Firestone Walker Red Nectar Ale (Shepherd Neame)

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Brewed at Shepherd Neame
Style: Amber Ale
Paso Robles, California USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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Tap. Pours clear copper with a medium fizzy off-white head, short retention with light lacing. Aroma is caramel and toast malt, light fruity esters and earthy, citrus, and floral hops. Flavor is light malt, medium hops and bitterness, light esters with a dry finish. Light body, low warmth and medium carbonation.

Centennial hops nose with initially syrup rubicon mango then an unpleasant acetic note, may have been on too long. Sweet malt finish.

On cask at the Edward Wiley in Glasgow. Pours a dark amber colour with a thin beige head. Hoppy aroma of pine, passion fruit and pineapple. Similar flavours with a nice caramel and barley backbone. US style ale. An oily mouth-feel with mild bitterness and a dry linger. Very nice.

Cask at JDW in Surbiton. Deep red with a small, frothy head that lasts nicely through the pint. Aroma isn’t the strongest but pleasant taste, a dry bitterness and earthy hops. Didn’t notice it was 5%. Quite low carbonation. Good beer.

Cask at the N16 Wetherspoons. Dark red with dense frothy head. Takes a while to settle like a guinness would. Aroma slightly hoppy. Taste slightly malty and a bit bitter. Little bit spicy and a bit creamy. Nice enough, but definitely nothing special.

Cask at the Old Manor (JDW), Bracknell. Golden amber with a loose off-white head; aroma of American hops; rather thinly bodied, tasting of caramel malts and fresh hops with some resin; then some gentle peppery hops leading to a malty finish. Rather underwhelming.

Ruby in colour with a thin head , some lacing. Nose is caramel and citrus. This is bitter yet slightly malty . I can also get a burnt fruit taste. Some carbonation but in all smooth. Quite strong I think after a couple I could feel it. I found out after it’s an American ale so that makes good sense. Overall I’d say it’s perhaps a little too earthy, but not bad.

Cask. The High Cross (JDW), Leicester. Medium white head with good lacing, clear copper body. Fruity, citric, grassy, red wine, peppery. Bittersweet. Bitter finish. Drinkable, which is surprising given its higher strength. And not so American, seems to share far more characteristics with English beers.

Cask conditioned at a Wetherspoons. Chestnut with full head. Smooth nutty, roasty malts leading to a slightly metallic, hoppy note. Earthy rather than American in character, more British I reckon. A pretty decent offering.

cask at walter scott ed airport airside ... brown... thin tan head ... soft woody toffee malt nose ... bitter woody chocolate front ... long malt ... light chocolate linger ... ok