A somewhat forgotten beer in the BC scene, having languished for years under the indifferent ownership of Big Rock. Slight golden hint to an otherwise unattractive dull brown colour. The aroma is earthy, caramelly and not much else. Thankfully, the flavour delivers quite a bit more. It’s predominantly earthy, woody hops, caramel and toasty malts and the subtle, almost indefinable complexity a true English bitter should have, in the form of robust earthy notes (that remind me of Black Sheep’s yeast) and random fruity hints. It’s a bit robust and toasty for something you’d find on cask in England, and seems clearly modelled more on the stronger bottled English bitters that get sent across the Atlantic. Still, it’s gratifying to see that the new owners retained this brand (and Black Bear) because it’s pretty good...if only they’d get the aroma and appearance up to the level of the flavour.

Bottle. Light chestnut eggshell, big foamy head, big bubbles. Nutty, light roasty and fruity malt, good kick of green hops, bitter/dry finish. Medium to light body, good chewyness. IPAish bitter.

This rating is over several different batches.Hazy amber with off white head.Small bead. Good fruit malt nose. Inconsisent balance?.bitter hops throughout