Elveden Ale

Brewed by Elveden
Style: Bitter
Thetford,, England

Serve in English pint

Stone bottle from the Real Ale Shop, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Brilliant marmalade colour, melon liquour hit on the aroma, sweet fruit salad with more melon and a hint of strawberry, nearly nettle-like hop nestles in the edges of your mouth. Absolutely the most outstanding bottle from my trip to Norfolk last year. Already counting the days til I go back and buy more.

I was really looking forward to this one. Came in a great 500ml swing-top ceramic bottle, which was unfortunately just about the best part. Poured ok, a moderately carbonated hazy mid-amber with an initial dense and creamy off-white head. Started with some juicy tangerine notes that backed off and forward came a green tartness with some yeast and toasty caramel lurking far off in the back. Quite sharp with a tangy apple skin bittersweetness. Some orange in there and some yeast, maybe also a toasty, breadiness but dominated by that sharpness. Light-medium body, mostly soft on the palate - just a touch of carbonation sting. Finishes short and is generally more acidic than bitter.

Bottle at ronnies, bottle conditioned. Aroma is appley sweetness, candy sugar, coconut spice, peachy and peppery. Tste is similar quite sweet and quite flat also.

Bottle. Amber/gold. Quite an earthy character, bread crust malt character, with a slightly citric leafy hop bitterness in the end. A bit thin, but not bad. quite drinkable,