Saint Botolph's Town - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

stickynotes

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bomber into overiszed wine glass, bottled Dec. 2009 "Batch 4." I was slightly worried about the age but grabbed it for the hell of it.

Pours a very deep amber with a thick tan head which slowly recedes, some lacing. White chunky sediment appears at the bottom, looks awesome except for this. Smell is subtle, sweet caramel, some cherry and not much else perhaps due to its age? Taste it good, not too forward, subdued. Sweet caramel malts, slight nuttiness, not much bitterness to speak of, a cherry and raisin aftertaste, ends a little stale. Medium mouthfeel. Overall this is ok, flavors are subtle and work well. I definitely want to try a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2011 22:31:17 | More by stickynotes

doremite

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -14.8%

06-19-2013 13:31:51 | More by doremite

runlikeakenyan

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

06-15-2013 17:02:42 | More by runlikeakenyan

OrestesMethuon

Illinois

4.68/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

A light, clean, malty odor floats up from this nicely-turbid medium-brown ale. Saint Botolph's has a rustic character indeed, with sharp, very-slightly sour notes effervescing above the rich sweetness of the malt. I've had darker browns, but perhaps not truer; the roasting is exquisite and not at all overdone, like some browns, nor is it overly rich or sweet or in any other sense trying too hard to hit the "brown" mark. I'm a fan of this style, and this crisp, clean, softly piquant offering is one of the best iterations I've tried. The only downside is it isn't sold in six-packs.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 18:00:25 | More by OrestesMethuon

Jeckel

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

06-11-2013 02:10:08 | More by Jeckel

Khutso

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%

06-10-2013 00:13:07 | More by Khutso

MystikCelt

New York

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

06-09-2013 03:59:53 | More by MystikCelt

angusdegraosta

New York

4.21/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Deep chestnut brown. Very nice head and lacing. The mild and pleasant toasty raisin smell leads nicely to the first sip and becomes more noticeable thereafter. If malt can be described as nectar, this comes close - not so much because it is thick or too sweet, but because the sweetness is so well integrated with the aroma. So are the yeasts, the herbal hops, the roasted flavors. This is a remarkable brown ale. Though it is bitter, this is a textbook example, for me at least, of how elegantly bitter flavors can be integrated into the overall picture. Amazing.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 00:12:05 | More by angusdegraosta

Nuggethops

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

06-08-2013 13:38:19 | More by Nuggethops

musicman7070

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

06-06-2013 02:20:23 | More by musicman7070

abrodsky

Connecticut

4/5  rDev -2.7%

06-02-2013 21:21:02 | More by abrodsky

ShemRahBoo

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

06-02-2013 15:39:02 | More by ShemRahBoo

juicebox

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +21.7%

06-02-2013 11:59:33 | More by juicebox

jbar920

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

05-29-2013 19:23:30 | More by jbar920

tzieser

Arizona

4/5  rDev -2.7%

05-27-2013 05:58:28 | More by tzieser

Janeinma

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -14.8%

05-25-2013 15:13:39 | More by Janeinma

Prince_Casual

Virginia

4.21/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

22oz bomber poured into a "softball sized" snifter.

Backstory: in MA for my sister's college graduation, she said Pretty Things was a good local brewery. Figured her friends were dumb (she's not a beer geek at all), but the bombers were cheap and I was bored so I picked up a mixed case and brought them back to good old Northern VA. Fired up the old beer advocate and saw these have hot reviews... so here we go....

I don't usually care for Brown Ales, as they are generally pretty boring. This one actually smells great. Sure it's not blowing my mind, but "for the style" it's as good as I've sniffed. Tasting it continues to please. Great amount of carbonation, refreshing and nice "dark beer" notes aka coffee/roasty flavors.

Definitely worth trying if you see it, even if you aren't enamored with the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 03:19:27 | More by Prince_Casual

Remdog

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

05-18-2013 12:41:37 | More by Remdog

tlang803

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -14.8%

05-13-2013 04:04:29 | More by tlang803

ScottieD

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

05-11-2013 01:40:14 | More by ScottieD

trevorpost

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

05-10-2013 01:06:18 | More by trevorpost

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.04/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Served on-tap at LTK (Legal Test Kitchen) Bar and Kitchen in Boston, MA

A: Pours a clear dark amber in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation and some ruby red highlights. The beer has a half finger tall beige head that reduces to a large patch of very thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of toasted malts and caramel malts along with some lighter hints of cocoa, brown sugar, nuts, and just a hint of smokiness.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of toasted and caramel malts with a light to moderate amount of sweetness. That is followed by the hints of cocoa and brown sugar. Overall there is a light amount of nuttiness and smoke. Very light amounts of earthy hops give the beer some balance.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: This beer is very easy to drink and quite sessionable - in fact, everyone at the table enjoyed it and most people ordered a second glass with lunch.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2013 13:00:48 | More by dbrauneis

OriolesFan1008

Maryland

4/5  rDev -2.7%

05-06-2013 01:41:14 | More by OriolesFan1008

SFC21

New York

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

05-04-2013 02:34:27 | More by SFC21

becorwin86

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%

05-02-2013 16:58:28 | More by becorwin86