Broughton Merlin’s Ale (Bottle)

Brewed by Broughton
Style: Bitter
Biggar, Scotland

Serve in English pint

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Pasteurised bottle. BBE July 04. Named after King Arthur's wizard who apparently lived near Broughton (he was a widely traveled wizard because nearly every part of Britain claims some kind of connection with our favourite man of magic). I wasn't impressed when I poured this because it looks really wishy washy like a cheap lager. The aroma doesn't promise much either - very light, some cardboard tones from the pasteurisation process, and maybe a hint of rotting apples, but really nothing much, and certainly nothing very attractive. But the first gulps were impressive. Yes, it's a very light bitter - really edging toward a lager in flavour profile - but there's a drinkability about this which keeps me going back for more. There's a softness which is only slightly marred by the remaining fizz of the fairly restrained use of gas. A caramelly malt gives a subtle base to a very drinkable and enjoyable ale. Not a great bitter, not even a good lager which it seems to want to be, but it does slip down as good as gold.
After reading other people's comments, I noticed that while some experienced a light aroma of little distinction, others - such as ultraspank and thehoff - had discovered chocolate, oatmeal, plums, dates, raisins, etc. Well, I swirled and I swirled the last eighth of the glass. I called in Chrissie and asked her to sniff. We snorted and sucked hard. We got the cats involved and all the neighbours. We called in Sherlock Holmes and the best sleuths from Scotland Yard. We applied test tubes and dead rabbits and the skull of a 1,000 year old yak. We got a witch doctor flown over from Tahiti and a quack doctor from Texas. We hummed and we sang and we danced under a billabong tree. Eventually, slowly and relectantly, I conceeded that perhaps the cardboard aroma could just perhaps be apricot. And possibly, maybe, if you turn your head a certain way, a sort of chocolate note might be imagined. I moved the aroma points up a couple to 5.

500ml bottle from Robbie’s Drams, Ayr - pours deep golden with a foamy off-white head, caramel and floral hop aroma, taste is caramel and bit of fruit, quite smooth, high carbonation

500ml bottle pours a pale amber color with a small white head that leaves some decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is light caramel malts and some flowery hops. Taste is light caramel malty sweetness with a pleasing mild hop bitterness. Light to medium body and good amount of carbonation. A decent bitter which is one I would like to try again, but seems to have disappeared from this part of the world.

Poured a slightly hazy amber color. Aroma of honey and corn. Taste is a bit watery with lots of sweet vegetables. Very drinkable and smooth. Decent!

Pours a nice golden color. Slightly off white head. Pretty big and fizzy. Smells like merlin’s beard. Taste is of merlin’s beard. Oh merlin. I watch your show sometimes. It is quite good. You should keep that up.

Sour taste, aroma of a smelly old shoe. Appearance not bad, golden. Overall not a beer to repeat.

UPDATED: AUG 10, 2011 Good hop/malt balance with it along with a slight nuttiness, this is a pretty good bitter.

Bottle from Peckhams. Clear golden colour, white head. Aroma caramel, bit sugar and fruits. Flavour is caramel malts, fruits, a bit metallic.

Bottle. Medium cream colour head, well carbonated, clear copper body. Grassy hop, biscuit, caramel. Bitter. Bitter finish, good carbonation, a little oily mouthfeel. Good for a standard bitter.

9/13/10. 500mL bottle into a imperial pint. Cloudy orange pour with a loose off-white head that cuts in half but sticks. Mild grainy roasted caramel aroma that leads to a salty, soup-like flavor and finishes dry and metallic. I’m thinking I’m just not a big fan of English brews.

Aroma is very faint, with a bread malt, minor floral hops, a faint doughy yeast. The appearance is a very clean light copper with a small collar of white head. The taste has a nice light bitterness, with some pleasant dough and caramel malt flavors. The finish is thin bodied, with a very lean texture, a small amount of carbonation, and an abrupt finish. A very nice session brew, would definitely buy again.