Beer of the Weekend #485: Boddingtons Pub Ale

For years I have been eyeing Boddingtons Pub Ale, formally brewed by Boddingtons of Manchester, England, and today I decided it was high time to finally try it.


Serving type: 16-ounce can. No freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into a Guinness imperial pint glass. The color is a nice, clear gold that has a hint of a chill haze. A finger and a half of thick, creamy, white head created a lasting cap.

Smell: Somewhat fittingly, it actually smells a little like Guinness. Perhaps that has a lot to do with the nitrogen widget. Lots of cereal-like pale malts, a little grassiness, and a hint of lemon.

Taste: My first sip was surprisingly smooth and creamy, though that probably had more to do with the thick foam sitting on the beer. Nonetheless, it does have a decent mouthfeel and is partly dry. The flavor is crisp, clean, and mostly mirrors the smell: pale malts, maybe some light caramel, light grassiness, a hint of lemon, and a minor, beer-like bite at the end.

Drinkability: Though nothing spectacular, I like it. It is unpretentious, the packaging is attractive, its appearance is inviting, and it makes for light and easy drinking on a beautiful and cool July evening.

Fun facts about BPA:

-Style: English Pale Ale.

-Price: $1.75/can at the New Pioneer Co-op in Iowa City.

-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.

-I say it was formally brewed by Boddingtons because, according to Wikipedia, the original Strangeways Brewery was taken over by Allied Breweries in 1969, then Whitbread in 1989, and then Interbrew (which later became InBev and then Anheuser-Busch InBev) in 2000.

-As mentioned above, BPA features a nitrogen widget. Interestingly, I could hear the widget still bubbling long after I poured the pint.


The Quiet Man’s grade: C+.

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