Rod's Best Bitter
Second Street Brewery

Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Second Street Brewery
 
New Mexico, United States
Style:
English Bitter
Ranked #46
ABV:
5%
Score:
86
Ranked #18,912
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 9.76%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
18
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 12, 2024
Added:
Sep 24, 2009
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
A “special” drinkable bitter. Tasty malt sweetness balanced by a crisp finish from a unique combination of pacific NW centennial hops and English kent goldings hops. Complex and subtle.

30 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by powdersoldier:
Photo of powdersoldier
Rated by powdersoldier from Washington

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Feb 20, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.77 by kjkinsey from Texas

Mar 12, 2024
Photo of LukeGude
Rated by LukeGude from Iowa

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Can from brother-in-law. Way less flat and more flavorful than English bitters.
Mar 09, 2024
Photo of sulldaddy
Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sampling a cellar temp 16 oz can date stamp is packaged on 02/28. Pouring into my .5L dimple mug.
The beer pours a clear copper color with a frothy eggshell white head of 1 cm foaming up. This foam dissipates to nothing before my mug is empty.
Aroma is some caramel and toasted bread with hints of spicy and herbal hop notes. i get a little bit of lemon in there. No ABV hints. Nose is generally mild, but appealing.
First sip reveals a medium body with fine and tingly carbonation, texture is smooth and this beer drinks very easy.
Flavor is some caramel, toasted bread, a bit of a nutty character and again hints of lemon. The beer finishes with an herbal tea and spicy hop note that lingers after each swallow. Quite dry on the finish as well. Easy drinking and tasty brew from a style that isnt too often made these days. Glad to have tried it.
Apr 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.07 by DavyJonesXXX from Texas

Apr 07, 2023
Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

3.97/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2023-03-25
16oz can served in a shaker pint. Packaged on 02/28. Bought it yesterday at Jubilation.

Pours clear brassy with a medium sized coarse head. A little bit of active carbonation. Smell is nutty oaky, a little toffee, little bit of a juicy character.

Taste is mild, very grain-tea-like, some nutty bitterness and nutty sweetness. Nutty / oaky bitterness doubles down toward the end.

Light, dry, clean feel. Overall, super easy to drink beer.
Mar 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.91 by heerboth from Pennsylvania

Dec 22, 2021
 
Rated: 3.59 by denver10 from New Mexico

Apr 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by Jamesg1188 from Colorado

Mar 11, 2019
 
Rated: 4.2 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Oct 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.11 by greencovesteve from North Carolina

Jan 08, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by 22Blue from Kansas

Oct 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Sep 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by MDM from Michigan

Mar 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by nickfl from Florida

Dec 25, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Lovely85 from Florida

Dec 24, 2013
Photo of ONovoMexicano
Reviewed by ONovoMexicano from New Mexico

4.36/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the brewery's railyard location in Santa Fe.

A- The beer is copper-colored with a finger thick head. The head is airy and light, but leaves incredible lacing on the glass's sides. There's light carbonation and bubbling.

S- Thee aroma is heavy on citrusy notes, orange peel, and hops. There is a subtle malt presence that complementss the citrusy sweetness.

T- The malt makes its presence felt first with thick sweet bready notes, which then give way to the citrus that weaves on and off the palate. The beer finishes with a blast of bitterness and thick hop notes.

M- The beer starts creamy and thick, but finishes dry, bitter and light.

O- An excellent beer and a great way to learn to appreciate bitters better.
Nov 21, 2013
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the brewpub in August 2009. Pours a brown-copper color and smells slightly bitter from some hops; a little bit of caramel malt in there as well. The taste is slightly bitter, but just a little bit flat in the taste, there's just not too much going on. The mouthfeel is a light-medium body. Drinkability is decent, but not great--not the best of the several bitters that Second Street had to offer.
Sep 24, 2009
Rod's Best Bitter from Second Street Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 18 ratings