Ossett Butterley - Bitter

Tasting Summary

These comments are the opinion of the individual reviewer and represent what they thought of the beer on a particular day in a particular pub. If a review is less favourable, it may be because the beer suffered somewhere in the supply chain between them and the brewery.

The Royston, Broadstairs, Kent

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		22 Aug 2026	1st beer of this visit: Presented with good head and lasting lacing on this bitter from Ossett Brewery, set up in 1998 in the town of Ossett, located in the Wakefield district of West Yorkshire. This golden amber hued bitter, named after Butterley Reservoir, was originally created at Riverhead Brewery, a micro-brewpub in Marsden, West Yorkshire, and set up in 1995. Ossett Brewery acquired it in 2006. A dry floral fruited bitter first hit. A spicy hoppy fruitiness rising from its English Challenger hops with hints of cedar wood, herbs, green tea, juniper and wild garlic. A sweet malty touch with hints of fresh bread, crackers and light caramel and honey flavours from its British barley-derived Extra Pale Malt and Crystal Malt. A dry fruited, earthy resinous hint or two lingering with touches of banana, grapefruit and citrus zest before the abseil downwards. Served in reasonable nick but slightly tired to my taste buddies.

The River Ale House, East Greenwich, Greater London

Who	Score	When	Notes
Philip Pirrip		19 Jul 2026	Good condition but thin gruel
Hogan Sampling		19 Jul 2026	1st beer of this visit: Now its second day on and with more conditioning than the evening before. Still presenting a very good head and lasting lacing on this pale copper-coloured Yorkshire bitter. Again, a dry fruited first hit. A bitter and lightly malty touch of toasted breadiness rising with hints of caramel and honey from its Extra Pale and Crystal malts. A fruited floral spicy hoppiness winning over from its 100% English hop variety, Challenger. A hoppy fruitiness lingering with a touch of citrus in on the act. Served in top form with lasting conditioning.
Hogan Sampling		18 Jul 2026	1st beer of this visit: Fresh on this day and presenting a very good head and lasting lacing on this pale copper-coloured Yorkshire bitter named after the local Butterley Reservoir. It was originally brewed at The Riverhead Brewery Tap set up in 1995 in Marsden, West Yorkshire, a brewpub owned by Ossett Brewery, using Riverhead's heritage recipes and widely distributed by Ossett Brewery, set up in 1998, and which took over Riverhead in 2006. A very dry fruited first hit with a hint of citrus. A hoppy floral fruitiness rapidly rising with a touch of spice from its 100% English hop variety, Challenger. Just a faint hint of sweet maltiness with bready, toasty and caramel flavours joining in for my taste buddies with a hint of honey for the bear in me and from its mix of Extra Pale and Crystal malts derived from British barley. A hoppy fruitiness prevailing and lingering. Just slightly lacking head and lacing towards the end and so conditioning to go with it.

The Jolly Fisherman, Hastings, East Sussex

Who	Score	When	Notes
Hogan Sampling		11 Jul 2026	2nd beer of this visit: Fresh on was this pale copper to deep golden amber bitter in the time I was supping my mild and presenting very good head and lasting lacing here. A very dry hoppy first bite and first brewed by the Riverhead Brewery Tap in Marsden, West Yorkshire, a brewpub that has been brewing since 1995 before becoming part of the Ossett Brewery in 2006 in the town of Ossett, in the Wakefield district of West Yorkshire. A spicy bitterness rising with floral notes mixed with hints of bread, crackers and light caramel. Its malty touches aided by its Extra Pale and Crystal malts derived from British barley. A dry hoppy floral note winning over from its Challenger hops, a classic English variety developed at the world-renowned Wye College in Kent, where they were first bred in 1961 and released to the public in 1972, and before the sail downwards helped by a sliver of honey flavouring. Superb conditioning.
Hogan Sampling		11 Jul 2026	Fresh on earlier in the day some four hours ago was this pale copper to deep golden amber Yorkshire bitter and still with very good head and lasting lacing and from the town of Ossett, in the Wakefield district of West Yorkshire. A very dry hoppy first bite on it. A hoppy bitterness rising. A dry bitter maltiness winning over from its Extra Pale and Crystal malts from British barley with those same flavours as earlier of bread, crackers and light caramel. A dry hoppiness aided by its Challenger hops, developed at the Wye College in Kent in the 1960s, and a touch of honey sweetness lingering on my taste buds before its downwards descent. Still very good conditioning.