Head
Otter Brewery in Honiton, Devon, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.50
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We believe that the key to brewing a great strong beer is to make it well-balanced with a good use of hops. This makes Otter Head easily drinkable and an excellent choice with food. Whilst it has a distinctive barley wine, old ale character it remains light to drink with a malty, fruity and slightly sweet flavour with a long bittersweet aftertaste. The fruit and malt aroma sits well with the beer’s deep, luxurious red/brown colour – still a firm favourite on many bars.
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7.4/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Handpull cask at the Two-Tailed Lion. Light reddish brown and clear with a small beige head. Light malty aroma, loads of sweet caramel, Garibaldi biscuits. Taste is sweet at first, almost cloying, but turning nicely bitter at the right moment. Bitter finish. Pretty thick, syrupy body with soft to no carbonation. Love this.
Tried
from Cask
at
Two-Tailed Lion
on 19 Feb 2026
at 18:59
6.6/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Creamy off white head on a deep copper coloured body.
Toffee, malt & biscuit aroma.
Medium to full bodied, smooth with a sharp cloying back.
Toffee, berry, spiced & caramel tastes with a lightly hopped bitter finish.
Nice
Toffee, malt & biscuit aroma.
Medium to full bodied, smooth with a sharp cloying back.
Toffee, berry, spiced & caramel tastes with a lightly hopped bitter finish.
Nice
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Sep 2025
at 20:15
6.3/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 7
Overall 6
Pint from the cask at The Lamplighter in St Helier, Jersey. Pours a dark brown with a white head. Aromas & tastes of dark fruits, caramel, butterscotch & malt. Medium body. Long bitter finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 29 May 2025
at 08:03
6.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle 0,5ltr: Clear amber coloured brew with an sweet bitter taste, hints of caramel and some liqourice, honey and spices.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Dec 2024
at 11:11
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Cask at JDW The London & South Western, Clapham, London (29/03/2023) - JDW Spring Beer Fest 2023 - (23 of 30) big sweet and toasted malty, with notes of toffee and caramel, trace of dark dried fruit shred, nice body and mouthfeel, warming malty lingering close. Decent.
Tried
from Cask
on 10 Apr 2023
at 11:25
6.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask at Picture House, Stafford. Pours a dark chocolate brown with a small foamy off-white head and good lacing. There’s honey and fruit in the nose, plus suggestions of yeast. It the mouth it is slightly sweet with as creamy texture with flavours of malts, toffee and autumn fruits plus hints of liquorice and a dollop of alcoholic strength. Finish is bitter and sticky. It’s OK, but a bit strange.
Tried
from Cask
on 22 Mar 2023
at 22:25
31/12/1991. WHITE HORSE, 33 Castle Street, HERTFORD, Hertfordshire, England (FREE HOUSE)
Tried
on 16 Jan 2023
at 12:50
7/10
Bottle online from The Otter Brewery. Pours a murky light chestnut colour with one finger thick creamy off-white head. Aroma is very malty with lots of toffee and caramel and doughy bread. Taste is again very malty, lots more toffee and caramel, toasty bread, some biscuity notes, a touch of honey and a very light earthy hop on the otherwise malty finish. Medium to full body, low carbonation and smooth slightly oily mouthfeel. Very good Beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Jan 2023
at 21:14
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6
Bottle. Appearance is dark amber, with a small foamy beige head. Aroma is raisiny dark fruit, malty bread, caramel, Christmas cake. Taste is fruitcake, malt, caramel biscuit, hedgerow/hop hints, raisin, some marzipan sweetness. Quite a lingering sweet finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Jan 2023
at 19:45
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle, from historic notes. Bought whilst on holiday in Devon. Poured dark amber with a small off-white head. Aroma of caramel, malt, hops, fruit. Medium sweetness, moderate bitterness and body. Slight sweet nutty finish. Pretty decent brew.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Dec 2019
at 14:44