Adnams Broadside Strong Original

50 cl bottle, bought at Tesco, Liverpool. Brown color, nice big beige head. Aroma is fruity. Flavor is fruity with malt, hints of hops, caramel sweetness and a bitter finish.

Lots of nutty, dark fruit, caramel aroma. Tan head that fades but still covers the surface. Nuts, figs, roasted flavors, and piney hops. It is like a light barleywine.

(500 ml bottle from Tully’s) First pour is slightly hazy darkish auburn with a big four fingers of biege head. Aroma of caramel, vanilla, perhaps toffee and then some pine hoppiness when head finally recedes a bit. A good bit of the head sticks around. Last pour is much darker and cloudier. Mouthfeel is fairly thick, fairly smooth. Has a somewhat filtered look and mouthfeel despite the bit of cloudiness. Lacing is big and patchy. Flavor of caramel, toffee and vanilla light-medium sweet maltiness overlain by a medium bitterness which is also a bit piney. Reminds me a bit of an English barleywine, say Young’s Old Nick, but less strong, big (and less flavorful). Still pretty good but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Bottle from Waitrose. Red with a decent off-white head. Fruity, nutty aroma marred by a tainted, boiled sweet edge. Flavour of sweet malt with plenty of red fruit, a touch of spice and a short bitter finish. Nothing like as good as the weaker, cask-conditioned version.

500ml bottle. Reddy brown, head faded fairly quick. Nice and bitter, hints of dark fruit. Not bad.