Greene King Strong Suffolk (Olde Suffolk)

Brewed by Greene King
Style: Old Ale
Bury St. Edmunds, England

Bottle. Dark brown with some reddish hue, with a medium-sized lasting head. Aroma is raisins, plums, red wine and bread pudding. Flavor is raisins, figs and dry red wine. Palate is smooth, dry, and medium bodied.

Purs a dark brown colour with a fair amount of head. The smell is sweet and with hints of dry fruit. Flavours are somewhat burnt and again dark fruit comes into the mix, also a slight hint of Oxo. This beer seems to vary from batch to bathc, this one was pretty good, but I think I’ve had better. The only great beer Greene King make these days.

Bottle marking L06123 14:03, Sampled June 2007
Pours with a fairly dense, almost creamy, amber-tinged, full tan colored head that sits atop an absolutely brilliantly clear, ruby hued beer when held up to the light. The aroma is a mix of toffee, light butterscotch like diacetyl and caramel. Actually the butterscotch note is the most pronounced aroma to me, though I am particularly sensitive to diacetyl, yet it somehow manages to not ruin the aroma. Butterscotch I can deal with, if there was overpowering notes of rancid butter that would be another thing; luckily there is not though. Part of the butterscotch might be from the oak vats, but it is light enough that I can’t be sure.

Lightly sweet, with caramel notes and toffee being noticeable up front. As a sip nears the finish notes of butterscotch starts to become noticeable. The beer has a medium heft to it that coats the mouth just a touch. The sweetness accentuates some fruit notes of raisins and perhaps some prune. Hints of burnt caramel are noticeable as is a nuttiness that almost adds a touch of astringency (think of peanut skins, or walnut shell), but that also could be the oak character. The oak, if actually noticeable, and I am pretty sure it does contribute here, is just subtle enough that the flavors could be contributed from something else; part of the butterscotch, and probably some of the tannic astringency must actually be from the oak character. Hints of aged malt sugars accentuate soft, subtle notes of sherry and even the raisin character.

An interesting beer, it is much better than I was expecting, but it is still a touch more simplistic than I could wish for. I wonder if this beer was heavily filtered before being bottled, it seems a little stripped of flavor and complexity. Somehow, despite all my gut-feeling hesitations about this beer, I am really enjoying it. I think that this is because there is still quite a breadth of flavor here (despite the guessed at filtration). Sure I think this could be a lot better and more complex, but there is something about it that make it work despite that the individual components don’t quite cut it on their own.

Pours a mahogany color with a tan head. Aroma is of plum, caramel, slight roasted malts, molasses, oak, and some sweet malts. Flavor starts off with the plum, molasses, and sweet malts that give way to the oak and a hint of some bitterness. Overall this isn’t too bad, I was only slightly dissapointed in the flavor from what I got from the aroma but is still a nice brew.

Black reddish coloration, with a cream with big bubbles and not persistent. Notes of toasting, coffee, caramel and wood. Bitter and dry palate. Low carbonation.

Appearance: dark amber color. Medium head, beige color and persistence. Aroma: Sweet, Candy of the malts, reminiscence of toffee, honey, sweet chocolate, old wine and plums. Flavor: Similar to aroma, toast malts, candy, sweet wine and bitter chocolate. Sweet begin-light bitterness of hop in the finish. Metallic tone in the end. Palate: Medium body, velvet and semi-oily texture. Low carbonation. My first Old Ale, a very good experience. Nice blending of two ales, very advisable. (sorry for my english)

Looks beautifu in deep dark red. A lot of burnt syrup on nose and especially taste. Brings back memories of making gingerbread houses as a child. Moderate bitterness and quite harsh taste overall, but I like it very much. Sweet syrupyness and fruitiness.

Good aroma. Large creamy off-white head. Good lacing. Mostly lasting. Clear amber body. Heavy bitter initial flavor with a light tast of plain chocolate. Finish duration is long. Medium to full palate.