Freeminer Speculation Ale

Brewed by Freeminer
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Cinderford, England

Serve in English pint

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At first, I didn't care for this beer, but as I tasted more and more UK microbrews, I kept coming back and retasting this Speculation Ale as a benchmark for a solid micro that was suitably complex. It was both hoppy and slightly sourish (in a good way). In short, this was pretty damn good but it took me a while to figure that out. A hoppy, chestnut ale that is surprisingly bitter. Slightly sweet. MUCH harder to find than their Deep Shaft Stout.

Full caramel bitter, which is extremely sweet with a mid roasted bitter. Dark in colour with thin cream coloured head. ok.

Cask at the Claude du Vall (JDW), Camberley. Copper cloured with a ring of cream head; toffee apple aroma; dry in the mouth with fruity plum flavours and some soft caramel; the finish is biscuity with underlying spicy hops. Lipsmacking and moreish overall.

Cask at Blue Boar, Billericay. Pours a toffee caramel with a light amber edge and a beige head that reminds me of a light dusting of snow. A light malty bitterness to the aroma also has a faint caramel sweetness, and it glides over the palate very lightly and cleanly. An initial toffee apple and caramel taste in underscored by a dry bitterness which surges through to be replaced with the crisp toffee apple taste again, fading quite sharply with little resonance.

Cask - The Bell Hotel, Norwich. One finger bubbly & disappearing white to off-white head on a clear copper coloured body. Its a caramel and fruit-dominated aroma profile with little else. Apple, boiled sweets, red fruits, a touch of yeast & finished off by a delicate toasted malt & light hop bitterness. Light to medium body, soft palate texture, shirt length finish. Average at best.

Cask. Deep amber color with a modest white head. The nose is moderately fruity. Some nuts, floral notes. The taste is light and sweet, enjoyable. Crystal malts. Body is medium, soft carbonation. Overall, a nice, flavorful bitter. Above average for the style.

Cask Conditioned Handpump Cordwainer Northampton. A reddy brown coloured beer with a white head and lacing. Berry fruits in the aroma with husky malts. Fruit skins and nuts in the mouth. A bit harsh although it does improve after a while. This may have been in deteriorating condition as I’d expect better from Freeminer.

First tasted this at the Mossend Hotel, Lochwinnoch in July 1994. Cask, handpump dispense. Clear yellowish amber in colour with a thin white head. Hint of elderflowers in the short aroma. Thin resiny mouthfeel and good lacing. Pale malt gives a strong citric note of lemon and limes with a digestive biscuit malt background. Dusty floral hop resins give a citrusy flavour to the short bitter aftertaste. Finish is robust with a smooth sweet note of golden syrup. An excellent session ESB.

Cask real Ale 0.25L at Kittys 5.12.2009. Mild nose. Pale head 5mm. Dark coppery colour. Slightly sourish roasty taste. Fresh and fruity also. Mild hoppiness.

Good balance of hops and malt but fruityness is too tangy and acidic - not pleasant.

Cask @ Snow Goose, Inverness 270611 Appereance - Amber brown, hazy, frothy off white head..good lacing. Aroma - fruity malt, bit of apple, slight roast. Taste - fruity red berry malt, hint of apple (less than the aroma), some caramel malt, some roasted malt. Finish of fruity malt with lingering roasted bitterness. Quite good beer, above average, the hint of apple doesn’t spoil the taste.