Hedgerow Bitter
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a brandy snifter. Bottled July 2011, so I'm rather late to the game on this one...

A: Almost two fingers of fluffy white head. The beer is honey-clear. Clinging lace.

S: Hugely malty-sweet, with a touch of port (sticky, purple grapes). Some bitterness straddling the fence between hoppy and metallic.

T: It's...good. Tastes like an English bitter. Malty backbone, some earthy English hops, and a lingering, bitter endtaste. I never knew until now (reading the BA description) that EPAs were characterized by hard water, but that fits with the metallic nature of some beers (like this one). A bit of sweet fig in the maintaste. Not bad.

M: Meh. A carbonated session ale that reminds me too much of mediocre British ales.

O: Style points, but not really my thing. Won't have again. Pretty Things is still an excellent brewery in my mind.

 

 

Eh. I think this one is too earthy bitter with a tangy thing going on. Unusual muddled hop spices with a lot of malts on there. This is just meerely "okay'. I mean, sure, it works. But there is nothing to it that's blowing me away or impressing me.

 

A - this pale ale pours a dark tan or light brown, the pour wells up a half finger of pure white head kept aloft by plenty of carbonation

S - a crisp aroma that hearkens to tea or tea solids, this sits above a rather decent hop/malt profile

T - malts up front, then the bitter hops kick in big time, musty tea like bitterness adds to the hops, but no typical citine/pine/floral hop profile, almost a medicinal aspirin like bitter

M&D - a strange bitterness, a complex flavor that wasnt perfectly blended.

A - Pours a cloudy golden-orange color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some thick lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet bready and caramel malts, some apricot and grapefruit hops, and a hint of pine hop.

T - Starts off with a mix of sweet caramel and brady malts with some fruity esters and a bit of tropical fruit hops. Through the middle, a touch of bitterness comes through alongside some pine hop flavor with a bit more fruity English yeast esters. The finish is a mix of sweet malts, fruity esters, and a bit of bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and estery finish.

D - Very drinkable. Really nicely balanced English Pale Ale. Good mix of hops, malt, and yeast character.

Poured a light copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured waves of herbal and grassy hops, apricot-like esters and a grainy doughiness.

The taste consisted of full on herbal hops with a taste of metal and a lingering ester. The malt was grainy and crisp.

The mouthfeel was crisp with a lingering bitterness and vigorous carbonation.

Overall a very quaffable hop forward refresher.

 

22oz bottle served in oversized wineglass. bottled aug 2010 (1st batch).

pours a murky copper/amber tone with a finger of white head. moderate retention, lacing.

nose is predominantly earthy/herbal/citrus hoppy with notes of caramel malt. pretty nice aroma, and is substantiated by the flavor profile which packs a wealth of character and more subdued malt... definitely bitter, but not overwhelmingly so. bitterness persists through the finish. tasty and pleasant, something i might be inclined to session, but it doesn't knock my socks off; i've had better from pretty things. medium-bodied on the palate with medium carbonation.

original review on: 09-22-2010

 

 

 

 

Reviewing the Hedgerow Bitter from Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project out of Massachusetts. My girlfriend's uncle and aunt from the Northeast got me this one. Thanks guys!
Score: 73

No bottling date. This bottle was received in late December 2011. Served in a Half Acre tulip and enjoyed on 02/26/12. This is a backlogged review from a beer tasting I hosted on Oscar night.

Appearance: Pours a translucent yellow/orange color with an orange core that fades to yellow at the top and bottom of the glass when held up to light. One and a half to two fingers of foamy off-white head at pour quickly settles into a thin foggy cap and bubbly ring around the glass. Above average lacing, above average retention. 3.5/5

Smell: First pull is bitter Fiji apple and a "juicy citrus" smell. There's also creamy malt, a "breadiness" and a barley-like spice in the aroma as well. The aroma is very subdued and not very complex. 3.5/5

Taste: Malty Fiji apple, barley and subtle hops. Maybe some pear. There's some stale apple juice upfront too. Super bitter malt backbone. A light tart apple flavor towards the back half. Not much else going on. Aside from the bitterness, the flavors are pretty subdued. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied, medium-light carbonation. Water mouthfeel. Savory, malty and bitter finish. 3/5

Overall: Reminds me (in a negative way) of Founders Pale Ale. Too juicy/malty, not enough hops, and an odd mix of bitter and sour flavor. The subtle flavors and bitter malt flavors scream "English style" here. I was glad to get the chance to try Hedgerow Bitter, but I would not approach this beer again in the future.

Recommendation: You can safely skip this beer unless you love Founders Pale Ale and bitter beers. Casual beer drinkers probably will not enjoy this one.

Pairings: Rum.

Cost: $7.99 for a 22 oz (bomber) bottle.

 

Poured into a Samuel Smith imperial pint glass. Pours a light to medium orange amber, two finger off-white head with great retention and massive lacing. Active carbonation, looks great. Unusual aroma of light malt, stone fruits and tea. Flavor follows with bready and toasted malt, hay and a tea-like element. Finishes with dry grass, hint of stone fruits, non-herbal hops and maybe a hint of funk. Quite different and tasty. Medium bodied, but pleasant lively carbonation. This is unusual and a pleasure to drink. I wish this brewery was distributed in my state.

 

A - Murky dense apricot/copper. Stark white head, slow to leave. Some big bubbled cling.

S - Bready. Malty. Like it.

T - Stable, comforting malt, not cloying at all, with bitter finish.

M - Fairly dry, good carb and nice balance.

D - Easy to drink and tasty. All night long , baby!

 

 

Thanks goes out to portia99 for this brew.

22oz. Bomber
Bottled: July 2011

Pours a very nice cloudy golden yellow/orange color, nice carbonation, with a nice one-finger creamy off-white head, with lots of very nice sticky lacing to follow. The nose is malty, with some nice hop notes, very slight citrus. The taste is very nice, mostly malty, but a nice touch of hops, slightly citrusy. Medium body, with a nice dry/bitter finish. A pretty tasty brew from PT.

 

Interesting and unusual. Nominally, this is an English pub bitters, and it does pay homage to its origin, but it has behind it a sneaky phenolic edge that suggests a Belgian brewer has sneaked into the English brewer to work his mischief.

Pours a hazy golden with a medium white head, slightly sticky. The aroma is sprightly and phenolic, with apricot and a whiff of clove. The flavor is toasty and lightly caramel, but with that fruity, apricoty edge of a light Belgian ale, with a healthy dose of what tastes like Wheat. There is a satisfying bitterness on the end.

A - Pours pale golden with a gurgling foam on top. Clouy, and with decent lacing.

S - Slight smell of fruit. Has a bit of a hoppy scent, but very mild.

T - Not impressed. Tastes like a dry white wine; fruit notes of apple are there. No hop or malty profile at all. It really comes off like cheap table wine. The bitterness at the end feels slightly off-putting. Perhaps a bit unbalanced?

M - Bland. Not that it is offensive at all, but I could get the same kick off a macro. What makes this better than Bass Ale? I say very little.

O - Was floored to see the Bros like this so much. But to each their own. I just didn't find it worthwhile and have now gone off the hype of Pretty Things.

 

 

 

Live review of a 22 oz bottle dated July 2011.
A: Perfectly clear reddish golden, great frothy white head with superb lacing.
S: Earthy hops aroma, bread and biscuit malts, a sharp green character like fresh spinach. Great.
T: The taste mimics the aroma, but is entirely creamy and smooth and delightful. The clean biscuit malt fades evenly into a nice bitterness that oddly makes me feel like I'm drinking in an English garden with earthy, woody, and complex green flavors. This is great.
M: Creamy, moderately thick, clings to the teeth slightly but the carbonation and bitterness cuts it to a crisp finish.
O: Great beer. I was skeptical, but this is awesome.