Mata Hari (Wicked Women Series)
Brewster's Brewing Co Ltd

Mata Hari (Wicked Women Series)Mata Hari (Wicked Women Series)
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From:
Brewster's Brewing Co Ltd
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
4.8%
Score:
79
Avg:
3.34 | pDev: 19.46%
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
25
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 16, 2015
Added:
Jul 24, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by kiya:
Photo of kiya
Reviewed by kiya from California

3.53/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I was excited to get my hands on this, as i had heard about this brewery but their stuff is near impossible to find in the states..
Finally by way of the Shelton Brother's importers they brought a small bit through over the pond.

Bottle art is super corny, had to get that out of the way.

Pours opaque, slight sediment and settles into a nice peach color. The head remains tight, even throughout the life of the ale it lasts well. Strong sudsy lacing grips the sides of the glass.

The aromas aren't anything new, mostly hoppy with some grain tones.. a slight bit of fruit once it comes up to room temp.
Great flavor but nothing really pops out, it's not going anywhere. There's a bit of unripe stone fruit flavor mixed with a bit of hoppy bitterness that ends with a smooth creamy flavor while the hops fade out.
A good beer for a session, but i was looking for more from something that's so difficult for an American to find.
Jan 31, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Fruity esters – peach and plum on the nose with earthy hops in the background. Pours a strong tea tinted gold under a 2” off-white foam cap that persists and produces phenomenally thick lacing. It enters with rich graham cracker closely followed by a plum and peach blend finishing with a mild hop accent. Very creamy. Medium body and below medium carbonation.
Feb 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Burt from Rhode Island

Nov 27, 2011
Photo of SolomonGrundy
Reviewed by SolomonGrundy from California

1.87/5  rDev -44%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
Pours with a finger or two of soapy head, super-carbonated, and really sheet-like lacing. Aroma of pineapple hits right off, rounded out with some kind of metallic notes, and not much else. Flavor has soda-pop like carbonation, and a weird hop component. Like they used hop concentrate. You know how American fruit beers used to be all concentrate based...Well, the hops in this mimics that...Not good. Feels like an afterthought. ANd there's a detergent like flavor too. It's not balanced well at all. Finish is thin and has a weird hop bitterness, not likeable at all. I dislike this beer. Not worth tracking down at $5.49 per bottle either.
Sep 10, 2010
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

3.57/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a dark amber with slight head. Some typical aromas found in an esb- firm malt, a touch metallic, slight earthy hops. The taste on the other hand puts it somewhere between an esb and a pale ale, with slightly fruitier hops, a little less malty and dryer, and not as metallic. Soft, and easy to drink, but not the most interesting beer in the world.
Aug 29, 2010
Photo of Mora2000
Reviewed by Mora2000 from Texas

3.32/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to bu11zeye for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours yellow to light orange color with a white head. The aroma is bready malts with some apple notes. The flavor is earthy hops, apples, grapes and grassy hops. Low bitterness. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
Jul 26, 2010
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

3.47/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle shared by pghlee at the Brick Store.

Pours a slightly hazy golden amber with a small soapy head that recedes very quickly and leaves no lacing.

The aroma is fairly sweet, apple juice comes to mind, with some light sweet caramel malts and the faintest hint of hops.

The taste follows the aroma and tastes likes apples juice with a sour twang to it. This all blends with the light malts in the background and a dry finish that brings in a little hop bitterness.

The mouthfeel is dry and very crisp, with decent carbonation.

This is a pretty drinkable British style beer. Not sure it's exactly an ESB, but it's not bad.
May 04, 2009
Photo of glid02
Reviewed by glid02 from Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Tried this courtesy of pghlee - much obliged!

Pours a deep copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of buttery caramel malts with good amounts of spicy and herbal hop aromas.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Caramel malt flavors are joined by spicy hops midway through the sip that carry through until the mildly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with solid carbonation.

Drinkability is alright. I finished my glass without a problem but I'm not sure about another.

Overall this this is kind of a mish-mash of an ESB and an English IPA. It's not terrible, but there are better beers out there.
May 03, 2009
Photo of albern
Reviewed by albern from Massachusetts

2.57/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
This beer isn't very good, period. It pours a cloudy orangy amber color with a small off white head, and not much retention. The nose on the beer isn't bad, but it is odd. I'm getting a slighly boozy hard apple cider aroma, some bready malts, some apple pie crust, maybe some heavy fruits. The nose isnt' bad, and it smells like it would have a higher ABV than is the case.

The taste is very watery, quite sour, almost like dish water. The nice apple aromas in the nose are nowhere to be found. There is a touch of bready malts, but this is just a weak, sour, unpleasant tasting beer that I'm disposing of quickly. No interest in finishing this beer. What a disappointment
Jan 11, 2009
Photo of Offa
Reviewed by Offa from California

4.62/5  rDev +38.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is nice stuff, a good English ESB.

Copper, it has a medium, off-white head that shrinks slowly to a wispy top and leaves a hint of lace.

The aroma is very pleasant with grain, lemon, bread, leaves and tea, pine, and juniper, with the leaf-tea element taking charge after the first sniffs.

The taste is earthy, leafy, with tea, bread crust, lemon, a hint of yeasty sourness. It's also lightly nutty and toasty. It has consistent light sweetness with a light but slightly dominant bitterness that especially takes charge in the finish but not overly so. It's tasty, with subtle, persistent complexity, lasting flavours, ye light, crisp, very easy to drink and with a good depth and range of character.
Oct 22, 2008
Photo of jdhilt
Reviewed by jdhilt from New Hampshire

3.06/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a three finger cream head that fades slowly, leaving a good lace. Clear amber color but a ton of yeast left in bottle. Light-medium carbonation and light-medium bodied. Sour apple nose. Flavor is strange for a beer, sweet, sour maybe apple, drinkable but that's it. $4.49 for a 500ml bottle from Manchester Wine and Liquors Manchester, CT
Aug 28, 2008
Photo of jwc215
Reviewed by jwc215 from Arizona

4.07/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours amber with a thin head. A few dots of lacing stick.

The smell is of caramel mixed with lime and tangerine.

The tase is of caramel with some citrus and earthy/woody notes. Finishes dry.

Meium-bodied, a bit oily, smooth.

A wonderfully balanced, in the English tradition, bright, "sessionable" ale of somewhat modest strength. I thought it was very drinkable and reflective of traditional English style of brewing, with perhaps a touch more hoppiness.
Aug 14, 2008
Photo of Cyberkedi
Reviewed by Cyberkedi from Georgia

3.05/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Very nice dark amber, with a thick and fluffy off-white head that persists. Aroma is crisp and malty with a strong undertone of apple cider. Flavor, however, is on the thin side; it is more hoppy than malty, decidedly but not unpleasantly bitter. Texture is smooth and a little watery. Aftertaste is mildly bitter with a hint of fruit.
Feb 28, 2008
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Pours a cloudy amber with a foamy egg white head that sticks and laces fairly well

Smell: In addition to the caramel malt, there is some butterscotch and medicinal elements

Taste: Opens with a fruity blend of apple and pear that descends into butter by mid-palate, when the herbal, medicinal elements also arrive; after the swallow, the beer becomes rather sour and bitter

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Just too many distractions here to be satisfactory; at first, I thought it intriguingly different; now the sourness limits my interest; I do like the bottle, however
Feb 15, 2008
Photo of stcules
Reviewed by stcules from Italy

2.86/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Copper colored, lightly veiled. Thin perlage, good head, longstanding.
Tea leaves, earthly, herbal hop in the smell.
The taste is again on the herbal hop side, pleasant and clean. Something similar to heather. Something strange, also.
Long aftertaste, herbal, with a pleasant hop.
Some difficult to understand the taste.
Nov 03, 2007
Photo of jjayjaye
Reviewed by jjayjaye from New York

3.83/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a clear amber color with a double finger, loose, off white head that settles to surface but remains for the duration. A good amount of lacing observed. Pouring the entire bottle will cloud things up. There is a mild bitterness in the smell but mostly malty. Medium bodied, the mouth feel and flavor are similar to the nose. There is a slight bitterness from the hops up front that keeps things interesting, but it's well balanced with a solid malt character. I good drinker and an enjoyable interpretation. You can never trust an exotic dancer, but this ones a good bet.
Jul 22, 2007
Photo of dgallina
Reviewed by dgallina from Georgia

3.86/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
1 pint, 9 fluid ounce brown bottle dated best-before February 2008.

Pours clear copper with 3/4 inch of rich, slow-dissolving tan head and great lacing. The smell is hoppy and somewhat simplistic for an ESB; mostly pine and leaf notes. Flavor is more developed. Biscuit malts and mineral water develop into a green leaf and pine hop center. Finishes earthy and drier, with a toasted malt, rough and raw hop finish. Mouth-feel is a little thin initially, but the beer becomes fuller as it warms up. A little over-carbonated and gassy regardless. Drinkable , if a little common.
Jul 11, 2007
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First impression is that it tastes like a cross between an IPA and a mild Barleywine. Very mild and subtle would be the keywords here.

Pours a deep amber, with a good amount of foam at first, which subsides quickly. Lazy bubbles float to the surface. Points for sustained carbonation.

Smell is nondescript, bready malt, some sweetness.

Taste has subtle fresh hops like an IPA, and a big sweet malt like a barleywine. A hybrid of the styles if you ask me. Smooth mouthfeel, would be improved if on cask, as it is at the Map Room on occasion. Sweet malt lingers in the aftertaste, but it's brief. Good drinkabiltity, will have to compare this to a cask sample.
Apr 15, 2007
Photo of blitheringidiot
Reviewed by blitheringidiot from Pennsylvania

2.21/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1
Label explains that this beer is brewed by Sara Barton, one of England's rare female head brewers. Imported by Shelton Bros.

Pours with a bright golden auburn hue topped with a fading fast khaki collar to a few scant bubbles rising to a smooth surface.

Sour nose of tart apple and plain hard candy.

First swigs: Much the same in the nose of Earthy dirt meets vegetal & sour fruit. 4.6% abv.

This turned into an awful drain pour! I say this while the only info on the label is F08 129. What does that mean? How was I supposed to know that it's crap by now.

There goes $4. Damn! Not happy!
Mar 04, 2007
Photo of Dukeofearl
Reviewed by Dukeofearl from California

3.21/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
$3.95 at La Bodega in Riverside, CA for a Bottle Conditioned 500 ml bottle in November, 2006.

My second tasting of a Brewster's beer, and I see they don't have many reviews yet. I accidentally let the yeast into this, so it pours a somewhat muddy orange that makes for a nice looking ESB. A thin head hangs on for life ever so slightly.

Aroma is very weak- often the word subtle is used, and I guess that's not untrue here, but it really is weak. Hard to distinguish much of anything. As my wife would say- "smells like a beer".

Flavor is much more pronounced than the aroma- but it starts as a sour tongue-battering and an acidic back of the mouth flogging. Slight fruitiness and bready malts are there too, but they are way overpowered by the sour. I'm trying, but it's hard to enjoy.

Now having said this, I was really in the mood for a nice gentle subtle beer from the Isles tonight, and this one really drinks decently enough once I get past the sour. But I can't recommend this one.
Dec 08, 2006
Mata Hari (Wicked Women Series) from Brewster's Brewing Co Ltd
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 25 ratings