Deschutes Bachelor Bitter

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Bend, Oregon USA

Pours a nice hazy golden orange color. Aromas of nice citrus/grapefruit hops. Flavor starts malty and the hops kick in, nice crisp bitter finish.

(22 oz bottle: $3.79 at Fred Meyer in Redmond, OR) With beautiful Mount Bachelor gracing the label, pouring this beer yields a beer almost as gorgeous. The hazy body of this bright amber mountain is capped by over an inch of off-white snowfall that lasts until springtime, finally settling to a thin, hilly layer. Thick patchy lacing resembles the clouds that sometimes congregate around a mountain top. So it looks great, but I’m hoping it tastes great too. Given my experience with Deschutes beers, they tend to make more restrained and subtle beer, sticking to the British spirit rather than turning them into the typical massive Americanized versions, and this one is no different. This is not a big American ESB, but definitely leans more toward something from across the pond. The beer has a slighly grainy malt bill, maybe even a bit husky toward the finish. Sweetness is present but minimal. The hops contribution is not big and bitter, but there is certainly a pleasant flavor of hops, and bitterness is mild but still balancing. In fact, since the bitterness doesn’t fade away on the palate, the hoppy finish is gently assertive, if that makes any sense. The nose is more grainy and less hoppy than the flavor, but still pleasing and enticing. Body is light-medium, but stays clean from start to finish. And through it all, the persistent head hasn’t dropped below a thin, but full layer, and the thick patches of lace are still intact. Not a beer that’s going to bowl you over, but it’s an ESB, and it shouldn’t hit you in the head with a sixteen-pound ball. Solid and very enjoyable, and right in line with the Deschutes philosophy.

Tawney clear amber with orange hues and a rocky tight off white head fed by active carbonation. Spicy, nutty buttered caramel aroma with a little cardboard. The body is on the watery side. Some earthiness compliments the mild malt and citrus/spice of the hops. Nicely balanced and easy to drink. Somewhat gassy for a British Bitter but fine by me.

Large white head, lasting with a respectable amount of sticky lacing. Clear copper colored brew. Nose is fruity and malty, lightly bready. Body is medium. Good malt flavors, lightly sweet caramel with a light fruitiness and citrus notes also. Finish is fairly dry with a balancing hop bite. An enjoyable quaff. Thanks to zathrus13 for this trade!

Tons of earthy sweet malt in nose and taste. Poured cloudy amber with off-white head. Slight presence of hops, but the caramel, brown sugar malt taste dominates. Smooth on the palate. Nice brew.

The nose is jampacked with bready malts that linger on sweet. Also, some orange peel and lemon zest that is a bit souring. The body is bready and smooth, with a great drinkability. The malt profile changes as the brew comes to temp, sweetening up and hinting at toffee and caramel. Great hop bitterness too, that complements the malt sweetness. This is just a textbook ESB that showcases the complexity of the malt and the beauty of restrained hop usage.

22oz bottle. Big Deschutes house flavor. The nose is toasted white bead malts and some robust pine and brown sugar notes. Tastes slightly pale, dusty, airy... with some buttered pineapple, cinnamon and apples, and some pine flavors from the hops. Very full of a bread crust and biscuit flavor, with some hidden hoppy citrus notes as well. A very well crafted beer, and one I wouldn’t mind drinking frequently.

Aroma: fresh, slight floral, hops, earthiness/moss, maybe some brown sugar
Appearance: cherry-red brown, cream colored head, lacing
Flavor: crisp malt, brown sugar, some hops
Palate: smooth, crisp with light brown sugar aftertaste