Federation Angel Ale

Brewed by Dunston (S&N, Heineken)
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Gateshead,, England

Bottle: Clear/hazy brown/red colour, with a nice head. Aroma was dominated of caramel and a fruity,hopy end. Flavor was almost the same, here was the hopynes moore dominated and the caramel was moore anonymius. Thin body, medium bitter finish.

I see by the photo that this comes in brown bottles. Mine was clear and I’m sure it had some effect on the result, but I don’t think it can carry all of the blame.

Pours a light-hazed bright copper with a big, cream-colored head that settles rockily and laces. Skunky herbalness conflicts rather than complements stale caramel with touches of gunpowder and a hint of lemon. Flavor is dirty caramel with metallic notes and a sad splash of sourness. Very sad. The only good thing about this beer was that it exposed me to the work of sculptor <a href=http://www.antonygormley.com/>Antony Gormley and my new <a href=http://www.antonygormley.com/img_root/works/2 favorite installation.

<font size=-4>Purchased from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/mundel Carlo Fine Wines and Spirits, Mundelein, IL 60060<font size=-1>

Murky tan-orange, looks like a glass of ice tea. Nose of sweetened caramel, plenty of breadiness, bit off with some garbage characteristics. Flavor is very sweet, caramel and butterscotch, extremely sugary. A few hops, a mite nutty. Nothing exciting.

Enticing amber color with a thin, but persistent, off-white head. Aroma of East Kent Golding hops and toffeeish malt that is classic English in every way. Simple yet enticing. Firm, overly sweet mouthfeel with good flavor of a classic English export ale and a surprising kick of apple-like acidity. It is mostly straightforward but is marred by an overly toasty, high-dried malt flavor and a very odd bitterness in the finish that distracts and is not consistent with the overall, lush impression of this ale.

This is a tasty bitter, a hazy copper drink with a creamy-but-short-lived-head. The aroma is toffee and apples with a light, earthy hop smell. Perhaps a bit thin, it nonetheless delivers a satisfying caramel & toffee malt taste with a bit off nuttiness added. The finish is slightly hop-bitter, rounding off the drinking experience nicely.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Beer Geek, Springfield, IL<font size=-1>

(Bottle 50 cl) Deep, hazy amber with a creamy, off-white head and some sediment in the bottle. Very dry and aromatic with a typical nutty ale-aroma and a touch of sweetness behind the pronounced hoppiness. A touch of iron? Very pretty label. 271203

Attractive squat clear bottle, informative label. Ale is beautiful medium copper. Pours small head which leaves a tangle of huge bubbles in the bottle. Head fades quickly, alas, leaving a skim of foam and some lacing in the glass. Aroma is fruity, with apple, pear and quince. Some citrus and herbs. A hint of spice. Flavor is solid malt, apple, and big hop bitterness. Some herbs and chocolate, spice and burnt malt. Wonderful mouthfeel. Starts solid and tingly, finishes lighter with lingering pucker. Great ale, and 550 ml as opposed to usual 500.

(12oz bottle, best by 17 Oct 03 -- wish i had spent more time in the out-of-town bottle shop to get fresh beer, really need to do that in the future) Medium beige head atop an opaque amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, honey, caramel, butterscotch, orange. Taste is medium sweet, earthy, some herbal, caramel, light butterscotch. Faint astringency shows up in the swallow. Creamy medium body.