Boddingtons Pub Ale
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I

MNAle from Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

The rattle lets you know that this is a nitrogenated beer, going for the simulated cask feel. (Or, as AB-Inbev calls it, the DRAUGHTFLOW® SYSTEM).

Appearance is crystal clear golden amber with an almost still appearance (very sparse tiny bubbles once the nitro settles) beneath a typical nitro head - dense, white, thick and very, very long-lasting. It leaves peaked lacking behind after you tip to drink.

Aroma is subdued, faint even, but has elements of biscuit, sweetness (honey), and fruit.

Taste, like the aroma, is subdued, but has the expected flavors of an English pale ale. Biscuit, grassy, ripe fruit, honey, perhaps a touch of caramel. It takes some concentration (and perhaps imagination) to parse all those flavors out. But, it is surprisingly enjoyable as your basic English beer. There is a mild bittering that starts in the middle and carries through to the aftertaste. The aftertaste bitterness does tend to grow a bit as you drink, but it remains smooth and mild.

Feel is thin and smooth, which is, I suppose what they were going for with the nitro (sorry, DRAUGHTFLOW® SYSTEM). It does a passable imitation of the cask feel in that it is smooth and not carbonated without feeling flat. Quite similar to Guinness, in fact.

Overall, a beer to enjoy when you just want something that is not too challenging and is just pleasant. It could use a bit more complexity, though, if you were going to make an evening of these.

Mar 01, 2021

TheBricenator from Oregon

3.77/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Look: Semi-clear burnt orange once the lovely aerated pour settles and a big, billowing silky white head holds at 1 finger and refuses to settle
Aroma: British malts, light wafts of toffee, tons of fruity esters, and light floral hop notes as well
Taste: Bready and biscuit driven malt kicks it off as light jabs of toffee and caramel enter the mix. Waves of fruity esters enter, peak, and exit while light and slightly sweet floral notes continue throughout to a fruity, bready, and floral finish
Mouthfeel: Full, ridiculously smooth and silky throughout, medium to medium-low carbonation, and very soft on the finish
Overall: I dig it. A fine tasting British ale and the widget helps get it to be as close to a cask/real ale experience you can get from a packaged beer. Smooth, soft, very flavorful, especially with the subtle fruitiness present in ales that traditional forced carbonation really smothers. Solid and recommended

Feb 22, 2021

TedHead from Illinois

3.71/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a standard translucent darker gold with a thick creamy head. This one has the most beautiful white nitro pour that settles very quickly. It smells like slightly sweet biscuity malt and hints of caramel malt with slightly floral and earthy aromas. The taste has a slightly biscuity taste up front with a very smooth hoppy slight bitterness. The feel on this one is buttery smooth. It's a slammer. Overall pretty good.

Feb 11, 2021

izraelc from New York

3.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear gold. Creamy white foam. Classic English ale aroma. Not a lot of flavor. Almost tastes like water. I suspect I could drink many of these in succession. The creamy head is nice.

Jan 31, 2021

1009 from Massachusetts

3.44/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I am a big fan of this. It poured from the nitro widget can beautifully, with a blond storm as if it were a lighter Guinness. Finally settles with a thick frothy head floating above the blonde delicious ale. Not much of a smell but a bit of a sweet aroma. The beer flows wonderfully down the gullet, so smooth and creamy as advertised on the can. A sweet tasting brew that would probably be better draught!

Jan 15, 2021

Storm_Rryder from Iowa

4.25/5  rDev +32%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

So easy to drink !! Crisp, slightly sweet, no bitterness, low carbonation. Very refreshing. Almost creamy, big foam. It is not complex at all, rather simple but I really enjoy it.

Jan 10, 2021

Petko from Texas

4.75/5  rDev +47.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

I am not sure why this beer has such a low rating but as European living in the States I can clearly say this is the best ale available in the stores. But considering the fact that people put Live Oak as second best beer it is not suprising their reviews are off.
Very smooth and creamy.It goes down easily.Maybe not the best one out there but definetely better than 99.9% American junk.

Oct 21, 2020

vi11am from Pennsylvania

3.42/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Feel overall is creamy, taste is metallic with dry hoppy after taste. Great Head, neat presentation. The mere crack of the tin makes this worth buying.

Sep 30, 2020

detayls from California

3.92/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Hi! New member.

I'm suffering from a serious shortage of Bodders as I call it. It has suddenly vanished from all 5 of my suppliers: supermarkets and liquor stores.

Please tell me this is a temporary situation.

David

Aug 31, 2020

JacobusFavier23 from Texas

3.6/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

L- Pours a two finger headed ale with a nice bubbly and golden amber body.
S- Pretty much smells only of sweet grain, malt and maybe some sweet apple juice.
T- The flavor is grainy, sweet and somewhat bitter. Smooth on the tongue. Nothing bad at all. Your run of the mill pub ale.
M- Creamy and light. The carbonation and body from the widget is incredible. Best part of the beer by a long shot.
O- A nice creamy pub ale. Something I'd imagine enjoying in a pub in England. Smooth, sessionable, tasty and rewarding.

Aug 23, 2020

robotnewyork from Michigan

3.26/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Apparently this is a classic UK pub ale who's main characteristic is that when poured in a pub, the air and beer mix to create creamy mouth feel, and now they are able to recreate the experience in a can. It seems similar to Guinness blonde in a can, but I think I prefer the Guinness version. Was interesting to try though. Had at luxe burger in grosse pointe

Aug 15, 2020

Chickenhawk9932 from Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours amber with a thick off white head wants it settles out.

Smells slightly of sweet malt and bitter herb hops.

Taste is dominated by a creamy mouth feel. Super drinkable and not bad, but not great either.

Aug 14, 2020

hk117 from Hong Kong

3.41/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

500ml can - creamy attractive head with a silky mouth feel thanks to the nitrogen widget, which I consider as a one of the smartest invention for beers like Boddingtons, Guinness, Tetley's etc.

Mildly sweet and almost bland when it comes to flavour. This canned beer is almost all about the smooth drinking experience imo

Aug 14, 2020

mpavilion from California

3.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Smooth and creamy (as it says on the Nitro Pint tin), and malty-sweet. Slight bitterness in the aftertaste, but otherwise it presents as almost more cream soda than beer. Exceptionally easy-drinking, but the appeal diminishes (and taste worstens) as the glass warms to room temperature. Not bad for a few pints, but I wouldn’t go off a cliff in a double-decker bus to try it again.

Aug 02, 2020

faraday326 from California

3.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours nice from the can with the crazy contraption. Aroma is weak with just a hint of sweetness. The taste is creamy from the bubbles (from the contraption) and malty with a hoppy harshness that’s makes it feel a bit unbalanced. Still pretty drinkable.

Jun 19, 2020

vette2006c5r from Minnesota

4.01/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Boddingtons Pub Ale pours an amber color, with a massive, long lasting, lacing head. Very picturesque. Aroma is rich, sweet with hints of vanilla. Flavor is dry, sweet, but not too sweet. Creamy, and a little watery. Overall, its a very nice beer, not overpowering, a bit of the sweet side.

May 23, 2020

tucson_brewson from Arizona

3.29/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pub nitro can poured into imperial pint glass. BB 5/2020.

L - Pours a clear amber color with cascading layers that leave a thick, creamy white head and generous lacing. Hate to compare but it looks like an amber/blonde Guinness.

S - Bready malt, graham cracker, banana, cereal grain, honey

T - Follows the nose with malty sweetness throughout, very little hop presence, biscuit/cracker/savory

F - Smooth, creamy, light-to-medium bodied with virtually no carbonation. Soft, thin, and watery.

O - The creamy smoothness sells this beer. There isn’t one characteristic that’s overpowering, and the malty sweetness and low carbonation make this very drinkable. English Ales aren’t my top choice but this is a nice, on-occasion beer.

May 20, 2020

monkist from Hungary

3.49/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This is not going to be my favorite beer for sure (actually I’m kind of surprised why it got an “okay” rating in the first place...) Maybe because I don’t really fancy English Bitters or the like? I promised myself I won’t drink another Bitter again, but here we go...
Well, let’s see. The beer smells quite hoppy and nice, but that’s kind of it. It does live up to what the can says about being creamy and smooth - thanks to the “widget,” that little plastic ball inside, that helps you get rid of all carbonation, which eventually makes the beer feel “dead,” lacking almost all carbonation. It has an ever so slight fuzz but it is very weak and I don’t like my beer feel like still water.
Speaking of water, the beer tastes like water too, more or less. It tastes like beer diluted with water. It is very thin, and all you have left is some very watery bitterness. Well, where I come from, they sell such beer dirt cheap, for the above-mentioned reason.
I like bitterness but I need taste to the beer. And I delinitely don’t mind if the beer has some body to it too. The only beer I can accept being slightly on the thin side is a Czech lezák of 10 or so degrees - but because those beers are hoppy to an extent you can enjoy even when it’s watery. I also like English beers, but proper ones, not this one. This one is just mediocre, sorry.

May 03, 2020

HoppingMadMonk from New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Aroma is mild bread, yeast, malt, pear, earthy
Taste follows the aroma for the most part with it being just a bit sour and bitter. Bitterness lingers long after
Light carbonation and there is an odd creamy feel but overall it came off thing

Apr 22, 2020

pkalix from California

2.21/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 2

creaminess - 5! but below that creaminess lies a dead, wet fish... pub ale indeed! i remember having this on draught years ago at the dart pub and thought it tasted better than this, but what did i know back then in my infancy? so beautiful on top though! so UNremarkable otherwise and i think i prefer american crap over this any day.... why the honeybees on the can, though? i guess it's easy to drink. back in the day when i was smoking Camel Filters might just be why it tasted so good? and, of course, the crystal? all night dart-a-thons!!!!!

Apr 06, 2020

JoeMurphy from Tennessee

4.28/5  rDev +32.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance—goldenish/amber, mostly clear; frothy, mostly white head with wonderful lacing.

Aroma—light malt, some yeast, banana, cream.

Taste—Creamy. Wet grain or something, almost like hay—I’m not crazy about that aspect. A little banana. Something similar to what Elephant Peanuts marshmallow candies taste like. A little earthiness. Fairly mild flavor. I’d like the flavor more if it weren’t for the wet dankness in the background.

Medium-thick creamy mouthfeel and finish.

Mar 12, 2020

defunksta from North Dakota

3.57/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a dark golden, medium-brown (clear) color with a massive nitro white head. Looks like a cream soda. SRM of 11-12. (4.00

Aroma: Vague aromas of cherry, redfruit, bread and cream. Touch of caramel. (3.75)

Flavor: Creamy & soft. Lots of cherry cola flavor. Yet, clean and dry. (3.50)

Feel: Soft, creamy, and light. Smooth and not crisp due to the nitro, but creamy. Dry. Feel is similar to a Guinness. (4.00)

Compared to Smithwick's Irish Red 3/11/20: Pours a much lighter color with a larger head. More red fruit and cherry aromas flavor. Strong aroma. Less root beer. Overall, smoother and more clean.

Overall: Like a Guinness, the mouthfeel is what delicately completes this beer. The flavor is just nice and tame vague cherry, cream, cola. The feel, fresh out of the can is watery, but the nitro makes it soft and settle smoothly. Don't let it settle too long though. Settled too long and it becomes flat and flavorless cola. (Final Rating: 3.57)

Mar 11, 2020

philbe311 from Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A lush finger's firth of cloud-like froth... Color is a light to medium copper with loads of carbonation bubbles stuck to the sides of the glass... The is a mix of buttered biscuit and noble hops... The palate is of cereal grains and noble hops... Feel is light to medium bodied... Exceedingly smooth and quaffable... Simple, straight forward a pleasant to drink...

Mar 07, 2020

GreesyFizeek from New York

3.02/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On nitro tap at The Old Toad in Rochester, NY.

This one pours a very, very creamy looking light creamy amber color, with a big white fluffy head, and lots of lacing. Despite how it tastes, it certainly looks fantastic.

This doesn't really smell like anything, maybe some breadiness and tea, but not much.

This is similarly purely texture-based, and doesn't taste like much of anything. It mainly just tastes creamy, with some pale and light maltiness.

This is exceptionally creamy, but that nitro-ing hides how actually thin and watery it really is. It's very drinkable.

This is a certified classic, but it's also not very good.

Mar 02, 2020

realJohnnyHobo from Maryland

4.04/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Boddington's Pub Ale is a beer steeped in rich history as one of the more well-known distributed bitters on the market today. Not entirely sure where the BA website comes up with Boddington's not being produced or sold anymore, as I am always able to buy it and it has been misinforming people for a while now - regardless, this is a classic English bitter style nitro-infused canned beer. Now a product of AB-InBev this brews web presence has diminished outside UnTapped and BA and other rating sites, but the product is still being freshly produced, but not too sure for how long.

Pouring an off white rich dark golden color with a solid settling, at least after a heavy-handed aggressive pour, leaves a drinker with fingers size retaining the laced head once everything has settled.

The smell for me was a bit, creamed carbonation.

As for the taste, you are hit with a few good and bad flavors, the first pint I did not experience a tin taste but I got a lot of it from the second can. Regardless of that, you are hit with sweet barely notes upfront, an unreal smoothness from the nitrogen, and a very very light tingle of hops. There is a rich sweetness that settles in the end but mainly Fuggle (?) hop variety, white bread, cream are the notes I get in addition to the barely.

To be honest, I think this may be one of the smoothest things you can buy in a can that is not a stout. I see a lot of crafted beer here and in many cases, this is one of the best, affordable, sessionable ales you can drink.

Feb 26, 2020