Bass Pale Ale

Brewed by Samlesbury (InBev UK - InBev)
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Preston, England

Bottle, can’t discern the date. Gorgeous clear light brown/orange color. More carbonation than I’d like. Sweet caramel malts but also perfumey flavor and some grassy hops. Not that bitter, which is fine.

2008 Bottle - Pours pale brown, small white head...light malt and grass, medium bitterness, not a lot of character...tis a shame it takes a guiness in the same glass to get my attention...

Pleasant aroma of caramelized malts, some earthy notes. Attrcative appearance, a reddish orange with a moderate white head, true to the style. Falvor is not remarkable, but is a good balance between caramel malts and grassy hops. The finish is appropraitely bitter. A perfectly acceptable beer, good on the railroad home after a long day.

On tap. You can tell that this beer is a macro. It lacks the characteristics that define a really good micro-brewed pale ale. It’s still a decent beer if there is a limited selection on tap.

Served in a chilled pint. 1 finger thickness of tan foamy head. Pours a copperish color. Floral hoppy aroma. Subtle notes of caramel. Not much bitterness. Some malty character, but doesn’t finish particularly well. I’d have to say the best thing about this beer is the aroma.

Light brown color with virtually no head. Malt is the predominant flavor and a bit of caramel. Very thin mouthfeel and pretty bland. So many better options.

Bottled. Dark Iced tea colored body, crystal clear, small head with poor retention. Faint English yeast ester aroma with mild toasted grain as well. The flavor has a bit of sweet tea, and is a little metallic. When I first had Bass back in high school, I didn’t like beer at all and though that it had a dry, old sock flavor. Well, surprise surprise, I can still taste that. The after taste leaves a cottony astringency that dries out the mouth. Light bodied overall, with medium carbonation and that slick, astringent feel. This really is a pretty bland, not quite pleasant ale.

Bottle. Pours a clear brown with a decent white head that fades some. The taste is of caramel, malt and is somewhat sweet. Fairly bitter. The aroma matches the taste. A pretty good beer as it is tasty and very easy to drink. Is a nice treat to have when it is on sale and is pretty nice to have when it isn’t.