Abbot Ale - Greene King / Morland Brewery

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Clear copper with stronger orange leanings. A very light tan/beige head is creamy with decent retention. Drops to an almost non-existent cap in short order. Specks of lacing. Moderate carbonation on the pour.

Smell: Slight sweet maltiness. Touches of caramel malt with a decidedly English water and yeast profile. Rocks with a good amount of grass, hay, and husky graininess. Some hints of apple and generic fruit skin. Light dusting of mildly earthy and herbal hops. It's very subtle and very simple, which isn't a bad thing here.

Taste: Just what the nose promises. Light, slightly sweet malt backbone. Caramel malts. Vaguely toasted. A solid building grassy/husky flavor. Lots of minerality from the yeast and water, but it's not aggressive. Bready. Hopping is subtle and light, pushing just a touch of herbal earthiness.

Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy with a medium body that almost feels light given how smooth it is. Moderate carbonation. Nice and clean.

Overall: Maybe a novice?

Nothing stellar, but a decent drinking beer. The can gives it a few bonus points and it's incredibly drinkable, but doesn't really hold up over the course of the 16oz can.

Serving type: can

05-08-2013 22:07:54 | More by Goblinmunkey7

StJamesGate

New York

3.51/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale amber with a motionless carpet of off-white froth (helped by can, no doubt) that clings.
Lots of butterscotch with hints of orange rind on the nose.
Buttery Maris Otter, a hit of toasty granola then tea leaf and orange rind hops.
Tobacco leaf finish and tart apple skin linger that I wish ended sooner.
Soft, round, light with only thoughts of medium.

Solid English malts and understated-but-there hops in just the way you'd expect for an English bitter. At the same time, too thin for the strength and there is something aggressive, tannic and unpleasant in the aftertaste. More MOR from GK.

Not hesitating to put half of this in a chorizo and bean stew.

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 14:16:36 | More by StJamesGate

UCLABrewN84

California

3.53/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear dark honey orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, fruits, and a mild hop aromas. Taste is much the same with fruit and caramel flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a low level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and smooth mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is light and easy to drink.

Serving type: can

03-08-2013 06:04:31 | More by UCLABrewN84

ghisty

New Brunswick (Canada)

4.11/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

appearance:
pours a light gold, darkens as it draws out in the pint, to an orange with honey sides.
color deepens near the center. carb is cresty at the start..thins to a good ale level.
thin silky head, the lacing is smooth and leaves a slick layer on the edge of the glass similar to the darker side of the english ale style.
very clear. no fogginess what so ever. impressed with the color.

smell:
oats. with a good range of other grains, the hops are barely present in the nose,
pretty short. something a bit citrus like distant woodsmoke. nice overall nose.
unsmoked tobacco.and i think its the malt coming thru.

taste:
malt hits first. a carmely flavor very familiar in ales.
this ale doesnt overstate the hints of citrus or extra bitter hops that alot of other ales choose to exaggerate , or really any of its charectaristics really ..its not overly got any serious taste other than a bready malt and a nice flat finish with some minimal hop action. its taste is great. but its not overstated.i enjoy the finish, nice 30 seconds or so of flavour range after the swallow.

mouthfeel:
like an ale should be, not overly thick, or creamy, or watery, but a good balance of starting sharp and ending flat. which makes it enjoyable and makes you want to drink more of it. it does that well.

overall:
my first time having this was after a long work stretch, in a terrible ghetto hotel and i was over tired and didnt have any other method but to drink straight from the can,
as ghetto hotels have no beer mugs available. I recalled being impressed by it's quality at the time, and seeing it again I was in the mood for an ale or 5. so...
seeing it poured properly corrected my initial judgement on this ale.
it's alot better than I had remembered served properly, and I will be including it
on my list of go-to's . dont let the slightly lower price fool you, this ale is great.

Serving type: can

02-25-2013 20:46:26 | More by ghisty

PorterPro125

3.89/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Drifting from the usual menu of various Stouts and Porters, I decided to pick up a few Ales. I picked this one up due to references from some of my buddys.

A- This Ale looks stunning in the glass with an exceptional foamy white head that dissipates fairly quickly but never quite goes away. What Beautiful deep caramel color.

S- The smell is pretty average for a Pale Ale; a nice hoppy scent that is common among good quality Ales.

T- This is the best tasting Ale I have had in many years. A great hop presence with interesting malty flavours with notes of bread and such. Hints of caramel provide a good amount of sweetness. This Ale has a pretty good balance of flavours although the caramel notes are quite a bit more dominant than the others.

M- Nothing too special here. Feels fairly thin in the mouth; quite water-like. Carbonation is just right on this brew.

Overall- A great brew it is for sure. If the body was a bit better and the individual tasting notes were a bit more balanced, this would be a 5/5. The drinkability is superior to most and with that comes a recommendation to anyone who has not tried it! I will definitely be picking this one up again.

Serving type: can

01-19-2013 02:15:33 | More by PorterPro125

MaximalC

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a mostly transparent caramel color with a fair amount of frothy off-white foam that never quite goes away. Aroma smells of caramel and a vague fruitiness. The barest trace of hops lends a crisp, clean character to the aroma. Flavor tastes primarily of caramel malt at first blush, but there is also a nutty component that adds some depth. A yeasty character manifests as the beer warms, lending a bit of texture that I quite enjoy. Some apple and pear begin to appear as well. Meager hops manifest in the finish, which is drier than I would have expected considering the big sweetness in the middle. This is pretty much a necessity to prevent the sweetness from becoming cloying. The mouthfeel is a little loose for my tastes, but it's not bad. I'd just like more of the creaminess that's characteristic of the better representations of the style.

I have to say, with a bit more body and tempered sweetness, this could be an outstanding beer. As is, the caramel sweetness tends to overwhelm the other flavors, and, aside from the front end, the body comes off a little watery. A solid and drinkable English ale, but less than it could have been.

Serving type: nitro-can

01-17-2013 01:39:29 | More by MaximalC

Rijtjeshuis

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look (3.5/5) ~ coppery gold in colour with brilliant clarity. A moderate head on the pour: about one finger on decent pour, reduces quickly without any lacing. Very good carbonation inside the glass.
Aroma (4/5) ~ very good, though overall I wouldn’t say it was an intense aromatic experience. Malt character was somewhat bready with caramel and some apricot-like aromas (though that may also have been the yeast). Some light hop character that is fruity and earthy, I’d be guessing your usual suspects for this style: Kent Golding and Fuggles. Some nice fruity aromas: as noted, some apricot-like notes, but also some plums, and a floral hint. A bit of butteriness, sulfur and carbonate round out the finish. I may get a very faint smokiness.
Taste (4/5) ~ very well balanced. I get similar malt character: a lot of bread and biscuit notes with some nuttiness are the dominant force with some straight-up caramel adding sweetness. Hopping was very good: some of the earthier varieties with a bit of floral, and only a hint of that metallic character that these sometimes get; bitterness was overall moderate and balanced the grist nicely. The finish introduces a touch of fruitiness, probably from the yeast and some malts, that leans a bit sweet and toward darker pitted fruits (this is a bit stronger than the nose). Finish with some sulfur and carbonate helps dry this out.
Feel (3.5/5) ~ pretty much what I’d expect from an ESB. The carbonation was overall pretty gentle (note the weak head). Body was in the moderate range, with some residual sweetness and syrupiness, but not as much as others of this style.

I’ve recently become much more acquainted with the PA/ESB family of beers (having brewed some and drank a lot of commercial examples). I have to say that Abbot Ale is probably the first or second brew I think of when I do this style (I’m also huge fan of the obvious choice, which is Fuller’s ESB)).

I think that this one represents the median of what an ESB should be (although I do love some of the outliers like Wells Bombardier), and shows the overall ‘drinkability’ and exceptional balance of this style remarkably well. This is what I aim for when I brew these.

can to nonic pint glass.

Serving type: can

12-28-2012 23:43:00 | More by Rijtjeshuis

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Copper colour, clear, no head. It has this little white tinny fuzzy head in the center of the beer.

S: Yeasty, bread, sweet malt, hints of hops,

T: Hints of bread with yeast flavours. There is some grassy hops that balance with sweet malt.

M: Thin, slick on the tongue, low carbonation, bitter finish that drys the palate.

O: Good English pale ale. Has the characteristics of sweet malt with a hop bitter backbone to balance it. Low on aroma and flavour hops, carbonation is on spot.

Serving type: can

12-28-2012 02:42:33 | More by Kremlock

FLima

Brazil

3.43/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had it hand pulled from cask.
Amber color. Produced no head, just a thin ring.
Yeasty and malty aroma.
Predominant sweet taste of caramel malts, biscuits, and bready yeast with hints of floral hops.
Aftertaste is mildly dry.
Medium body with light carbonation and small bubbles.
Sweet and mild beer, quite bready and yeasty. Although it is average in several aspects, it has its own personality, but far from extraordinary.

Serving type: cask

12-25-2012 12:54:20 | More by FLima

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.48/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Serving type: 500 ml can. There is a batch code printed on the bottom but no freshness date.

Appearance: Poured into an imperial pint glass. There was a short but messy spray of beer after I cracked it open (grr!). The color is pale amber with honey tones. A finger of semi-dense eggshell-colored head left a thin cap and ring around the edge.

Smell: It smells like an English pale ale. Light malts, sweet caramel, toffee, honey, a touch of lemon, and some earthy hops. It is very clean.

Taste: It has a relatively full-bodied mouthfeel but the flavor is a tad lacking. It mostly mirrors the smell: light malts, sweet caramel, toffee, honey, lemon zest, and earthy hops. What is most enjoyable is the way the flavors slowly parade across the palate. At first it is sweet, then the lemon zest emerges, and then the bitter aftertaste follows at the end.

Drinkability: This is a decent (canned) British import. I bet it is much better from a cask, though.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 05:52:44 | More by TheQuietMan22

Juanca

Peru

4.53/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Here in Peru there are not many places where you can sample beers from other countries, so when he had me between a place where European beers were selling did not think twice. The first beer I tried was this and go which was a surprise. It's a beer with a strong taste, excellent aroma and rich flavor, one of my favorites ever since.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 02:39:50 | More by Juanca

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

21st September 2012 and a hand-pulled pint of this beer was poured for me in the excellent ‘White Hart’ in Shifnal, Shropshire.

Can’t believe I’ve not reviewed the cask version before: I’m putting that right at last. The glass was full of a clear amber/copper coloured body with an off-white head of foam which hung around and left some heavy lacing as the beer level fell away.

The nose was of semi-sweet malty molasses with fruitiness from the hops: the taste wasn’t far away from that either. This is a pleasant, good quality bitter and although I’m not a huge Greene King fan you can’t knock this brew.

I’m sure it had more flavour years ago, but my memory is fading, so it might not have changed at all?

Serving type: cask

09-24-2012 12:15:40 | More by BlackHaddock

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

No freshness dating on the can. Bottom of the can reads L1118GH00- 19:06

A= Pours a nice translucent amber color with a nice little bit of a cap on the top of the beer that has tiny bubbles and holds steady retention and lacing.

S= Smells sort of basic beery. It actually has a bit of a biscuity sort of aroma. It isn't an abbey style beer from the smell which was a suprise to me.

T= The taste is actually lighter than the smell which I don't usually find to be the case with beers. The flavor is light grassy hops and malt with a little biscuity sweetness and a light finish.

M= The mouth is quite creamy and nice. Tiny bubbles in it. Almost resembles a cask.

O= This isn't a bad beer. Not what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be like a dubbel or something. Eh jokes on me. Tastes good and I may buy it again.

Serving type: can

09-04-2012 03:57:06 | More by jjanega08

TX-Badger

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had the Abbot Ale poured into a pint/nonic glass.

A - It poured out a clear, caramel reddish-brown color with about an inch of fluffy off-white foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - On the nose I do get the caramel malt, with some citrusy hop notes.

T - An earthy caramel maltiness is the main flavor on the palate, which leaves a lightly sweet finish. A very malt forward ale.

M - Medium-bodied, crisp, clean, and smooth.

O - Abbot Ale is a very formidable ale. It brings forth all that is good in caramel malts with just enough hops to balance out the sweetness.

Serving type: nitro-can

08-07-2012 02:20:31 | More by TX-Badger

zeff80

Missouri

3.73/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out a clear, bubbly burgundy color with a one-finger, tan head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled floral and grassy with some strong maltiness.

T - A malt-forward pale with with some nuttiness. There is an earthy bitterness.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a nice canned English ale. Greene King is a solid brewery that imports to the U.S.

Serving type: can

07-29-2012 19:12:14 | More by zeff80

ericj551

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Green King Abbot Ale pours a orange red with almost no head. The aroma is malty and oddly smokey. The flavor is
Sweet with some fruity malt and a hint of herbal hops. The smokey character pops up in the finish with almost an astringent quality. The carbonation is almost non existent, but it suits the beer well.

Serving type: can

07-24-2012 05:07:13 | More by ericj551

rangerred

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

500ml can into a nonic.

Pours a crystal clear medium to dark copper with a half finger creamy white head. Really good head retention with just a little bit of lacing.

The aroma is full of toffee and caramel along with a little bit of citrus. The fruit reminds me of plums and dark cherries. Also a touch of pipe tobacco.

All of these aromas really come alive in the flavor with tons of caramel, wood, and tobacco. The fruit is not quite as prominent as in the nose and there is some subtle English hop character. Mouthfeel is medium and smooth with light carbonation. A light bitterness creeps in about midway through and lingers long after the finish.

Overall, this is really a good example of an English Pale Ale. I'm glad it is not on nitro as is doesn't seem quite as harsh. A great beer that I will be sure to come back to again.

Serving type: can

06-23-2012 02:24:25 | More by rangerred

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From their can into a pint glass.

A- minimal headthat remains a thin film. A bit of lacing. Amber brown, clean and clear.

S- honey-biscuit nose, a touch of roasted malt.

T- fruit and a honey/buttery taste similar to Samuel Smith's Pure Brewed Lager.

M-some hop bite and good carbonation. Medium body and dry finish.

O- Not bad.

Serving type: can

05-21-2012 22:31:06 | More by NiceTaps

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From a can, no widget.

Hazy apple cider colored brew, with a very small cream colored head that hangs around a bit. The lacing is creamy and sticks to the sides of the glass in sheets. Aroma is simple, malty, and sweet, with a trace fruitiness that actually has a faint apple aspect; could that be the power of suggestion?

Actually quite a tasty beer. Not particularly strongly flavored, just smooth and balanced with a lightly sweet biscuit maltiness and a touch of fruit (again, reminiscent of apples). There is a subtle, generic hop bitterness underneath and even a trace of alcohol as well. Overall a mild flavor but still a distinctive one.

Medium bodied with carbonation on the low side, making this easy to drink. A touch watery, perhaps, but not terribly so.

I'm somewhat conflicted about this beer; I like the apple note and the smoothness of the lower carbonation, but I feel like everything is too flattened out (aroma, taste, feel) and would prefer a nitro version if it's going to be this flat and smooth. Interesting but I don't know if I'd go back for another, there are too many beers in the sea to spend more time here. Does this review make sense? I'm not sure, just as I'm not sure about this beer...

Serving type: can

04-15-2012 02:05:22 | More by tobelerone

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: cask at Yards Brewing Co., Philly, PA, for their 5th annual Real Ale Festival 2012

Beer list proclaimed a 6.5%ABV on this one.

Poured a darker amber color with a small soapy head. Light aroma, caramel and light fruits. Taste of sweet caramel and wort, lighter notes of toffee and dried apricot. Pretty nice, but not amazing. Light-medium body, and pretty smooth going down. Not something I'd get again, but definitely not bad.

Serving type: cask

03-28-2012 01:58:22 | More by Rifugium

Immortale25

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a Shiner Bock pint glass. No readable freshness date.

A- Pours a dark but clear copper color with only an 1/8 inch head that retains slightly before puttering away to a thin ring around the edge of the glass and a nearly covered surface of foam. Average lacing.

S- Buttery, biscuity malt smell that's sweet and full.

T- More butter and some caramel-like malt but doesn't go much deeper than that. Slight aftertaste of oxidation.

M- This is where it really falls short for a pub ale. Only slightly creamy, actually more on the watery side with medium-low carbonation and not much body.

O- A pretty big letdown. I don't know what people see in this beer. I'll take Boddington's or Old Speckled Hen in its place any day.

Serving type: can

03-27-2012 02:19:35 | More by Immortale25

schoolboy

Ohio

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Abbot is an interesting malty ale delivered in a great, foolproof vehicle (a can). It has a complex but easy drinking malty taste. It's slightly bitter and slightly creamy. The appearance is clear and a pretty light brown. The head is thin and not very pronounced.

It is a nice change of pace and I used it as a cooler treat for a road trip. I probably would only buy it for the same purpose.

Serving type: can

03-25-2012 23:59:38 | More by schoolboy

dBmV

Florida

4.6/5  rDev +26%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An outstanding English ale! Poured from a pint can. It poured a nice chestnut brown color with a small head that lasted the enitire pint. I wish i find this on tap. Creamy and rich with a classic ale smell. Zero aftertaste. High quality no doubt. Ice cold pint can single ready to go from beer world in largo on ridge rd. A new favorite.

Serving type: can

01-23-2012 21:40:31 | More by dBmV

smakawhat

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the can into a nonic glass. Punch that can here we go.

A foamy almost creamy like head is made off the pour, off white like color. Body is caramel dark orange and brown, some cola like sticking bubbles, perhaps even a nice dark copper crystal here. Creamy head falls into a nice looking puck with good lacing too. Real nice.

Nose is bready graham malt, soft, chewy, a little hint of sweetness. Perhaps a faint hint of cinnamon and possibly clove. Doesn't strike me as particularly fruity on the nose.

Taste matches the nose. A simple light bodied ale matching the graham cracker like sense. Chewy dense, slightly sweet, malty, not much feeling carbonation on here, just a little wet with a hint of thickness.

Overall quite tasty and to the point. Drinking up as she goes rather nicely.

Serving type: can

01-14-2012 03:42:36 | More by smakawhat

Raven3464

Japan

4/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Appearance: The beer pours a beautiful reddish copper body with a one finger head.

Smell: Smells like a flower garden with hints of caramel and candy.

Taste: There's a buttery taste that isn't apparent at all in the smell. Along the way there is a hint of caramel and a bitter hop punch at the end. This is a well balanced beer.

Mouth feel: It's creamy and the dry bitterness at the end compliments the carbonation up front. This is the best part of this beer.

Overall: This is a well balanced English Pale Ale, a very good representative of the style. There is nothing absolutely exceptional about the taste but the "feel" is amazing.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 14:14:19 | More by Raven3464