Boddingtons Pub Ale - Boddingtons

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: That cascading draught pour never disappoints! You are left with a deep golden brew with great clarity and a white pillow of head on top.

Aroma: Some caramel malt. Not much here but nothing bad.

Taste: Nice smoothness up front due to the creamy head. No hops in here but a good grain presence. Slight toasty flavor but mostly caramel malt.

Mouthfeel: Real creamy feel (due to the nitrogen widget). High drinkability and lighter side of medium bodied.

Final Thoughts: I can understand why this beer isn't highly rated but I think it deserves credit for being very unique (at least for those of us who live in the US). It would be the perfect session beer for an evening in a British pub. Although it doesn't have much flavor to offer, there is nothing off about the taste.

Serving type: nitro-can

09-05-2012 03:33:20 | More by JamesMN

Lemke10

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Pours a clear amber orange color with the perfect long lasting head. Scent is sweet with malts with some hints of grain. Taste is light almost like it lighter than water. Has this cheap grain taste while having a bitter crispness to it. It finishes with a chalky malt after taste. Not my kind of beer by any means.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-27-2012 19:43:18 | More by Lemke10

bsp77

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +25.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Serving glass: Poured from nitro-tap into Boddington's Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Honey gold with firm, stark white head. Has the too perfect look of a nitro beer, but it sure is pretty.

Smell: Not too much, but to be expected for the style. Light grainy malts, some light spiciness. Mostly smells dry.

Taste: Dried malts with toast, bread and tea. Hops are nicely balanced and integrated and are spicy, floral and slightly metallic.

Feel:Light bodied but exceedingly smooth and creamy. Very dry finish, as expected since the beer is pretty dry throughout.

Overall: I know many like to blast this beer for being bland, but I find it to be very refreshing and balanced, despite being quite mild. From what I remember, the nitro cans are also good, but not as good as having it on nitro-tap. Happy to finally review this, as I used to have it often in my pre-review days.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-23-2012 14:41:47 | More by bsp77

clemtiger8202

3.1/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had on tap, poured into a shaker glass. Decent, creamy, off-white head with OK lacing. Slight floral, citrus aroma, mostly malty though. Creamy texture with a malty taste. Some hops were present, but I didn't think that they balanced the sweetness the way I like it. I had heard a lot about the beer and it wasn't bad, just not sure that it measured up to the hype...maybe it's me?...

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2012 02:22:53 | More by clemtiger8202

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

2.48/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

440ml nitro can poured into a pint glass. ABV 4.7%.

A - Poured a clear gold with a 1cm head. Foam reduces to a thin layer and very little lacing is produced. Carbonation is visibly quite low.

S - Light grains, hint of something else.

T - Some sweetness, light bread, very light bitterness.

M - Medium body, very low carbonation, creamy, clean finish.

O - Inoffensive and bland. Slightly better on tap but that's not saying much.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-08-2012 02:10:28 | More by decimator

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 16 oz. nitro can into a Brooklyn "Tulip" pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep and clear golden orange with a lot of bubbles. Solid three fingers of very creamy off white head. Decent retention and lacing on the glass. Nitro carbonation causes the beer to gush out of the can but it settles down soon after.

Smell: Laid back malt forward aroma with that very British smelling yeast. Bready malts with some hints of biscuit and a little toffee and caramel. Fairly grainy and slightly roasty. Light hints of citrus orange. Light smelling but decent.

Taste: Light and decent tasting. Pale malts and wheat grains. Notes of biscuit and cracker with a little bit of toffee and caramel. Pretty yeasty. Very light hint of hops with some citrus orange esters. Simple and light but a decent and drinkable taste.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very creamy from the nitro. Very smooth and easy drinking.

Overall: An ok English session ale. Decent flavor. Good for what it is.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-26-2012 05:06:43 | More by MattyG85

Samp01

New Jersey

2.15/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

500ml can. Pours a crystal clear copper amber with a small white lasting head. Aroma and Taste is of light grains, fruity with some light biscuit malt. Palate is a light body with very light carbonation. Finish is sweet light biscuit malt, grainy, light fruity notes. Flavor and aroma is a bit flat as well as the carbonation. Overall an ok brew not much else.

Serving type: can

07-24-2012 19:56:08 | More by Samp01

57md

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours golden brown with an abundance of creamy head. Plenty of retention on the head and the clinging frothy lace lasted and lasted. A distinctly malty nose with a touch of roast to compliment. Mild and malty with a semi-dry finish. Definitely a beer meant for sessioning, but not too bad for what it is.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-15-2012 04:24:34 | More by 57md

PENISBEER

1.2/5  rDev -62.6%
look: 5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

My friend brought a 4 pack over to a very drunken game of pool, and really talked this stuff up.The can looked so inviting with its bright yellow color, and the name made me think it was going to taste something like that beer stuff in Harry Potter. It poured with a beautiful bubbly head and from across the room looked very appetizing. As I went over to claim my pint, I thought someone might have shit themselves, when suddenly I realized THE BEER SMELLED LIKE F**KING PUKE!!!! poured it down the drain and then poured wet cement down the drain to make sure it wouldn't come back up. Not sure if maybe they were just ancient stock from Publix or what, but oh god it was terrible...

Serving type: nitro-can

07-13-2012 23:12:47 | More by PENISBEER

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Poured a clear golden hue, and as would be expected from a nitro-can, the head was light and foamy, made up of tiny bubbles. The head lingered decently, although the lacing was lackluster.

S: Not much there, really. There's faint, malted grain, to be sure, but then it gets harder to describe. The evergreen aroma of hops seems to be there, as is an almost-soapy smell.

T: No complexity to speak of. The malt is more bready than sweet. Hops is mildly citrus, giving way to a bitter and (again) soapy aftertaste.

M: I think all the bubbles went to forming the creamy head, because there was almost no carbonation left in the beer itself. It was definitely more moist than crisp.

O: That lingering soapy bitterness is a little distracting. It's not that it's a bad beer, but I was hoping for more, especially given its popularly.

Serving type: nitro-can

07-13-2012 02:43:47 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

bark

Sweden

2.35/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The colour is amber (18 EBC), the liquid is clear. The finger thick head is very smooth and compact. It sinks slowly leaving some lacing.

The mild smell is semi-sweet with somewhat stale malty notes. Light bitter metallic notes. Hints of biscuits.

The taste is light with some passing malt sweetness. Lightly roasted caramel flavours, some minerals and wet cardboard. Light bitter flavours with hints of flowers. Medium body. The aftertaste got growing notes of paper pulp and wet cardboard. Some anonymous bitter hints. The finish got more pulp and an unpleasant touch of butyric acid.

The carbonation is mild, the bubbles very mild/smooth. The liquid is somewhat smooth.

Too light, almost watery with some off-flavours. Naah.

Serving type: nitro-can

06-29-2012 20:09:57 | More by bark

JoshuaC

4.2/5  rDev +30.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I love this beer as a light drinking with friends beer. Not too sophisticated, just pleasant drinking. It has a creamy feel, with a great flavour. One cannot expect a stout or a Belgian style flavour from this ale, rather expect simple and clean beer taste.

Serving type: nitro-can

06-26-2012 14:51:02 | More by JoshuaC

tdm168

North Carolina

2.08/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A - light copper with a half of an inch of pure white, soft, dense, creamy, head that has great retention

S - grainy, faintly musty, a bit sweet

T - sweet, corn, grains, metallic, apples

M - light bodied, thin, little carbonation

Everything about this beer is pretty solid...except how it tastes and smells! It's metallic and off putting, sweet and grainy, thin and watery. This a very poor example of the style. Ignore!

Serving type: nitro-can

06-23-2012 00:45:29 | More by tdm168

BigRedGator

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +38%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is a full-bodied ale, but very smooth and refreshing. The can produces a lot of head, but it's part of the experience. Serve very cold, either alone or with hearty foods, such as steaks or other meats on the grill. This beer has the ultimate draught can ~ it only pales in comparison to the real thing. On tap, this is my absolute favorite beer. It's as smooth and refreshing as a cool glass of water on a hot day, but full and rich as any quality brewed pale ale. This beer is my standard.

Serving type: nitro-can

06-22-2012 14:40:39 | More by BigRedGator

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

2.98/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured a clear medium ti dark gold and builds a creamy white head, about one finger high. Dissipates slow, leaving some lacing.
Weak smell of some faint fruity hops.
The taste is very malty, bread and some bitter hops in the back.
A light bodied ale that has a little stale feel to it. Not my taste.

Serving type: nitro-can

06-19-2012 02:25:14 | More by Hopfenpeter

Dave1999

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is nice rich amber color with a solid creamy looking head. The head retention is exception stays big a foamy the whole time.

The smell is very faint although from what I could get it was malty and a little bitter and hoppy.

The taste is bitter and a little bit sweet, feels kind of watered down.

The mouthfeel is silky smooth and thick with very little carbonation.

Overall this is the thickest creamiest beer I've had but the taste is just ok kind of boring. I did enjoy it though all the same.

Not as good as Bass and no way near as good as Sam Smith's.

Serving type: nitro-can

06-14-2012 01:02:42 | More by Dave1999

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: pale golden brown colored body yielding a pure white one finger head tops the pint and an off-colored slightly tan level appears separate from the golden pale brown body and rises to disappear in the head. Barely any carbonation is seen rising. Even after several sips, the head stays throughout most of the beer. No rings are left.

S: as many times as I smelled it even after it warmed, there still wasn't anything there.

T: bitter malts yield a subtle sweetness that tickles some slightly floral tones yet helps to bring out a breadiness that tells my palate to have more. Some banana also comes out.

M: light with low carbonation. It leaves a wet feel. Still, its smooth and creamy.

O: my only disappointment is the smell. Everything else is well done. I would have this again as long as I'm not forced to smell it (not like that would do anything because there's nothing there).

Serving type: nitro-can

05-30-2012 00:09:08 | More by kangarooAdam59

thedoubler55

New Jersey

2.68/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Light golden color, with big foamy head at the top that barely leaves any lacing, this looks like guiness basically.

S: Not to much of a nose on this brew, some malts and some sweetness, nothing crazy.

T: Same as the nose, bit of maltyness, some sweetness, and slight hint of hops, no to much going on here.

M: Medium bodied, smooth, and creamy.

O: Nothing crazy, a simple pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 16:02:56 | More by thedoubler55

raszputini

North Carolina

3.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Let me begin by saying I am not a super fan of British ales, with the exception of bitters. Take that in mind when reading this review. This is one of the sexiest pours I have ever seen from a lighter brew. Even with an experienced pour, the head will consume nearly 3/4 of the glass and quickly "roll up" the glass into a uber creamy 2 finger head. This creamy head sticks around. The nose is slight, but includes bananas and some malt. The taste is a disappointment from such an attractive pour. It's a little watery, with notes of bananas and very mild floral hops. I enjoy the creamy mouth feel and the brew isn't bad, it's actually very drinkable, but it's lacking in complexity and I wish it were more robust. All that said, I honestly have a similar view when drinking most standard British pub ales, at least this one pours sexy and has a cool mouth feel.

Serving type: nitro-can

05-01-2012 22:32:34 | More by raszputini

jsisko01

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a somewhat clear, light orange hue with a thin creamy head.

Smell - I can smell the bitter yeast and floral notes.

Taste - Pretty bitter. Has a subtle sweetness, along with a floral and bready aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Light body with low carbonation.

Overall - This is definitely one of the better pale ales.

Serving type: can

04-29-2012 04:37:17 | More by jsisko01

Darkmagus82

Montana

2.55/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from nitro can into pint glass

Appearance – Upon pouring from the can there is a yellowish honey colored body. The nitrogen bubble can be seen streaming up through the beer, giving it a lighter color when it is initially poured. As the bubbles cascade up through the beer it leaves a deeper golden colored brew with a nice thick white foam head left on the surface of the brew.

Smell – There is a heavy caramel aroma mixed with a bready body. There are some hints of honey and some floral notes mixed in as well, which with the caramel give a rather sweeter smell.

Taste – It begins with a strong breadiness. Unlike what is detected in the nose, there is not much sweetness at all. There is a bitterness that develops on the tongue throughout the taste experience. Toward the end there is a floral and grassy flavor that mixes with the breadiness, leaving a somewhat astringent and herbal flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – Creamy due to the nitrogen nature, but the effervescence is low. It would actually do much better from a higher level of carbonation as it wouldn’t accentuate the rather unpleasant flavors left on the tongue like the creamy nitrogen body does.

Overall – Really the only thing this brew has is a decent smell and look. The breadiness was nice, but the herbal and astringent flavors really took away from it and as for its mouthfeel, a non-nitrogen driven nature may have suited the flavors better.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-24-2012 00:07:56 | More by Darkmagus82

Hex

3.45/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour out from a Nitro-Can and straight of the bat, this beer is beautiful. (The Megan Fox) of beer. Small casscade effect from the pour; not as intense as that of Guinness from the Nitro-can though. SUPER CREAMY Head. seemed to last me the intire glass, and never entirely dissipated. The beer itself is like looking into a jar of honey.

Smell is intiscing. Has some light malts, and kinda hoppy with a banana/pear scent. You can somehow almost smell the creaminess of the head but it may just be me.

Hears the killer... the tast is very mild. A little tooo mild. The smells werent deceitful but deffinately expected something better out of this beer. Not a bad flavor but the appearance and smell told you it had much more instore for you but doesnt. Still qualifies as an ale though. Nothing less.

Mouthfeel is pretty clean with the mildest of carbonations. really light bodied; a perfect ale from a hot day.

Overall not the best beer but not the worsed. The let-down of flavors really isnt cool but had you never seen the pour and had a close-pin over your nose when drank, the beers flavor isnt suffering... just nothing too standout about that.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-11-2012 19:19:04 | More by Hex

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

An average pour yields quite a show. The cascade affect in this beer is just wonderful. After a minute or so, it leaves me with a little over a finger of creamy off-white head. This dissipates in a couple of minutes to about half a finger of head, and never shrinks from there. Leaves a bit of lacing, and the body is a nice amber color.

Odors of malt, grassy hops and banana create a nice smelling beer.

Watery malt, watery grass, watery banana and watery spices make this one a disappointing sip after the buildup with the look and the smell.

This beer tastes watery, build the feel is a nice medium bodied creaminess. It's slightly drying on the back end and slightly bitter, good going down if not great tasting.

Serving type: nitro-can

04-02-2012 15:09:18 | More by CFHMagnet

jtierney89

New Jersey

1/5  rDev -68.8%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Looks like a doors light meets a Guinness, creamy bright white head and super pale straw color with good clarity. Grainy nose with subtle english hops. Initial thinness up front which gets fuller from the nitrogen. Feels bizarre in the mouth. Straw and caramel sweetness up front. Slightly soapy. Silky. Hop presence is barely noticeable. Nitrogen gives an almost no carbonation feel to a beer that needs one. Some butteryness on the finish.

Gross, flat and bizarre. Im not a fan

Serving type: nitro-can

03-27-2012 01:38:15 | More by jtierney89

hreb

Washington

3/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1 pint nitro can served in pint glass. I loves me some nitro. Beer pours with the beautiful cascade effect of guinness, except the accumulating brew at the bottom is a pale yellow amber, not black. Thick, creamy, snow white head.

Not much in the aroma, but faintly sweet. Beer itself is creamy and mild. Super high drinkability: no off flavors, and the nitro-cream texture goes well with the mild flavor. And while the balance is good, there's hardly any flavor there. Still, could be worse.

Serving type: nitro-can

03-22-2012 23:34:11 | More by hreb