baltic amber with a robust head. In the nose, you get some malt and more hops. Easy drinking English Pale Ale!
Jan 14, 2018
Photo of Navanation
Reviewed by Navanation from Pennsylvania

3.44/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Straight from the bottle. An excellent example of an English Pale Ale. Exceptionally easy drinking. Mild taste, not too hoppy or malty. Perfectly balanced. Toasty flavor. Nice mouth feel. I picked this up traveling through VA. Too bad it's not local to me or I'd buy it on a regular basis.
Jul 26, 2017
Photo of avalon07
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a coppery color and a slightly hazy texture. There was an inch of foamy head that lasted a good amount of time. Pretty good lacing.

S: A fair aroma of malt, light hops, an earthy quality, and a bready quality.

T: Tasted of a bit of caramel (especially in the finish), a fair amount of hops, lots of malt, a biscuity / bready quality, the earthiness, and a light fruitiness. This is a decent enough flavor, centered largely on its malt content. It isn't overly dynamic, but is fairly tasty.

F: A good amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: English Pale Ales are typically mild beers, and this one is no exception. Nonetheless, a solid entry.
Jun 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.63 by benloho from Utah

May 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.35 by GatorCoop from California

Apr 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by duvel1979 from District of Columbia

Feb 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.66 by srw from Virginia

Dec 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.29 by luke12345 from Pennsylvania

Dec 24, 2016
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Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.71/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
On draft in a mason jar

Medium copper colored, white head. Mild earthy hop aroma. Good balance, some biscuit malt flavor and mild hop bitterness. Thin to medium bodied.
Oct 26, 2016
Photo of Guppy314
Reviewed by Guppy314 from District of Columbia

3.55/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
From a bottle, pours a clear gold/amber with a creamy off-white head. Taste is a bitter hops-forward with a sweet caramel maltiness. Carbonation makes for a really drinkable, balanced, and rfreshing beer.
Oct 13, 2016
Bust Head English Pale Ale from Old Bust Head Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 103 ratings