Adnams Explorer (Bottle)

Brewed by Adnams
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Southwold, England

Serve in English pint

Perhaps I’m being overly generous, but I rather like it. It’s by no means a world-beater, but as a session beer it’s certainly pleasant enough. It’s the beer I go to for a drink while I ponder what to have that’s interesting.

light body, white foam, fizzy, clear, golden standard blonde beer. Not a standout beer but easy to drink and not at all unpleasant

Bottle from Tesco. Pours golden with a thin head. Sour citrus, bit too fizzy. Quite Belgian in style in my opinion. OK.

bottle, only 5% alc now. fruithoppy aroma, golden, clear, white foam, medium bitterness, medium sweetness, after first swallow taste like a good lager afterwards like good alemedium body, slick feel, bitter, long finish, nice beer

500ml bottle. Pours dark gold with a thin, frothy head. Aroma is grapefruit and lager notes. Taste has lager notes and some tropical fruit to start. Grapefruit and citrus on the finish. Needs more hops.

Appearance: Dark golden color with a mostly clear body. Forms a two-finger, off-white, frothy head. Moderate retention, but next to no lacing.

Smell: Despite the bottle’s description I get no citrus in the nose here. Rather, it’s more of a generic blonde ale with notable grain smell not unlike a lager.

Taste: I hate having my hopes dashed and Adnams Explorer, while not a bad beer at all, certainly let me down. The brewery seems to market this as an American-style hoppy beer but the palate has next to none of the features. Much like the aroma, the taste is in the style of a generic, unoriginal blonde ale. There’s slight dryness throughout the first half and mild bitterness. The second half is surprisingly grainy for an ale and tastes like a very mild macro lager. If I really concentrate I can get some slight peppery flavors like a saison, but they are well-masked and short-lived.

As the beer warms the grainy flavors grow stronger and the authentic flavors fade away. What was a mild sour tang begins to dominate the palate. Not that the palate is repulsive. There is a slight malty sweetness throughout the palate and the beer finishes clean, so there is no lingering aftertaste.

Drinkability: While it may have similar characteristics of a lager in the palate, Adnams Explorer is much closer to a traditional ale in terms of drinkability. It’s not crisp and bubbly, but a little thicker and flatter. It’s somewhat refreshing while it’s in the mouth despite its slightly dry flavor. The 5% ABV seems a little high for such a lighter-bodied beer.

Overall, a disappointing brew that’s not really bad - just far from good.

Copenhagen Beer Festival, 2011. Pours clear golden with a small off white head. Grain and hay. Medium bodied. Dry and bitter hoppy end. Standard . .

26th August 2007
Warning! Early amateur rating! Amber coloured beer. Crisp palate. Malty with a nice banana note. Not too bitter. Long finish.