O’Hanlon’s Royal Oak

Brewed by O’Hanlon’s
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Exeter, England

Serve in English pint

Hazy dark amber with large beige head. Sweet fruity aroma with a touch of caramel malt. Sweet an fruity flavor with mild hoppy and caramel notes.

Murky amber appearance. Lively aroma of passion fruit, caramel, brown sugar, plum. The flavour, however, is underwhelming (it may not have been a word when they wrote that song but it is now). It’s got a slightly dusty, vaguely malty character to it. One of the most annoying things in beer is when it smells great and then tastes like hardly anything at all. That’s what I’m getting here.

UPDATED: JAN 10, 2009 <i>Cask Conditioned, 2006-03-01, 7-4-8-5-16=40</i>
Beautiful amber color, thin but persistent head, nice lace. Nice aroma of green hops, lighty fruity (grapefruit). Velvety mouthfeel, full bodied, malty, caramel, very light yeast, with a subtle aromatic hop touch, and correct bitterness. Well balanced, the final is not aggressive but extremely long, and with some aromatic English hops.

<i>Bottle Conditioned, 2004-04-28, 7-4-7-4-15=37</i>
Beautiful amber color, creamy head. Nice, delicate aroma, hoppy with a light fruitness; brown sugar and caramel. Dry mouthfeel, lightly malty, it would be better with a more structured mouthfeel; then immediately the bitterness of the hop and the light roasted malt takes over, but again some maltiness shows up. Strong final, just a bit sour. Very good bottled Bitter.

Cask gravity at Dover BF 06. Deep copper, thin beige head. Nice hoppy aroma. Good malt body, fruit is quite nice. Another good beer from OHanlons

Cask at C4, Odense. Amber with no head & lacings. Oak, malty sweet feel. Very watery body. Dry bitter hoppy end.

Bottle 14/02/2005 Mid brown amber coloured with some alcohol present. Fruity with a slightly dry bitter malt finish.

Bottled@SBWF 2007
Hazy nut brown color, lots of lace, huge beige head. Woody hoppy, a bit malty nose. Metallic, nutty malty flavor. Nutty and dry aftertaste. Similarities with Fullers ESB.

(500ml bottle, best by 2/28/05) Cloudy copper body topped by medium, beige, milkshakish head. Aroma is medium sweet, floral, orange, cookie dough, light caramel. Taste is medium sweet, earthy, floral, some roasty chocolate, light raisin. Medium body, light resin, light acidity. Enjoyable beer.