Greene King Abbot Ale (Filtered)

Brewed by Greene King
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Bury St. Edmunds, England

Serve in English pint

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UPDATED: DEC 21, 2003 Nitro Can Version: The beer pours an unblurred amber color with a light tan and very creamy modest sized head, with the lace a quite thick and sticky sheet upon the glass. Fresh malt nose that is sweet a clean to the senses, start is rich in malt, sweet and the top chumpy in feel to the palate. Finish is devoid of carbonation, as one would expect from a nitro can, with the hops inobtrusive in their bite and presence, not a bad beer, drinkable and a good first beer of the day, after the “Big Beer Night” of yesterday.

Bottle Version: Well I’ve had it in the can and now the bottle, wonder which one will “tickle my fancy more”? The color as it sets in the glass a translucent deep amber color, the head modest and beige, and it evanesces quite quickly leaving a nice coating of lace upon the glass. Monster of a malt nose, somewhat sweet, crisp and fresh, with the start loaded with malt, sweet and the top middling in its feel to the palate. Finish has a moderate acidity, the hops quite pronounced, dry and bitter aftertaste, and a nice representative to the style. Personally I like the bottle better, which was never in doubt.

Can Version: As far as beer goes, cans run a distant third in my preference for containers, with keg/tap then bottle being one and two. The beer pours a murky amber color with a modest head and decent lace. Nose is malt, light hint of yeast, fresh and clean, not altogether unpleasant. Front is malt and somewhat sweet, the top skeletal in feel with the finish being sparsely hopped, little if any carbonation, dry aftertaste. Can’t say it was bad, can’t say it was good, beats dying of thirst I suppose, but will not be something I pick up for another couple of years.

Tastes like werthers original with a tasteful sour touch. Nice colour and nice malty aroma.

I’m always a fan of fuggles, so I enjoy this beer. It is nice and nutty but could stand to be more bitter.

Jan 2007 from BA: Blind tasting of a pint bottle at my brother-in-laws, served in a Berliner Kindl half litre sleeve glass, just to test me! Obviously a British Ale, but not obviously a Pale Ale. Amber, with an off white head, looked OK. Malts and nothing else came to my nose, even as the beer warmed in the glass, but I have found this is not unusual for a lot of British beers. The taste was of a bog standard English Ale, nothing special, I didn’t pick up on the 5% ABV at all, thought it much weaker. The mouthfeel was watery and thin, very little aftertaste. I was very surprised when I was shown the bottle, because this beer on cask is normally very good, I used to use a bar that put a barrel on every Friday night, people would travel miles to have some, sadly the bar has changed, maybe the beer has too.

50 cl bottle @ Oluthuone Panimomestari. Rated on 29.01.2011
Aroma has sweetish toffee typical to british ales. Also some nuts. Flavour has toffee, nuts and some caramel. An ESB lower on hops and higher on British toffee.

Doftar maltigt samt toner av torkad frukt och en aning toffee. Medium kropp och lite överraskande smakrik. Behaglig beska och eftersmak av citrus. Så..brygden är välgjord men försiktig.

Bottle from the local Yamaya store. Great rich Brit malt aroma (like Bass pale ale). Orange-brown color, rocky head initially, which settles to a thin foam w/ good lacing. Mild, dryish unusual sort of cookie dough flavor. Flat, thin body. Mild and not really pleasant aftertaste. Good aroma but then flavors disappoint.

500ml can. Aroma was unremarkable. Pours with virtually no head - fair lacing. Amber orange body (Lovibond 15/16). Tastes lightly bitter, but unbalanced. Finishes bitter. Can says "fruity"... What a crock! Watery and flat with an alcoholic aftertaste. Stay away.

0,5l bottle. Copper color. Small head, disappears quickly. Citrus, hoppy aroma. Watery body. Nice hoppy- bitter finish. Easy to drink.

Bronze coloured bitter with a subtle aroma and taste. No flaws but nothing that makes me want to drink more. Easy Drinking

Nitro can . Pours clear gold. A white head that lasts nicely. Aroma of fruit and malt. Taste has nice sweet//bitter balance. Nice Ale.