Adnams The Bitter (Bottle/Can)

Brewed by Adnams
Style: Bitter
Southwold, England

Nice, but to my taste, not bitter enough. Having said that - this is a fine brew, good copper colour, good hoppy scent, slight head and smooth drinking. Not particularly thrilling, but not a beer I’d ever turn down.

I am very disappointed in Suffolk Special Bitter. Aroma and texture try to be a great bitter like Fuller’s ESB but are virtually nonexistent, smells more like a bunch of dirty socks from three feet! Color is an unimpressive, glossy amber bordering on a cheap "red" beer. Goes flat without a head ever forming. Flavor and aftertaste are sour, vinegary - maybe the hops were stale? I know this brewery can do better - try their Broadside Ale.

I’m usually suspicious of fancy packaging..the snazzy bottle this came in had me thinking that it enclosed another standard or unremarkable beer....I was wrong on this one. Pours a beautiful red-copper color like brewed tea....tight fluffy off white cap...medium carbonation. Lots to fill the olfactory senses here...complex...nutty yeasts over buttered-biscuit malts and lemon-peppered grassy hopping...wild complexity. The front of this ale carries itself well with a pronounced smooth buttery, buscuity malt tone with the hops showing up mid way to give good balance with a citusy twang that drys out the smooth finish...the bittering only comes in at the very end in the after taste. A wonerfully buttery smooth malt pronounced "bitter" that is not really "bitter" but drying in its finish. It’s satisfying without being heavy......a very well crafted English ale.

Malty with some light soy sourness, hoppy and light fruits. Tannic tea aroma. Bran cereal. Dark orange amber, almost brown, clear with foamy off-white lacing head. Medium-light body with light carbonation. Mild taste, toasted malts with soy-cereal-like tang. Finish is mild bitter, with dry nuttiness. Mild after. Easy-drinking, but overly delicious.

Nice bottle, nice label. Pours a clear amber colour with little head. Caramel malt aroma. Taste is a sweet caramel malt but with a strange metallic aftertaste. Medium body.

Aroma is sweet and malty, somewhat nutty fruity (plum) and a hint of cobweb as it warms. Fast dissapearing head, moderate lacing. Colour was weak, like combining Fanta and Coke, with many small bubbles. The body was thin, a bit oily and the high carbonation actually stung my mouth, I don’t understand why people rate the palate so high. However, it smelled and tasted quite good.

I found this to be good, but without a lot of flavor. Somehwat watery. Weak finish. Nice bottle though.

Let me just start by saying I really like the bottle design, and the label shape complements it well. That’s not factored into my rating, but it is an appealing product on the shelf. It probably factored into my decision to buy it. Anyway, it pours an attractive lightly hazy red-tinted amber. The aroma is lively with light fruits, some grassy and peppery hops, also hinting at a smoky tobacco leaf. Palate is medium and very smooth, with fruity malts giving way to earthy and peppery notes. Very smooth, very drinkable, with alot of character. I could drink a ton of this stuff, and would love to just have a cask of it sitting around.