Grand Union Bitter

Formerly brewed at Grand Union
Style: Bitter
Hayes, England

Serve in English pint

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UPDATED: AUG 17, 2005 [Cask conditioned at The Masque Haunt, London] Hoppy aroma. Fruity and dry flavour with notes of lichi.

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 2     Pale Yellow(1)->Dark brown(5) : 3     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3   White(1)->Tan(5) : 2   Lasting: 3   Lacing : 3
Aroma:
Intensity : 3  
Yeast : 2   Bread : 2   Apple : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Soap : XX   DMS : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX  
Malt : 3   Biscuity : 2   Hay : XX   Toasty : XX   Caramel : XX   Nuts : 2   Honey : XX   Cereals : 3   Grainy : 2
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : 2   Spicy : 1   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : XX   Grapefruit : XX   Orange : XX   Herbal : 2   Grassy : XX   Pine/Spruce/Resin : XX  
Notes :   Peach/Apricot : XX   Earth : XX   Mint : XX   Butterscotch : XX   Smoke : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 3   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 2   Sourness : XX   Bitterness : 2   Complex : XX   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 3   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 2   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : 2   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: A definition of a well-conditoned, fresh and refreshing bitter.

Cask (handpump) @ Magpie & Crown, TW8 Brentford, London. Clear medium amber color with a small to average, fizzy, fair lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, bread, dust. Flavor is light to moderate sweet and moderate bitter with a average to long duration. (Hop / malt bitter with a little earth flavor). Body is light to medium, texture is watery, carbonation is flat, finish feel is light metalic.

Pours a fairly standard bitter colour with a reasonable amount of slightly yellow head. My pint had a bit of a funky smell I’ve got with a few GU beers, but it’s not too overpowering. The taste is definitely better than the aroma, there’s some nice bitter hop notes which lead to a dry taste which ends with some lingering malty sweetness. Very drinkable bitter.

On tap at The Junction Tavern. I cant really fault this easy-drinking session ale. I have it often here and at the Oxford. The quality is more consistent than my usual favorites, Landlord and Deuchars. When they are spot-on they are 5s, but so often they aren’t!

Blackfriers. My first grand union beer that iv cellared. Aroma has a great amount of aroma hop, citrusy, lime and orange, good hints of spicey caramalt. Taste is similarly quite a complex beast for the strength , but super drinkable and great hop character.

Cask conditioned at The Goat, St Albans, Herts. Amber with white head. A good standard session bitter, easy drinking, dry with a touch of citric fruitiness. A good beer in a great pub. It did what it said on the pumpclip which is all you can ask for.

Cask handpull at Magpie & Crown, Brentford. Nice hop profile on this otherwise standard bitter. Very drying on the end. Good citrus, some pear drop flavour. Another good beer from Grand Union

Cask Handpump at the Station Buffet, Stalybridge 26/02/2005 Golden coloured with hoppy and citrus aromas. Slightly dry lasting malt finish.

NOt really good, bubbling as most of bitters, I don’t like the colour at all, but was not disturbing in flavor at least.

A quintessential session bitter. Don’t expect multi-layered complexity. Do expect lip-smacking freshness, with oodles of tangy hops, bags of bitterness and an austerely dry finish. All very upfront and assertive. It’s a bit paler, more aromatic and less earthy than yer average British session bitter. Who would want to sup lager as a thirst quencher when you could have this. I could drink this all day. I did. Cask (handpump), The Speaker, Westminster.