Hawthorne's Best Bitter
Lucky Labrador Brewing Company

First review since 2004. Lucky Labrador must have brought this one back from the dead! Not sure why though. It's a very mediocre, unflavorful take on the English Bitter.

 

My review of Lucky Lab’s Hawthorne’s Best Bitter has been especially challenging to produce due to the fact that I’ve had this beer on several occasions and have met with entirely different experiences each time. My most recent experience was unfortunate but will serve as representative of the beer as a whole. At least for now. I’ll make it a point to revisit Hawthorne at a later date to see which properties are most persistently expressed.

My imperial pint came served with a pitted head that quickly faded to a buzzcut of tiny bubbles. The body was clear and saffron colored and held little charge of CO2. Both apple and metallic notes were present in the smell. Likewise, the taste was similarly metallic and at times dilute with a vinous, resinous flavor and astringent mouthfeel that reminded me of Ceylon tea.

I found the metallic properties in the taste particularly disturbing, and while I can’t assign a specific cause for this distraction, Hawthorne Bitter would make a curious candidate for beer lab analysis. I don’t dislike this beer, but I simply can’t endorse it in its present form. Stay tuned.

Rich amber with small head and lace. The malt profile is bold and not especially sweet or fruity. More austere, with woody and grainy flavors. A strong, tart hop kick leads into a very clean finish. Mouthfeel about average with good carbonation. Very easy drinking, and quite a good beer all around. It is nice to come across a NW bitter like this that is not overly hopped (bitters do not necessarily need to be bitter - think of Fuller's ESB) but substantial and bold with both malt and hops, yet restrained enough to keep your palate intrigued.

After the IPA, decided to try the Bitter, which I knew was good. The bitter is a much deeper bronze, a slight head when poured. The smell was much fresher, and the aroma of Cascades was apparent.

The malt profile was simple, but satisfying. Hints of something like a bisuit malt made it interesting. The bitterness started the hop tickle on the back of my tounge, signalling a good beer. This beer goes very well with the pizza served at the Multnomah Village pub.