Amber and I had lunch at Great Lost Bear the other day and I picked one of the four beers they had on cask to start. Sheepscot Valley Brewing is another of Maine’s little micros, and their Boothbay Bitter is one of four or five that they brew regularly. This was served at a nice cellared temperature, as one would expect from a cask. A deep amber color with topped with a moderate tan head, this beer showed just a hint of carbonation.
The nose was mostly bready malts, with perhaps a little caramel in there. The first sip revealed a good dose of diacetyl, giving this English-style bitter a buttery flavor. The bready yeast and caramel also show up prevalently. Unfortunately, there wasn’t quite as much hop-induced bitterness as I was hoping for. The half-dozen reviews at BeerAdvocate rate this one at about a B, and I think I agree. It’s good, and very drinkable, but it’s not up to the standard of my favorite casked bitter, Shipyard’s Old Thumper.
My Rating:
