Butler's Bitter

[G.M. Gillman]

This is the new bottled iteration, the draft has been available in some places in the Niagara Region (and maybe here too although I can't recall seeing it).

Solid effort, the taste is frankly English, so it fills a niche in that regard.

It reminds me of a number of canned and bottled imports except with good freshness and appeal due to lack of pasteurization. In other words it seems more a good example of bottled English bitter than real ale in a bottle.

I'd prefer it amped up in flavours - same exact flavours just more of them. Maybe this will appear in a stronger version, say at 6% ABV. This one is just under 5%. Nice beer though, don't drink too cold.

Gary

[G.M. Gillman]

Tasting the remainder of the bottle after a few days, I get a Hobgoblin-like taste. Does anyone find this? I wonder if they were trying to follow that profile broadly. Not my favourite taste in English beer but certainly worthy and a good example of one type of English palate.

Gary

[codfishh]

The color and flavor profile reminded me much more of a english mild than a bitter.

[midlife crisis]

So after a round of golf in the west end I was in a Firkin pub (not a great idea to begin with, I know, but there was nothing else around) and ordered a "Butlers Pale Ale" by "Niagara Brewing Company". I realize, in retrospect, how stupid this sounds, but I was really expecting to get a Niagara College Butlers Bitter, not some insipid, Moosehead-brewed, industrial yellow beer, which is what showed up. I had no idea this was a Firkin house beer, since I'm generally lucky enough to not set foot in Firkin pubs. But how can these two beers be so similarly named?