Bowman Ales Quiver Bitter

Good evening all. I received tonight's beer from a good friend as a belated birthday present, so as a result I felt it was deserving of a proper review on the blog. The beer in question is Quiver Bitter, an English Bitter from Bowman Ales Ltd. (Hampshire, UK). Bowman Ales have actually featured on this blog before, so I'm looking forward to this offering so as to further assess the output of this brewery. Review after the pic....

Quiver Bitter (4.5% ABV) pours a light amber colour with a thick white head that retains itself well on the surface of the beer. Opening the beer caused an immense surge of carbonation and an approximate 50% loss of liquid in the process, hence the yeast being poured into the glass to ensure a decent volume for reviewing/drinking. The aroma is sweet and slightly fruity, with caramel, honey, biscuit malt and some aroma hops lingering in the background. Fairly standard for an English Bitter, but this one still has enough balance and subtlety to make it interesting, rendering it a slight departure from the norm. Tasting the beer is much of the same, with biscuit malt, floral hops and some honey sweetness, whilst the finish is incredibly light with a grape aftertaste and some lingering sweetness from the malt. No bitterness at all from the hops, making this a very drinkable beer. Every so often I get some wheat flavours during drinking and in the finish, although I don't know for certain if any wheat was used in the grain bill. The mouthfeel is on the thick side and the beer is well carbonated, but fortunately this doesn't mask the subdued flavours of the beer. Overall, a very drinkable and potentially sessionable bitter with enough going on during drinking to hold interest. I was expecting a greater hop presence based on the bottle description's promise of American hops, but these must have been added during the boil as opposed to dry hopping as they are only just apparent, with the malt being the predominant component on show. I wouldn't get another bottle of it, but I would have it again if I came across it at the pub. Definitely worth trying at least once.

Until next time....