-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Best Bitter
Picaroons Traditional Ales
- From:
- Picaroons Traditional Ales
- New Brunswick, Canada
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #80 - ABV:
- 5.2%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #23,228 - Avg:
- 3.68 | pDev: 11.14%
- Reviews:
- 42
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 31, 2023
- Added:
- Nov 10, 2003
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 11
This full-flavoured pale ale provides a complex taste experience beginning with notes of nuts and toffee and ending in lingering hop bitterness.
37 IBU
37 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts
3.61/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.61/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A full flavoured Best Bitter providing a complex taste experience, beginning with notes of nuts and toffee, and ending in lingering hop bitterness.
A 500ml bottle purchased in St Stephen , New Brunswick
Clear copper liquid, taupe cap
Aroma is malty
Taste is malty, sweet toffee, bitter hops
Hop bite
Nice beer
Jul 31, 2023A 500ml bottle purchased in St Stephen , New Brunswick
Clear copper liquid, taupe cap
Aroma is malty
Taste is malty, sweet toffee, bitter hops
Hop bite
Nice beer
Rated by ewpass from Canada (PE)
3.88/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very pleasant well-balanced bitter. Malty start and nose. Medium body, prickly carbonation, bitter finish. Great beer!
Mar 09, 2017Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina
3.74/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.74/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A 500 ml bottle purchased and consumed in Nova Scotia.
This is a good looking and well crafted ESB, with plenty of malt flavor and just the right amount of mild bitterness. The red-brown body has excellent clarity and is topped by a large, bone-colored head. Good malty aroma with spicy hops. Smooth, medium-full body; Proper, soft carbonation.
May 30, 2016This is a good looking and well crafted ESB, with plenty of malt flavor and just the right amount of mild bitterness. The red-brown body has excellent clarity and is topped by a large, bone-colored head. Good malty aroma with spicy hops. Smooth, medium-full body; Proper, soft carbonation.
Reviewed by Bunman3 from Canada (AB)
3.81/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I quite like the complicated things that unfurl in this beer. The sweet, syrupy, spicy smell and flavour help set this apart from many beers I have consumed recently. Tea, caramel, toffee and fruitcake flavours all blend together in a very happy way. My first Picaroons, but it won't be my last.
Jul 01, 2015Reviewed by PorterPro125 from Canada (NB)
3.59/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Serving Type: 500 mL Bottle
A- Dark Brown/Amber topped by a thick 2 1/2 finger off-white had that has excellent retention. Lots of lacing on the glass.
S- Bready malts, sweet caramel/toffee sweetness, dark ripe fruit, and an earthy hop bitterness.
T- Taste follows the aroma pretty well except for an odd metallic note that drops in around the finish. Not off-putting in any way, just odd. Definitely more hops than a standard ESB.
M- Smooth Medium but little carbonation to speak of.
O- Another solid beer by Picaroons. Easy drinking and pretty tasteful. Like I said above, this beer has quite a bit more Hop bitterness than a standard ESB and would probably do better without. With that being said, it's not bad at all and gives a little bit of zing to this ESB.
Mar 28, 2015A- Dark Brown/Amber topped by a thick 2 1/2 finger off-white had that has excellent retention. Lots of lacing on the glass.
S- Bready malts, sweet caramel/toffee sweetness, dark ripe fruit, and an earthy hop bitterness.
T- Taste follows the aroma pretty well except for an odd metallic note that drops in around the finish. Not off-putting in any way, just odd. Definitely more hops than a standard ESB.
M- Smooth Medium but little carbonation to speak of.
O- Another solid beer by Picaroons. Easy drinking and pretty tasteful. Like I said above, this beer has quite a bit more Hop bitterness than a standard ESB and would probably do better without. With that being said, it's not bad at all and gives a little bit of zing to this ESB.
Reviewed by Shadman from Canada (AB)
3.49/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.49/5 rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Looks and smells awesome. Sadly taste just doesn't match...needs a bit more on the malt end to balance out the bitterness in order to move up into the upper ESB tier
Mar 14, 2015Reviewed by souvenirs from Canada (BC)
3.28/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.28/5 rDev -10.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
I'd heard good things about Picaroon's so when I went looking for craft beer at the local NSLC while visiting my parents, giving it a go was an easy decision.
The label describes it as pale, but it's definitely not. It's actually fairly dark, more of a brown/dark amber. Aroma and flavour of toffee sweetness. Medium-bodied.
Jan 03, 2015The label describes it as pale, but it's definitely not. It's actually fairly dark, more of a brown/dark amber. Aroma and flavour of toffee sweetness. Medium-bodied.
Best Bitter from Picaroons Traditional Ales
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
86 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!