Billy's Sunday Best Bitter
Magnolia Pub & Brewery

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From:
Magnolia Pub & Brewery
 
California, United States
Style:
English Bitter
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
89
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 4.21%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
19
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 11, 2016
Added:
May 15, 2010
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
Billy is made primarily for serving on cask at the public house at AT&T park, but sometimes we carbonate small amounts to serve on draft at our breweries. Blending the bready maltiness of Maris Otter barley with earthy Goldings hops and the fruity complexity that is Nelson provides us with beer that is both easy to drink and nuanced to savor.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by flexabull:
Photo of flexabull
Reviewed by flexabull from California

4.07/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On cask at the Public House in San Francisco.

Pulls a nice amber color with a small white head.

Light bready and cereal grainy malt nose. There is also a leafy tea like quality here as well.

Taste is really similar to the nose. Starts crisp and dry, with floral leafy tea, faint caramel sweetness. Finish is dry and crisp, with some nice mineral hops to balance out the malty flavors.

Mouthfeel is good, very smooth, with good body.

Overall, a very nice bitter. If drinkability was still a category, this might score a 5. This went down quick and easy, very tasty and super sessionable.
Jun 06, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.92 by Jame515 from Texas

Apr 11, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by Bandi from New York

Oct 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.97 by Spaceman_Jer from Colorado

Feb 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by larbush from Illinois

Jan 12, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by NorthernSoul from Canada (SK)

Mar 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by mxchap from California

May 30, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by pheggeseth from Minnesota

Feb 20, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by t0rin0 from California

Oct 23, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by beerpadawan from California

Aug 25, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by avaldivia from California

Jun 30, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by codynevels from California

May 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by westcoastbeerlvr from California

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of HopHead84
Reviewed by HopHead84 from California

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
8/12/2011

On tap at Magnolia.

A: Vibrant copper tinged amber with a big creamy white head

S: Aromatic red apple with a restrained caramel note. Malt is bready.

T: A well balanced mixture of bread and apple. Faint diacetyl note with an upper low level of bitterness. Smooth bready finish with a little biscuit.

M: Silky and light on the palate with low carbonation.

Overall: A pleasure to drink. An Imperial pint of this on cask goes down easier than water.
Aug 14, 2011
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Off cask at Public House, in San Francisco.

Appropriate for something served at AT&T Park, the beer is brownish with definite orange highlights - it certainly matches what most others at the ballpark are wearing. While it's as foggy as the Bay Area, it does have a bright (nearly glowing) complexion. Its naturally good looks are further enhanced by a great big, bubbly head (impressive for a cask ale).

The duo of bitter floral, herbal hops and sweet biscuity, toffee-like malts is truly a timeless classic. Don't mistake lower strength beers as being somehow lighter in character - there's a good deal of grain and bitterness detected in the nose alone. If the flavour profile follows suit this promises to be a perfect accompaniment to a long, slow night of baseball.

The beer could be tastier; despite a somewhat sweet toffee-like flavour the malts have a bit of a cardboard-y texture and light staleness to them (perhaps the cask wasn't at its freshest?) Still, a big handful of ultra-floral hops save face, lingering with some candied citrus notes and a lot of grassy, tea-like herbal notes. I'm glad they poured me an honest sized pint!

In the tradition of English bitters, this is one easily enjoyed beer, a great one for throwing back. It is substantially more hopped, however, and, by extension, more bitter. The bitterness is pleasant mind you, with a leafy herbal quality like a tea and plenty of floral notes, but it's quite assertive and might just be enough to turn off more sensitive palates.

It's ironic that a beer be named after someone who was such a staunch supporter of prohibition. (Billy Sunday was a former outfielder who left baseball to join the evangelical Christian ministry.) Although I will say that there is indeed divine inspiration in beers of this nature, and certainly something spiritual about enjoying them at the ballpark.
Jul 26, 2011
Photo of coati858
Reviewed by coati858 from California

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Consumed at The Linkery, on cask, served as warm as I've ever had a beer served in any establishment (UK included) and delicious.

The taste was so floral, I thought it was a gruit (or had tea in it) until I read the description. Nice amber color with some malty sweetness. Just a great effort. Would drink again.
May 09, 2011
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

4.45/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Dark amber in the nonic glass. Authentic low-rise head gives the classic low carbonation English style. Even the cool cellar temp is right on. Malt has great flavor of caramel and surprising mouth-filling flavor for a lighter style. The hops give a great aroma, a haunting floral flavor, and just the right touch of bitterness to with the delicate flavors. Claimed to have "Maris Otter heirloom malt and Goldings and Challenger hops."

This is the most like a real English Bitter I've had outside England. Better than most of them too. What a nice change from allegedly English hyper hopped pale ales and double bitter ESBs. Had a pint at The Linkery in San Diego.
May 06, 2011
Photo of largadeer
Reviewed by largadeer from California

4.13/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Cask at Public House. Clear copper with a fleeting white head that leaves behind some lacing. Moderate acetaldehyde/green apple on the nose, mineral, biscuit-like malt. Light on the tongue with low carbonation, but quite flavorful; ample hop bitterness, green apple, toasted malt. I picked up a hint of diacetyl initially, but it disappeared after a few sips. The finish brings out an apricot fruitiness that lingers alongside the bitter hop bite. Not a bad little bitter.
Dec 06, 2010
Photo of illidurit
Reviewed by illidurit from California

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On cask at the Public House at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Served on cask into a nonic. Pours a nice clear amber with a creamy off-white head that lasts quite a while. Bready aroma with light accents of earth and stone fruit. Flavor starts with a bready, crackery maltiness, followed by a bit of fruit and finally an earthy hop finish that lingers nicely. Mouthfeel is sublime. Feels like I could drink it all day. Creamy body and subtle, fine carbonation, with a crispness in the finish. The fact that it was served at a proper temperature stood out as well. I'm not buying plane tickets to England or eschewing imperial stouts just yet but the pomp and circumstance of cask ale and the quality of this one in particular was a nice change of pace.
May 15, 2010
Billy's Sunday Best Bitter from Magnolia Pub & Brewery
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 19 ratings