Saltaire Abbots Chair

Brewed by Saltaire
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Shipley, England

Tasted recently by a half-pint at the Devonshire Cat, Sheffield. Served by a handpump with a sparkler. Appearance: bright amber in colour, the creamy off-white beer head lingers; carbonation is kept pretty low. Aroma: the apple-ish fruitiness from hops is more pronounced than the previous beer in the same session (Cottage Merchant Navy), but the sour-ish nectar and floral entry is indeed a bit weird for the overall balance. Due to the tight froth, not much maltiness is detected. Flavour: lightly vinegary and sulphurous taste upfront, quickly ensued by increasing notes of grapefruit-zests, dry bitterness as well as a growingly dry palate at the back; the finish is pretty tangy and chewy due to the good body of hops—very bitter, albeit not complex. Palate and Overall: slightly weird and off-balance due to the sourness, which is luckily fast-remedied by the lingering bitter aftertaste; the texture is softly fizzy and the body is light as refreshing. All in all, this is an intriguing beer, and one might slowly get used to the sour edge as an inseparable part as it goes.