P.G. Steam
RCH Brewery

P.G. SteamP.G. Steam
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
RCH Brewery
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Bitter
ABV:
3.9%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 9.21%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
10
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 02, 2022
Added:
Jan 05, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
The first beer brewed on the new site with the new plant. The name comes from Paul Davey M.D. and Graham Dunbavan Brewer and the Steam as we now had a steam boiler to heat the copper. This complex multi layered ale has a floral hop aroma with medium bodied hop, bitter taste with some fruit and sweetness.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of vinicole
Reviewed by vinicole from England

3.72/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Cask. Gravity dispensed. Amber colour with a thin head.
The aroma of orchard fruit with light malt.
Balanced flavour. Toffee apple and leafy hop.
A nice soft cask conditioned feel.
Nice.
Jun 02, 2022
 
Rated: 3.94 by mizx from England

Jan 31, 2015
Photo of ccrida
Reviewed by ccrida from Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On cask at the Willow Walk in London, P.G. Steam is a clear, burnt dark gold with a big bubbled white head.
Smell is sweet and floral, mild.
Taste is sweetish bread dough, a little herbal hops, bitter snap.
Mouthfeel is dry and light.
Drinkability is good, another highly sessionable real ale, this one with a bit more dough and bitterness than others I've recently had, a nice contrast that allows for amped up flavor while still providing balance.
Sep 26, 2012
Photo of champ103
Reviewed by champ103 from Texas

4.68/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
On cask at the Prince of Wales in Aberdeen Scotland.

A: Pours a beautiful bright amber/reddish color. A perfect two finger white head forms with really good retention. Rings of sticky lace are left all the way down my glass.
S: Sweet malt that has a nice toasted aroma. Plenty of of floral, citrus, and grassy hops. Some light fruity aromas of apples and pears as well.
T: This is just great. At first a quick faiding sweetness, that gives way to a great toasted caramel malt flavor. Big floral and grassy hops. Some amazing fruity flavors of apples and pears round everything out. Increadibly nuanced and balanced.
M/D: A medium to full body that is increadibly rich, smooth, and creamy. This is like silk. A perfect session beer for me. So easy to drink. All day with this one.

I fell in love with this in a second. Just a wonderfull beer on cask. Actually one of the best beers I can remember trying, and I don't understand the low scores for this. A perfect example of an Engllish Bitter, and a session beer. Increadibly nuanced and full of flavor. One of the best IMO.
Sep 04, 2010
Photo of bark
Reviewed by bark from Sweden

3.87/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
The colour is gold, the liquid is clear. The minimal head is pale orange.

The fresh smell got some light bitter flavours and strange touch of chloride plus a fruity touch of green apples.

The taste is soft and mellow. Fruits in the background, some very fragile chemical notes, too. Citric touches of lemon juice and -peels. The tart hints grow in the aftertaste until they are replaced by clean bitter notes and biscuit flavours. Lemons in the finish.

The carbonation is soft; the medium sized bubbles are light in the mouth. The liquid is light and a bit smooth.

A highly drinkable and clean bitter with a good balance: It does what it is supposed to do.
Mar 27, 2010
Photo of cyanidesid
Reviewed by cyanidesid from England

3.34/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I must say I agree with one of the other reviewers with the smell that gets you every now and then.Its sort of a stale aroma but it isn`t totally off-putting if you can understand that.Nice balance to the ale and one I would try again if only to find out if that aroma is really supposed to be there.

just read on the bottle and it says ...floral hop aroma. mmmm

Definetly some fruit but not as sweet as they intimate on the bottle.
Jun 19, 2008
Photo of wl0307
Reviewed by wl0307 from England

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Transcribed from Notes of 03/10/06, tasted by a half-pint at the Half Moon, a JDW pub in East End London.

A: dark amber w/ slight chill haze, coming w/ a thin puffy foam and low carbonation.
S: caramalts and sour-sweet fruitiness as of fruit preserves abound. Overall, very faint in aroma, but the malt dominates here.
T: bitter-sweet caramalts mixed well with zesty/grapefruity hops, gradually the chewy, tea-leafy hops emerge and radiate plenty of soothing bitterness… leaving a slightly herbal finish with a touch of tangy zests.
M&D: although it’s served slightly too chilled for a real ale, the texture is still refresh with a lightly spritzy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very quaffable traditional bitter with plenty of hoppiness to savour.
Nov 22, 2007
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Presentation: Sampled at Fernandes Brewery Tap, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. A repeat favorite at Fernandes, the range of Royal Clarence Hotel (RCH) brews usually serve up on a cyclic basis. “P.G. Steam” is listed at 3.9% ABV.

“The first beer brewed on the new site with the new plant. The name comes from Paul Davey M.D. and Graham Dunbavan Brewer and the Steam as we now had a steam boiler to heat the copper. This complex multi layered ale has a floral hop aroma with medium bodied hop, bitter taste with some fruit and sweetness.”


Appearance: Amber body with some copper tones. Eggshell head has a thick luxury carpet texture with a fantastic resilience, laces all the way down. Perfect conditioning throughout.

Nose: Fruity malts, light toffee, flowery hops and an earthy soft spice in the finish.

Taste: Beginning is malty, light sweetness in the toasted toffee start. The earthy hops have a spicy angle; finish is hoppy with a floral dimension. Bitterness builds as you work your way through this one. Finishes with a dry hoppy fruity ending.

Mouthfeel: Soft and comfortable like an old Sofa, sink into this one.

Drinkability: Supremely balanced, the flavor is one that is hard to forget, and reassuringly comforting when experienced after a long respite. A supper for sure.

Overall: A gorgeously quaffable offering, perfectly balanced, the malts and hops support the fruity nature, bitterness and malt sweetness. A great English Bitter that exhibits a delicate fruity nature which complements. Recommended.
May 29, 2006
Photo of aaron
Reviewed by aaron from District of Columbia

3.61/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I enjoyed this ale poured from a cask upstairs at the Brickskeller in Washington, D.C.

Color was a golden orange with a somewhat cloudy appearance. A short, white foam capped the glass. The feel was extraordinarily smooth -- but not with the heaviness that I'd call "buttery". Instead, it was notably smooth, highlighting the taste.

There is a definite fruitiness to the beer. It's almost berry-like with a slight hoppiness. It's tasty and not too fruity to the point of gimmickry. Very enjoyable.

I was caught off-guard by a strange smell that I noticed partway through my first glass. Caught it again in the second glass.
Jan 25, 2006
Photo of farHillsBrewer
Reviewed by farHillsBrewer from Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On the engine at Max's.
A fine light amber, with a minimum of sweetness.
Some grass notes and a lasting mellow "bitter" bitterness.
Off the engine the mouthfeel was very soft and smooth.
If I was stuck with this beer to drink all day I wouldn't mind.
Dec 16, 2005
P.G. Steam from RCH Brewery
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 10 ratings