Cain's Best Bitter - Robert Cain & Company Limited

flagmantho

Washington

3.56/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 440mL can into a pint glass.

Appearance: medium brown-orange hue with a clear body and a moderately strong effervescence. Head is a finger of creamy ivory foam. A nice-looking beer!

Smell: slightly sweet malt aroma with plenty of caramel and a little bit of musty dustiness. All very proper, although not as enticing as I feel it could be.

Taste: an interesting dry-sweet dynamic is going on here: it starts off dry, but in the middle is a shot of slightly sweeter caramel character and the finish is a lightly bitter and, again, dry element which is reminiscent to me of a dry Irish stout. Tasty enough, although this is definitely a subdued and workaday brew.

Mouthfeel: medium body with quite a good carbonation and concomitant creaminess. It almost hits you like a nitro-widget can beer, but the richness and creaminess stick around far longer than a nitro brew. Quite good.

Overall: this is a completely decent bitter, but it doesn't reach out and grab me in any good way. Totally acceptable, but not really remarkable.

Serving type: can

05-17-2013 22:37:43 | More by flagmantho

keeganfrank

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark cherry beer with little head after pouring into an imperial pint. Aromas of fruit, grass and bread. Flavors of fruit, biscuit, toffee; has a leafy aftertaste. With its subdued flavor and light body, this would make a fine session beer were I ever to find myself in an English pub.

Serving type: can

03-17-2013 18:39:42 | More by keeganfrank

bashiba

Iowa

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured a clean dark amber, very clear with a sticky tan head.

The smell is very english, minerally and lightly sweet with a touch of hops.

The flavor is spot on english bitter, lightly sweet with a bit of biscuit and a light mineral quality and a smidge of english hops.

The mouthfeel is light and a touch dry.

Very easy to drink, light yet interesting, a solid session bitter.

Serving type: can

02-21-2013 00:32:43 | More by bashiba

branko7

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I loved this beer. Poured a nutty brown. Quite a bit of head, which settled down nicely. Taste was a bit sweet, but not cloying. A nice malty base, with a trace of hop bitterness. Mouthfeel was smooth, almost like a nitro. Light carbonation. Overall, very well-balanced and pleasant. Not super complex, but tasty. I'll definitely look for it again.

Serving type: can

01-18-2013 01:55:17 | More by branko7

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.48/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A small light tan head settles into a light froth across the top of this clear dark reddish amber colored beer.

Lightly roasted caramel grain malt aroma with a little bit of bitterness sneaking in there from the hops.

Roasted malts taste that almost seem to be verging on burnt, outweigh the slight hops, light grassiness, and light dried fruits that are tagging along.

A very light dry aftertaste with some slight roasted caramel tastes lingering behind on this medium bodied beer.

A lighter tasting beer than the dark color would have had you thinking going into drinking this 14.9 ounce can of Cains Finest Bitter.

Serving type: can

12-20-2012 22:51:49 | More by LXIXME

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear dusky hazel hued brew with a nice thick off-white cap with some staying power.

S - A hint of hops on top of a caramel note. Smells mild and slightly toasty.

T - Toast and toffee. Light wisps of hops add a hay-like flavor.

M - Light bodied but creamy from the smooth carbonation reminiscent of a nitro-can, although I didn't hear a widget in this can.

Mild, easily drinkable, and not at all bitter by modern American standards. We've all become so enamored with hop-bombs or malt-bombs that it's nice to enjoy an easy going brew like this once in a while.

Serving type: can

12-07-2012 17:30:00 | More by pmcadamis

BryanCarey

Texas

2.9/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Cain’s Finest Bitter is a tan colored brew with gold hues around the edges, a completely clear body, and a nose that is weak but offers aromas of pale, toasted malt, toffee, and some earthy hops. The appearance is rather ordinary, but not terrible and not enough to discourage that first sip.

With the taste, Cains Finest Bitter offers flavors of brown sugar, toffee, biscuits, and some earthy hops. Digging further I am able to find some light nuttiness, herbal notes, and even a small amount of chocolate, but the latter taste sensation is probably pushing it as this is a fairly straight- forward English Bitter.

This is a sweeter beer and many may be misled by the title, but one must remember that this is a British Bitter and when the English use the term, they mean something different from when Americans use the term. The taste actually has very little bitterness and even less alcohol. Its overall flavor profile may be a letdown to some, but it is actually a decent session beer and one worth a try every now and then when you want a lighter beer that still has at least some character.

Serving type: can

10-19-2012 03:53:20 | More by BryanCarey

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a perfect pint.

3.0 A: Clear dark orange amber color. Two fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is about average and nothing is left in terms of lacing.

3.5 S: "Stale" toastiness, grainy malts, and an earthy mineral component. Fairly dry. Not a lot going on, but decent enough.

4.0 T: Lots of flavor hiding in the taste though. Toastiness, caramel, graininess, and mineral earth. Much more potent than the nose. Dry, but balanced.

3.5 M: Medium body. Slippery feel to it like nitro or something along those lines. Carbonation is on the lower end, giving a cask feel to it.

3.5 D: Decent beer. Worth a try if you like a lighter beer from time to time.

Serving type: can

10-09-2012 03:01:44 | More by DavoleBomb

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.63/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a dark coppery brown amber. Half finger, fine, very light tan head with great retention and some lacing. Aroma of biscuit and light toasted malt, hint of caramel. Pleasant light flavor of caramel and toasted malt, hint of orange and toffee. Very slight bitterness. Very subdued flavor, almost too attenuated, but what flavor is here is quite pleasant. Medium bodied, better than expected. A nice low key English bitter. Glad this was in a can as the light flavors would probably have not fared as well in a bottle.

Serving type: can

09-15-2012 02:53:32 | More by LiquidAmber

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a super effervescent amber with a pinky of cream colored head. Good head retention & some lacing

S: Pears, mild grassyness

T: Follows the nose, some herbal hops notes as well up front. More pears & some apricot as this warms, a little hop bite tries to balance out the fruittyness, but comes up short, a little grassyness is there as well. Finishes with herbal hoopyness, pears & dryness

MF: Light bodied, fairly moderate carbonation, okay balance

This grew on me as it warmed, but give me something bottle conditioned or on cask, or hell even with some nitro any day, Drinks alright, but not too memorable

Serving type: can

07-25-2012 00:35:12 | More by russpowell

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up at Capone's for $3.75 a can. Poured into a Fuller's pint glass. Served just slightly chilled.

I did a two-stage pour to try and develop a sizeable head and release much of the CO2 in hopes of replicating the cask mouthfeel. (As much as possible I guess.)

The tan head maintained its sturdy structure for a minute or two, only to recede back to a thin white film on top. The body is a rich ruby amber color with pretty decent clarity.

The aroma is interesting. At first, I would describe it as metallic. The one beer this aroma reminds me of is Bud Light Lime. I know that most would consider that an insult, but I don't mean it to be one. It is tinny, with grainy huskiness, corn and maybe some English hops at the bottom of it all. I think it needs some cleaning up here...

The sharpness of the aroma is NOT present in the flavor thankfully, and I get mostly sweet caramel malts on top of gentle cracker-like doughiness. Bitterness is there for balance only, and comes in at the end. Toasted, roasty, and slightly sweet.

The mouthfeel is very soft, and light bodied, with extremely low carbonation.

I would like this Bitter to be more bitter. Otherwise, everything about this was better than I was expecting. Would drink again but wouldn't seek out.

Serving type: can

07-21-2012 04:00:41 | More by MusicaleMike

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 14.9 oz. can into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep and dark brownish amber orange with lots of rising bubbles. Decent two finger off white head that quickly fades into a thin patchy layer. Leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: A fairly sweet malt forward aroma. Bready malts that are somewhat toasted. Hints of caramel, toffee, biscuit, butterscotch, and a little citrus orange. Also some light earthy hops lingering in the background. Somewhat herbal.

Taste: Much like it smells, a fairly sweet malt forward English beer. Toasted malts with good notes of biscuit, caramel, toffee, butterscotch, and some orange peel. Very light hints of herbal earthy hops come trough towards the finish. A pretty decent taste.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with a moderate level of carbonation. Crisp, creamy, and very smooth drinking.

Overall: A pretty decent beer. Its what you would expect from an English session brew.

Serving type: can

06-09-2012 07:52:45 | More by MattyG85

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours coppery brown with a thin white head that reduces to a slight ring. No lace.

Some caramel malt and bitter mineral notes.

A definite English bitter, with some malt and burnt caramel up front, with an assertive bitterness bringing up the rear. Some toffee and herbal notes. Simple decent brew, but very one trick pony here.

A little mushy. Almost dead still. Not that I mind, but needs some tingle.

Overall not a bad brew. Structure is lacking, but flavor is decent.

Serving type: can

06-09-2012 03:33:51 | More by OtherShoe2

zeff80

Missouri

3.55/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, light burgundy color with a one-finger, off-white head of bubbly foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled floral and malty. Overall a sweet aroma.

T - It tasted of light bitterness with a grassy hop bite. Good caramel and butterscotch sweetness adds a nice backbone.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a pretty nice English Bitter. Nice to find a canned six pack of a sessionable English brew.

Serving type: can

05-25-2012 01:21:22 | More by zeff80

rtepiak

Poland

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a lucky and random find in dallas but seems like this and the dark mild are the most populate among BA. very drinkable and a great but very low bitterness of a bitter. great pour. amber with a nice head or about 1 to 2 fingers. i've found that is not consistent but its more so because of the glassware. nice thick but small head. creamy. nose is a bit subdued. first and foremost... toast. and malty hints. everything comes together in the palate as a low carbonation but actually great feel creamy malt beer that doesn't go do heavy his a hint of nobel like bittering. and a touch of apple turnover. a bit roasty. nice little treat and rather flavorful silky for the abv.

Serving type: can

05-22-2012 05:02:50 | More by rtepiak

jsanford

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light brown with a slightly patchy ivory haze. Pleasant aromas of sweet caramel malt, lightly toasted grains, toffee, and earthy hops. Taste is very similar to the nose, very drinkable overall. Mouthfeel is creamy, with a light body and good carbonation. Overall a very nice Bitter, and I love the can presentation.

Serving type: can

05-06-2012 19:54:40 | More by jsanford

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap into a shaker glass at the Winking Lizard

A- Poured a clear dark brown/red color with a soapy head that left no lace

S- Very light aroma of indistinct maltiness

T- Kind of a black and mild taste, maltiness, and some light toffee light notes

M- Medium body, drinks smooth, prickly carbonation

O- An easy drinker, but nothing too exciting which I think is expected for the style. There are a lot of more flavorful session beers I would pick over this, but it seems alright for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2012 13:00:21 | More by Hoptometrist

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Serving type: 14.9-ounce (440 ml) can. “4 MAY 12” is printed on the bottom so I assume it is a best by date.

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is medium caramel brown. Two fingers of buttery, light tan head dissipated slowly to leave an even skim.

Smell: At first it smelled like corn adjunct, but then I thought otherwise: lots of pale and lightly toasted malts. There is a lot of caramel. Buttery biscuit, toffee, and grassy hops. Smells very British.

Taste: Hybrid of adjunct and pale malts and lightly toasted caramel. It is thin but does have taste. Grassy hops give it a little bitterness. It is also sweet and fruity with flavors of apple.

Drinkability: My British friend thinks it is “a crime against British beer” and “an abortion.” He suggests using it “for killing grass and weeds.” I think it is a decent, canned British beer. It is not much but it is drinkable.

Serving type: can

04-28-2012 04:19:42 | More by TheQuietMan22

morimech

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear copper color with one finger of head that had good retention before settling to a thin cap. A few spots of lacing is left on the glass.

Has the English hop aroma that I enjoy so much. It is grassy and herbal. The malt adds a bit of toffee.

The flavor does not disappoint either. Plenty of hop flavor up front being balanced by a nice toffee malt flavor. The flavor falls off a little too quick, but for a low ABV beer, I'm not complaining.

Light bodied with low carbonation. About what I expect from a low ABV, British ale.

A good Bitter that happens to come in cans. The rather lackluster reviews had me a bit concerned, but I thoroughly enjoyed this ale.

Serving type: can

04-24-2012 21:52:59 | More by morimech

MONKandTUCK

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Dark gold. Nice head: gave this one an aggressive pour into a tall glass.

A - Malt. Not much here.

T - Kinda like an Amber Lager. Not something that people will pay for when they can get Yuengl.... wait, this is an English beer for THIS price!?
Again, I'd prefer to pay for something memorable. I can't say that the price doesn't allure me, though.

M - Thick for the low ABV. Kinda like a better version of Bud.

O - Not unique for any particular reason. I could do really go for a hop presence and some sweet, dark fruit caramel flavors... and maybe even a little roast. However, there's nothing offensive here. And it's charming knowing I'm drinking an old country ale, not another generic lager.

Serving type: can

04-14-2012 05:44:03 | More by MONKandTUCK

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

With so many British-influenced Pale Ales on the market, many of which fall well short of capturing the essence of true Bitters, it's refreshing to see well make and authentic examples infiltrating the craft beer market.

Crystal clear to display a masculine copper-rich bronze glow, the Bitter's understated carbonation calmly builds a creamy and short-statured head that easily withstands the session and dispenses light evidence of lace. It's the classic look of English Bitters.

Malty-rich aromas of caramel, sweet breads or biscuit, bread crust accompany the rich scent of medium kilned barley and starch. Slight earthiness rises from the hop balance with an almost-floral, but mostly herbal scents.

Flavors also begin with a malt-rich taste that displays a proper taste of caramel, toffee, cola nut, sun kissed grains, bread crust, and malt starches. The sweetness of malt subsides at mid palate and allows for the rise of hops to balance with an earthy bitterness that seems somewhat woody or minty at times. Surprisingly low in fruity esters or buttery compounds helps to provide a crisp and clean session.

Medium bodied throughout, but the early malt richness seems heightened and the lower carbonation allows the beer to sit on the tongue with more weight. But the malty textures subside and allow the hop bitterness to turn dry just as the slight warmth of alcohol keeps the beer crisp, dry, and refreshing in finish and aftertaste.

Cains once again brews an effortless beer to drink. Very rewarding in the full flavor yet soft and elegant enough to carry and understated tone from nose to finish. Where intrigue and complexity is slight, refreshment and ease of consumption are high.

Serving type: can

03-27-2012 04:23:34 | More by BEERchitect

KarlHungus

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a clear ruby color. The head is an inch in height, and recedes slowly into a nice cap of lacing. The aroma is of toasty malt with hints of toffee, and a whiff of butterscotch. It is all rather faint though. The taste is a bit more impact than the aroma. There is some nice caramel, toffee, and toast notes with some light butterscotch in the finish. The mouthfeel is light bodied with a velvety texture, and appropriately low carbonation. Overall, I really like the flavor of this beer, and its refreshing quality is hard to beat. I could see myself drinking this again when In the mood for something on the lighter side. I only wish the aroma were a little more pronounced.

Serving type: can

03-14-2012 01:40:11 | More by KarlHungus

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.2/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I bought this from France 44 online.

It has a gorgeous pour; a beautiful clear mahogany colour with a huge whiter than white head of foam.

The smell is roasty and lightly bittered. Simple, yes, but very much inviting me to take a sip or 2.

It has a very good taste. It starts of malty and roasty, the malty almost being sweet chocolate like, has some mild bitterness mostly mid palate, and finishes with cool balanced flavours.

I love the subtlety that this Bitter brings to the table.

Close to medium, nah, medium bodied with light carbonation, it is so smooth and easy drinking. I'm a fan.

Serving type: can

03-04-2012 16:07:44 | More by Bitterbill

Kromes

Georgia

3/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: A crystal clear dark copper color with no head.

S: Honey and grainy malt with a little hop.

T: More grainy malt. Watery taste to it. A little honey and a little hop. Not much more than that.

M: Has a watery feel with hardly any carbonation which is the style.

O: The flavor isn't too bad. Maybe a little on the grain side. Taste like very, very watered down whisky. Very drinkable. Like beer flavored water.

Serving type: can

02-29-2012 23:09:07 | More by Kromes

chinchill

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

14.9 ounce (440ml) can served in a large Austrian stein.

Appearance: Pours a crystal clear, chestnut; 2 fingers of ivory, sudsy foam. Reduces to a lasting top coat and ring.

Smell: Medium and dark notes with an earthy base. Notes of unbaked bread and roasted nuts. Improves upon warming.

Taste: Mainly mild toasted malts. Some faint English hops towards the finish, with a mildly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: a bit too thin-bodied. Low-medium carbonation works well.

Overall: with a flavor that's less bitter but overall better than the aroma indicates, this is beer turns out to be above average and a well priced for an import.

{Rating confirmed on 4/2012 tasting}

Serving type: can

02-21-2012 01:06:16 | More by chinchill