Peter, the man behind the name Simply Beer and his eccentric, decadent Peanut Butter Porter, delivers again with a generous sample package. All seem enticing, but today I sampled his British Bitter (an English term for Pale Ale) at a mild, but not unusual for the style, 3.4% ABV.

Unfamiliar with the term, I did some quick research to prepare for what style I’d be drinking. True to its roots, his British Bitter had some similar visual properties to other Pale Ales. This was a robust, caramel-amber color with no haze to it. I didn’t get any head on this pour, but what was present settled instantly into a thin, sudsy ring – not bad.

The scent of this transcended what I had imagined it would be. A really nice and bright floral hop note stood out immediately. Accompanied by sweet clementine and pink grapefruit gave the nose an incredible feel. Cutting through in the end was some gooey caramel malt. What a balance and incredibly diverse, yet collaborative flavor profile.

One sip gave me a moderately unenthusiastic impression. The body was on the lighter side of being medium-bodied and felt too thin for my likings. The carbonation wasn’t really what it should have been (I think). It was weak, although present. It reminded me of a flat soda mouth. I did get some bittering hops that cut through a dry, not juicy, pineapple taste. The backbone had an undertoned maltyness that left the finish nice and crisp.

This one confused me, if I’m being honest. I liked it, but I wasn’t quite sure what entirely to make of it. The nose was incredible, complex and tantalizing while the mouth left me wondering what is missing. I’m not sure if it was the bottle I received or if how this is what Peter intended the brew to be (I hope he’ll leave a comment and tell me!). Whatever the case, I can see a definite character in the beer that will be great. The flavor profile of the mouth simply needs to be enhanced, in my opinion. The nose is such a tease.

Overall: 6.8/10