Butcombe Bitter
Butcombe Brewery Ltd.

Butcombe BitterButcombe Bitter
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From:
Butcombe Brewery Ltd.
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Bitter
Ranked #30
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
87
Ranked #17,481
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 10.39%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
39
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 11, 2023
Added:
Nov 05, 2003
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  8
No description / notes.
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Ratings by Mark:
Photo of Mark
Reviewed by Mark from California

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This ale poured a brownish gold and was topped by a thick white head that left solid sheets of lace. Slight aroma of what i imagined to be fresh hay fields. Malt dominated taste with subtle hopping. Very drinkable and refreshing, healthy too. Seemed slightly herbal. My second beer I've tried from Butcombe. Had it at my favorite Wetherspoons.
Dec 24, 2004
More User Ratings:
Photo of PhilipWilliams
Reviewed by PhilipWilliams from England

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Good to find a standard traditional no-frills traditional English bitter. Well-balanced with no concession to current fads.

I had two pints with a pork pie in The Lodge in Alsager, Cheshire. A slightly sweet, caramel and treacly mouth feel with a satisfying lingering aftertaste. Malt dominates on the nose and the hops come through as you sink this very sessionable pint. It may not be the most characterful bitter I've quaffed but I'd definitely have another. A clean and well balanced pint.
Sep 11, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by hopley from Massachusetts

Oct 01, 2022
Photo of Offa
Reviewed by Offa from California

4.02/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
cask at Victoria Arms, Oxford.
Copper-brown. Big dense off white head slowly shrinks to thin lasting top, foamy lace.
Aroma toasty malt, whole wheat bread, hint of caramelized apple.
Taste smooth malty sweetness with light zesty bitterness. Toasty whole wheat bread and light nuttiness. Nice. A very good English bitter, a style which I love, and very drinkable and enjoyable, but lacks complexity and depth of character compared to others.
Jul 23, 2022
Photo of Sigmund
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
500 ml bottle, as Butcombe Original Beer, bought in Jersey. ABV is 4.5%. Beautiful clear amber colour, moderate to small head, slightly off-white. Malty and grainy aroma, hints of toffee. The flavour is also malty and grainy with a hint of caramel, but not sweet. Moderate earthy and "dusty" hops. Okay, but not remarkable.

Cask pint at The Post Horn, St. Helier. ABV 4.0%. Deep copper colour, off-white head. Malty aroma, a hint of malt vinegar. Malty flavour, slightly sweet, again with a hint of malt vinegar. Undistinctive.
Nov 22, 2018
 
Rated: 3.73 by Justhead from Papua New Guinea

May 31, 2018
Photo of jazzyjeff13
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England

3.81/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A 500ml bottle with a BB of Nov 2017. Picked up a little while back from Waitrose. A classic English bitter and a former medal winner at the GBBF.

A: Poured into a pint mug. A deep coppery-amber colour with good clarity and plentiful carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy white foam that lasts for a few minutes before collapsing to a patchy surface layer. Nice lacing.

S: Aroma of nutty caramel malt with hints of barley sugar, subtle roasted grain, leafy stewed hops and ale yeast. Possesses a faint sulphurous twang. Very traditional.

T: Tastes of grainy caramel malt with notes of barley sugar, slight nuttiness, a touch of roastiness, leafy hops and ale yeast. Faintly sweet, followed by a restrained bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with spritzy carbonation and decent body. Perhaps a shade too carbonated for the style. Aftertaste of stewed hops, caramel malt and yeast.

O: A solid bitter with a classic flavour profile. Looks good, while the aroma and flavour are a pleasant blend of rich caramel malt, stewed English hops and ale yeast. Decent body; a tad too lively. Goes down like a dream - a must try for anyone seeking out a traditional bitter.
Jun 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.31 by Euroglot from Belgium

Jul 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.38 by TGS from California

Jun 02, 2016
Photo of Beginner2
Rated by Beginner2 from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Reviewed in Roger Protz' " 300 Beers To Try Before You Die!"
May 03, 2016
Photo of Spike
Reviewed by Spike from England

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Crystal clear. Red brown. No carbonation. Thin, white head recedes to a cap. Leaves some lacing. Swirl creates a flurry of bubbles. Classic English bitter look.

Smell is of light, malt sweetness. Becomes more dry and earthy as the pint warms. Again, very much in line with the style.

Taste is malt (100% Maris Otter) with a good deal of dry, English hops. A very traditional hop profile, done very nicely.

Medium body. Crisp and bitter. Clean finish. No alcohol. Exceptionally refreshing. Very sessionable.

I enjoyed this. It's a very traditional pint, but it feels well balanced and is extremely drinkable. The crisp finish is particularly enjoyable.
Feb 26, 2016
Photo of DJ-Hophead
Reviewed by DJ-Hophead from England

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cask @ Butcombe Brewery - Pours dark amber with a small white frothy head. Smell - slight fruit and malts. Taste - malty taste to the fore moving to light hops with nice bitter finish. Lovely balanced bitter.
Nov 07, 2015
Photo of Jerseyislandbeer
Reviewed by Jerseyislandbeer from Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the St Laurent country pub in Jersey. Pours a dark amber colour with a small white frothy head. Aromas of faint malt as well as light fruit. Tastes of roasted malts, some fruits, hops, caramel notes. Aftertaste is medium to light carbonation with a bitter finish. Overall a very good bitter.
Sep 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by rulisekmartin from Czech Republic

Aug 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.79 by vinicole from England

Jun 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.8 by steverx8 from England

Apr 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by ckollias from Maryland

Dec 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.01 by Clubroot

Nov 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by stephenlee from England

Sep 27, 2014
Photo of Wobbly
Rated by Wobbly from Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +23.4%
Very good bitter in the bottle. Truly remarkable on tap.
Sep 05, 2014
Butcombe Bitter from Butcombe Brewery Ltd.
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 39 ratings