RCH Pitchfork

Brewed by RCH
Style: Bitter
Weston-super-Mare, England

500 ml bottle purchased at Gomers in Lees Summit, Missouri. Pour is hazed yellow golden, with a billowing off white head (4 inches at least) that was quite lasting, eventually falling with thick lacing. The head falls with really interesting reverse cascading, almost like its building down to a full glass of beer - I was mesmerized. Aroma of caramel and honey malt, some spritzy lemon bitterness, some grass and hay, even some pickled ginger. There is also a hint of oxidation (there was no date on the bottle that I could locate). Taste is toasty malt, with some of the caramel and honey sweetness from the nose. This quickly turns to the grassy earthiness. The bitter, ginger taste from the nose is present, but mostly in the finish. As with the nose, the lingering finish has some cardboard oxidation. Really does not detract too much for me. Palate is medium, slightly chewy, almost entirely flat. Overall, interesting enough, I like the toasty chewiness to it. The hop bitterness is almost entirely gone, would be interesting to try this one in its true form.

Bottle. Pours a very hazy bright gold with a huge white head that collapses into rocky flotsam and leaves big lacy rings. Very hoppy aroma, grassy, herbal, and citrus fruit. Biscuity pale malts provide the platform for a showcase of interesting hop chatacter: stemmy/grassy, prominent tangerine citrus peel, slightly perfumey, very bitter end. Very tasty, but a little more malt would make it something special.

Cask @ 3 Judges. Clear golden colour, white lacings. Aroma of citrus and biscuit. Flavour of biscuit malts. Slightly dry finish.

Bottle@ProeflokaalDelft. Malty and light herbal aroma. Hazy, yellow colour, off-white head, good lace. Bitter, sweetish, light grassy, some bread notes. Pretty standard Bitter but well done.

Also on Tap at Old green Tree in Bath. Dark Golden cask more fragrant than type and less bitter. Some fragrance. Nice and one could tell the difference

Sample courtesy of brent. Hazy amber pour with fluffy white head. Semi sweet aroma, vanilla, bread, light red apple. Flavor of crabapple, some spiciness, old floral hop, with a semi-bitter finish. And a little cloying. Awesome name, expensive as shit. Not worth it.

Nasty sour nose gives way to a wonderful woody mal tflavor. It is really soft with a lot of complexity. A tiny amount of buttery notes, but mainly earthy stuff (and some orchard fruit) that has a certain fresh quality.

Bottle - Very sour aroma, almost like a gueze. Sweet fruit flavors on a nice malt backbone. Very bitter finish. Nice tasting beer...quite complex.