English Bitter - Tasting

I am finally getting to taste my English Bitter.  Between the four all grain beers that I have in bottles right now, and the extract batches that I still have left, my pipeline is extremely healthy.  I am hoping this beer can handle some age as it will likely take me some time to get through all of them.  I suspect that it will still be pretty good a few months down the line when I finish the last one.

The beer really makes me want to start kegging.  After trying a few bottles I think the optimal temperature for this beer is from 50 F to 55 F.  Out of my refrigerator it's at about 41 F which definitely reduces some of the complexity of the beer - it's still tasty but not as good.  Kegging would make it easier to keep and serve the beer at that optimal temperature as I would have a dedicated chest freezer for it.  For now taking it out of the refrigerator 15-20 min prior to drinking does the trick.

Tasting Notes:

• Aroma:
• Nose is a mix of grassy and spicy hops, sweet honey from the malt, and a bit of fruity ester smell (apple maybe).
• Appearance:
• Nice copper color to the beer.  It is lightly carbonated which is true to style.  Only a slight head that quickly dissipates even after a vigorous pour.  It is pretty clear - minimal chill haze.
• Flavor:
• Up front there is some light malt and a bit of honey.  The middle has crisp and refreshing alcohol coolness.  The finish has a little sweetness quickly followed up by a nice low level of hop bitterness.  I would stay that it has a pretty nice balance between the sweet honey malt and grassy/earthy hop character.  There is some alcohol/ester character there in the finish as well but the flavors are all pretty well integrated.
• Mouth-feel:
• It is a pretty full bodied beer even with light carbonation.  It coats my mouth and leaves a dry finish that demands another sip.  It also leaves a sticky residue.  No real alcohol burn or astringency in this one.
• Overall:
• I am happy with how this turned out.  It has the balance between hop and malt that I was expecting.  It may be a bit more full bodied than is ideal - could be a bit easier drinking if it had fermented out a bit more.  Despite that I could easily drink a few of these in a sitting.

Prior to taking up homebrewing I had not been in the habit of doing any sort of detailed evaluation of the beers I would drink.  I would basically just drink the beer and either I liked it or I didn't.  I think brewing, with an understanding of the recipe and the process involved and then doing these tastings, has given me some insights into the subtle nuances of beer which is very exciting.  With that said, I'm not sure how consistent or reliable my palate is at this point in identifying the subtle flavor contributions of each ingredient.  Going forward it will be very interesting to see how my understanding of the different flavors increases as I continue to brew.