Wandle - Sambrook's Brewery

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a slightly hazed amber with a solid, dense head of foam.

S - Nose has an interesting non-pine resinous quality and ripe, floral fruit. Mangos and peaches come to mind.

T/M - Very dry and slightly astringent and a bit crisp. Some hops are unfamiliar, and somewhat herbal in nature. Also present are hints of apple and a bit of acid up front. Carbonation is a bit rough.

D - Not totally sold on this one. A little too crisp I think, and could benefit from some smoothing out.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 16:47:45 | More by allergictomacros

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Parents brought this from London for me.

A - Medium golden and bright. Good carbonation and a one finger white head. Spotty lace is very minimal and retention holds at half a finger.

S - Earthy and bready. Very British. Sweet toffee. Some diacetyl.

T - Malt base is good. Toffee and bread. Some gentle floral hop. Hard candy of a flavour I can't pin down.

M - Mild carbonation, light to medium body and a clean and a little floral finish.

O/D - I could have a few of these, but it definitely doesn't hold your attention. Not as flavorful as other bitters, but not bad. Nothing too special.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 23:13:54 | More by tbeckett

jmccraney

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +2%

02-28-2013 14:09:38 | More by jmccraney

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle, 4.2% ABV, seemingly only available at the Liquor Depot hegemonic chain of stores around here.

This beer pours a clear, pale golden amber colour, with two pudgy fingers of puffy, foamy eggshell-white head, which leaves some nice webbed tree branch lace around the glass as it genially recedes.

It smells of fruity pale malt - apple, canned pear, peach, and generic melon - with a tame attendant breadiness, and some mildly bitter leafy, floral hops. The taste is somewhat musty, grainy pale malt, the fruit essence still there, but having become much more dry and ethereal, a soft wet cereal character that arises as it all warms a bit, and some mildly herbal, weedy hops.

The bubbles are there, but pretty laid-back, unsurprisingly, the body a decently supportive medium-light weight, with a straight-ahead wounded smoothness. It finishes fairly dry, the grainy malt having spent its limited sweetness, the fruit in the same boat, and the lingering hops coming into their understated prime.

A rather agreeable little pub ale, this one. It morphs throughout its life cycle, from a fruity pale ale, to a sessionable bitter. I suppose there is a bit of something here for everyone, then, within reason, especially if the options are limited by locale or the like.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 03:20:22 | More by biboergosum

CommonRider

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +2%

10-29-2012 16:21:51 | More by CommonRider

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.9/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on cask in a pub in London.

Pours a clear bronze colour with a nice head and decent lacing.

Smells quite fresh and hoppy.

Tastes very nicely balanced, very drinkable and sweet, and very very refreshing.

Overall a lovely thirst quenching beer, i'd definitely have it again.

Serving type: cask

05-17-2012 19:17:22 | More by CwrwAmByth

JRaburn

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%

04-29-2012 20:44:43 | More by JRaburn

StJamesGate

New York

3.9/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On cask at the GBBF, 2011.

Dark bronze with big lacey film. Honey-toasted grain and maybe some twiggy hops on the nose.
Golden syrup, toast and chutney malts with mild flower and light sappy bark hops.
Toffee finish, sweet and sour linger. Light to medium, chewy, round.

Very smooth and drinkable, the glass just raises itself. Perfect session bitter balance, even if the hops are a bit AWOL.

Serving type: cask

08-04-2011 11:52:29 | More by StJamesGate

woosterbill

Connecticut

2.88/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Handpump half-pint at the Albany in Great Portland Street.

A: Clear pale amber body under a thin white head that dissipates into a coarse, sticky ring.

S: Very, very light. Faint hints of biscuity malt and stone fruit. Maybe a touch of herbal hops. Wow, that's weak.

T: Again, nothing much to it. It's clean and balanced, but only the faintest flavors of biscuity malt and hop bitterness come through. Meh.

M: Light body, light carbonation. At least it's smooth.

O: As I was reviewing this beer the bar manager saw my expression, and came over to apologize for the mediocrity of the Wandle - he knew without having poured my beer which ale I must have been sampling, and he promised not to buy it again. While it wasn't terrible by any means, and would certainly be easy to session, it was just the most insipidly boring English ale one could imagine. Avoid this beer if you enjoy flavor.

Cheers!

Serving type: cask

06-17-2011 13:52:47 | More by woosterbill

DerBayer

Germany

3.35/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

THere is something peculiar about the taste and smell of Sambrook's beers but I am taking to it slowly.

There is a very dry taste anf feel to this beer and the taste is very herbal and slightly spicey. There is little mal;t character here and not so much depth in taste but for a session beer this is just fine...

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 12:07:30 | More by DerBayer