Ordinary Bitter Tasting

When brewing a bitter a few weeks ago, I had in mind a flavorful but low-alcohol beer that would drink well in hot weather. Since it's now about 80F in my un-AC'ed place, it seems logical to see how well the bitter goes down when summer heat is in full swing.

Appearance: Deep copper in color. Moderate chill haze, and a small head despite a fairly aggressive pour. No lacing.

Aroma: I get some caramel, bready notes, with perhaps a tiny bit of earthy English hop aroma. A hint of sweetness. The aroma improves as it warms to the proper serving temperature of around 55F.

Flavor: I would say that it has a grainy, earthy maltiness, with a touch of bitterness at the end. Moderate to low sweetness. It has kind of a bread like character. Quite pleasant in my view.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, and despite its low gravity the beer does not have a thin or watery mouthfeel. In fact to me the body seems moderate. I think its the slight sweetness combined with the bready quality that gives it body. Perhaps the body is not light enough to be thirst-quenching, but hey, it's beer, not Gatorade.

Overall: A flavorful but low alcohol English session beer with a malty, slightly sweet and bread like character. Not much hop presence. I would say that it goes reasonably well in the summer but would be a good session beer at any time of the year. Since it's not spritzy and dry it may not be as refreshing as a Hefeweissen or Pils in the summer.

 I don't think I would change anything besides of course trying to reduce the chill haze.