Barbus Barbus
Butts Brewery Ltd.

An organic bottle-conditioned ale, purchased at the Waitrose supermarket and coming in a 500ml brown bottle. BB 04/09, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass.

A: pours a pale amber hue with very mild carbonation, while the decent looking frothy off-white head sustains pretty well.
S: sour-sweet pears and orangey fruity hops (Goldings-like) come on a par with biscuity malts, underlined by an extra touch of yeasts and floral scent. Pretty simple, but well-made as evinced by the focused quality on the aroma.
T: a moderate foretaste consisting of citrus hops, semi-sweet juicy pale malts with a tinge of nuts and "dirty kitchen cloths" (typically Maris Otter), and slowly manifesting floral scent goes deep... the palate is superb, so clean and so integrated that all elements are intertwined harmoniously as each sip witnesses. Moderate but deepening bitter in the aftertaste, constantly backed by a light but still noticeable citric sourness from the fruity hops.
M&D: the microscopic carbonation comes so subtle and lends a most refreshing yet also smooth texture, almost like a fresh cask of real ales! Very well conditioned in the bottle, on top of the simple but well-blended flavour profile, this RAIB is a truly enjoyable example of fruity Pale Bitter.