Federation Angel Ale

Formerly brewed at Dunston (Heineken UK)
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Gateshead, England

Serve in English pint

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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>

Had at hopleaf quite some time ago. I quite liked it at the time very drinkable. Minerally. Serving: Bottle

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.

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.

UPDATED: NOV 30, 2006 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>

UPDATED: JUL 3, 2005 (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.

i’m really thirsty, so let’s make this short and sweet. the angel spurted when i opened it, (probably because i ran it from the fridge over to my computer where i type my impressions). i won’t deduct for that, but before i was just thirsty, now i’m thirsty AND irritated. there now, it’s in the glass. look, it’s amber orange, yeah yeah, whatever-- big surprise. (gulp). great head, woop de do. let’s get a serious drink. (deeeeep gulp). ahhh. oh yeah. slurp, smack. another. (gulp). mmm. okay, that hits the spot. yeah. weeeeellll, now we can scrutenize. (sip, sip, gulp). it’s not huge, and it’s definately sweet. (sip, sip). consider the aroma (sniff, swirl, sniff) honey and frosted flakes, candied pecans, a bit of (sniff, gulp) orange rind-- tho not the outer orange part of the peel, the fibery white part inside. (swirl, sniff, sip). very light carbonation feel, (sip) almost milky cream feel. i’m not irritated anymore (burp). it’s nice, fairly rich malts, (gulp, hold up to light, gulp). a british oktoberfest, caramel creamy sweetness, with a tinkle of uh, (sniff, swirl, sniff, gulp) would you say, uh, citrus bitterness-- no, (sniff, gulp), let’s say uh, grapefruit bitterness (truncated gulp). christ, it’s gone. do i got enough info for a rating? shit (lick edge of glass). that was mild but pretty good. well, back to the ol’ fridge, lets have another. (final distant belch).