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Gravity
W.H. Brakspear & Sons plc
- From:
- W.H. Brakspear & Sons plc
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- English Bitter
Ranked #45 - ABV:
- 3.4%
- Score:
- 85
Ranked #21,614 - Avg:
- 3.75 | pDev: 13.07%
- Reviews:
- 76
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 28, 2023
- Added:
- Mar 01, 2002
- Wants:
- 15
- Gots:
- 22
Formerly known as Brakspear Bitter
Hops: Fuggles and Goldings
Malt: Pale, Crystal, and Chocolate
Hops: Fuggles and Goldings
Malt: Pale, Crystal, and Chocolate
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by drperm:
Reviewed by drperm from Virginia
4.32/5 rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
4.32/5 rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
500 mL bottle purchased in Cambridge, UK in May 2011, brought back to the US and opened in July.
The minute I popped the bottle, I was transported back to the UK.
In the glass, it's a handsome copper-amber with a nice glow. Little head retention, but I don't care -- it makes it look like a cask pull!
On the nose, wonderful hints of toast, brown sugar, faint fuggles, and lots of florals.
The taste is a perfectly balanced maltiness with a fine bitter snap to finish. Just a hint of butter in there, but it's neither distracting nor detracting. It possesses the perfect balance of oily coating and spritzy scrubbing-bubbles.
At 3.4%, it's the model of a well-balanced, superbly crafted session ale, and proof that high strength is no prerequisite for a great beer. The maltiness leans a bit heavy, but I've no serious complaints.
All round, an extremely agreeable Bitter and a pleasant companion for the evening. This would be ideal with Shepherd's Pie, English Tikka Masala, or ye olde Fish & Chips.
Jul 16, 2011The minute I popped the bottle, I was transported back to the UK.
In the glass, it's a handsome copper-amber with a nice glow. Little head retention, but I don't care -- it makes it look like a cask pull!
On the nose, wonderful hints of toast, brown sugar, faint fuggles, and lots of florals.
The taste is a perfectly balanced maltiness with a fine bitter snap to finish. Just a hint of butter in there, but it's neither distracting nor detracting. It possesses the perfect balance of oily coating and spritzy scrubbing-bubbles.
At 3.4%, it's the model of a well-balanced, superbly crafted session ale, and proof that high strength is no prerequisite for a great beer. The maltiness leans a bit heavy, but I've no serious complaints.
All round, an extremely agreeable Bitter and a pleasant companion for the evening. This would be ideal with Shepherd's Pie, English Tikka Masala, or ye olde Fish & Chips.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by elnachooo from Spain
2.4/5 rDev -36%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
2.4/5 rDev -36%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Un dedo de espuma burbujeante que permanece por varios segundos. Ligera y de carbonatación media. Aroma a malta y café. Al beberla tiene un amargo persistente no tan agradable.
Aug 18, 2019Reviewed by drmeto from Germany
3.12/5 rDev -16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.12/5 rDev -16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
L:
-pours a clear amber with a small to medium,frothy,offwhite head
-medium to high carbonation visible
S:
-spicy,malty,slight toffee,nutty
T:
-Follows the nose
F:
-light to medium carbonation
-light body
O:
Very simple, unexciting, but drinkable.
Jul 23, 2019-pours a clear amber with a small to medium,frothy,offwhite head
-medium to high carbonation visible
S:
-spicy,malty,slight toffee,nutty
T:
-Follows the nose
F:
-light to medium carbonation
-light body
O:
Very simple, unexciting, but drinkable.
Rated by Yetanothermamil from England
4.62/5 rDev +23.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.62/5 rDev +23.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Lovely middle-of-the-road bitter without being boring.
Jun 30, 2019Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.77/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A very comforting ale after a day of touring/working. Classics can comfort.
(My bottle shows a changed label, all blue background, but clearly the same beer, ABV etc.)
Almost a beautiful Looker with a chestnut amber, consistent foam and delicate lace. Smells mostly of malt. Balanced nicely by the bitter hops, mild in the Taste (a great relief for me having to avoid the hop-heavy American palate.). Finishes semi-dry, so I think I'll have a dry cheese from Oxfordshire to go with Brakspear's Bitter. I did and it did.
My first from Brakspear, I went on their website and got lots of history and details about their unique brewing process. Then at the bottom, I find out they are owned by Marston... the brewing brand manager and historic preserver.
Reviewed in Roger Protz' "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!"
May 16, 2019(My bottle shows a changed label, all blue background, but clearly the same beer, ABV etc.)
Almost a beautiful Looker with a chestnut amber, consistent foam and delicate lace. Smells mostly of malt. Balanced nicely by the bitter hops, mild in the Taste (a great relief for me having to avoid the hop-heavy American palate.). Finishes semi-dry, so I think I'll have a dry cheese from Oxfordshire to go with Brakspear's Bitter. I did and it did.
My first from Brakspear, I went on their website and got lots of history and details about their unique brewing process. Then at the bottom, I find out they are owned by Marston... the brewing brand manager and historic preserver.
Reviewed in Roger Protz' "300 Beers To Try Before You Die!"
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England
3.81/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.81/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L- Mid chestnut brown, clear, pours with thin white head.
S- Traditional ale, it reminds me of lying in a barn amongst the bales of straw, something very homely/reassuring.
T- Toasty, bitter, traditional, that I like. A gentle balancing feel comes along after.
F- How it takes flight [as such] on just the sparsest chassis of 3.4% is quite something; and yet it does.
O- This is an interesting beer. I bought it in a 6-bottle box of 'Classic Ales' from Waitrose. I'd usually overlook a 3.4% beer, as a single bottle, as not having much hope/interest, so this is a surprise, it shows things can still be seriously magic'd up down there, I'd put this down as classic old-school bitter. Would make a good session beer if dwelling on the lighter side of things. There is zero, zero, out of place with this beer. Given how light it is, ie 'no place to hide', that's impressive.
BB: 30/9/19
Jan 01, 2019S- Traditional ale, it reminds me of lying in a barn amongst the bales of straw, something very homely/reassuring.
T- Toasty, bitter, traditional, that I like. A gentle balancing feel comes along after.
F- How it takes flight [as such] on just the sparsest chassis of 3.4% is quite something; and yet it does.
O- This is an interesting beer. I bought it in a 6-bottle box of 'Classic Ales' from Waitrose. I'd usually overlook a 3.4% beer, as a single bottle, as not having much hope/interest, so this is a surprise, it shows things can still be seriously magic'd up down there, I'd put this down as classic old-school bitter. Would make a good session beer if dwelling on the lighter side of things. There is zero, zero, out of place with this beer. Given how light it is, ie 'no place to hide', that's impressive.
BB: 30/9/19
Reviewed by monkist from Hungary
4.13/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.13/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Again a low alcohol bitter with Goldings and Fuggles hops brewed with the Double Drop process trademark of Brakespear - which means hopping? Therefore overly bitter?
I'm not familiar with English Bitters but I understand this to be similar to a Session IPA - just the hops are different, bitter.
It is not bad but compared with their American counterpart, a little boring...
May 31, 2018I'm not familiar with English Bitters but I understand this to be similar to a Session IPA - just the hops are different, bitter.
It is not bad but compared with their American counterpart, a little boring...
Rated by Markofsoton from England
4.47/5 rDev +19.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.47/5 rDev +19.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Love this, perfect bitter really. had a bottle tonight but it always reminds me of hot days after work in London.
Jan 04, 2018
Gravity from W.H. Brakspear & Sons plc
Beer rating:
85 out of
100 with
151 ratings
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