Adnams The Bitter (Cask)

Cask @ Wenlock Arms:Cloudy golden7 brown amber, notes of ripe fruit, caramalt, spices, sweet and short bitter aftertaste.

cask @ the tap in wim village. strange musky sweet yeast nose, quite herby (sage). Dark amber colour, lacing white creamy head. a lot more bitter than the aroma might suggest, fishy and a lot of leather. long bitter finish. not really mine.

Cask @ Wenlock Arms. Clear amber with tiny white head. Sweet fruity aroma with caramel notes. Fairly sweet flavor with notes of apples and caramel. Ends sweet.

[Cask at the Coopers Arms, Reading] I disliked the bottled version of this beer, finding it far too bitter for my palatte, and it was with some trepidation that I ordered a pint on draught. However, as seems to be the case with Adnams, the cask version is a totally different animal to the bottle; a different ABV, and a very different flavour too - one does wonder how they can sell it under the same name. It pours a deep, handsome orange/brown, with a good, lasting, cramy head and - thankfully - little carbonation (I’ve always felt that English bitter is ruined by excessive carbonation). The initial taste has a good bitter hit, but unlike the bottle this is not overpowering - soon some earthy and leafy hop flavours emerge. The bitterness quickly mellows as you drink more of your pint to reveal the familiar, reassuring Adnams maltiness. There’s a surprise in the tail end - woody flavours come through, followed by a smooth, warming, comforting, caramel-and-butter finish that leaves a soft mouthfeel. Overall I rather enjoyed this - it’s far better than the bottled version, with a decent depth of flavour for a low ABV bitter. However, it’s still not up to the other main Adnams brews (ie Broadside and Explorer) in my opinion.

Light berry malt aroma. Amber color with small head. Mild toffee malt flavor with moderate hops finish. Mild carbonation.