Adnams Explorer - Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dirty gold with a surprising sticky foam head. Had the last inch in the glass for a long time before finishing, and it still retained a bit of a ring.

Disappointing nose on this. Some honeyed grain. That's it.

For the style, this is better than the usual fare. Grain and bread up front. Then some clean bitterness. A bit of a honey, but the bitter shoves everything out of the way. Palate clears with malt and bitterness.

A little soft on the palate. Want a bit more carbonation to help clean off the bitter.

Overall, not bad. Clean bitter beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 06:39:06 | More by OtherShoe2

BikingDutchman

Iowa

3.89/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A light golden colored beer with a white head that has plenty of staying power and some good lacing.

S: Smells pretty balanced with grassy and slightly citrusy hops.

T: Tastes very balanced between sweet malts and citrusy hops. The hops have a fruitier flavor than the aroma suggests.

M: Light body expected from a blonde ale. Seems pretty fitting for the style - not too light but definitely not heavy.

O: Easy to drink and very balanced. Refreshing, and I would look for it again if it was more available. I don't know how long this has been on the shelf, so the hops may have faded. If this was fresh, I'm sure it would be a fantastic beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 04:20:38 | More by BikingDutchman

TomRB

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

05-11-2013 18:58:37 | More by TomRB

Brenden

Ohio

3.91/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Explorer sits somewhere in the range of dark yellow and pale orange as far as color. It's got a hazy thickness in its body. The head is not quite a finger tall, and retention is good but not great, but the lacing left behind is fantastic; thick, patchy rings of yellow-tinted foam cling densely on the glass.
There's a distinctive mild mustiness to the malts on the nose, and it's earthy in a way. It finishes herbal and grassy with some citrus, though not as much as boasted.
The flavor is where this beer develops. It's distinctively British in a gentle, unoffensive metallic note and somewhat herbal quality. The surprise is the hefty dose of hops I wouldn't have expected from the aroma. This is a nice, hoppy blonde for sure.
This beer is consistently crisp in a light body with a moderate smoothness and a semi-dry finish as hops linger on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:44:42 | More by Brenden

BGsWo22

New York

2/5  rDev -43.5%

03-20-2013 20:52:36 | More by BGsWo22

Halcyondays

California

4.18/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pint bottle,

A: Pours gold with a medium white head, some nice spotty lace, looks like a light bitter.

S: Grass and some tropical fruit, a bready malt character.

T: Bready malt met with an excellent hop play. Balanced with some pineapple, grass and hay from the hops. Tart at times, a very nice hop attack.

M: Light-bodied, a real easy drinker, crisp and clean.

O: A real nice pint, it started off slow but ended well. Liked this one quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:05:59 | More by Halcyondays

jmccraney

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

02-25-2013 19:04:36 | More by jmccraney

Dracook

United Kingdom (England)

2.5/5  rDev -29.4%

12-29-2012 18:42:49 | More by Dracook

Focusf111

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

10-21-2012 04:28:20 | More by Focusf111

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. Do they actually grow Chinook and Columbus hops on the American East coast? Huh.

This beer pours a clear medium golden straw colour, with one finger of loosely foamy dirty white head, which leaves a low-lying seawall of lace around the glass as it rashly subsides.

It smells of pale grainy, somewhat bready malt, some mild Rocky Mountain spa mineral notes, a bit of mild orchard fruitiness, and soft floral, leafy hops. The taste is semi-sweet pale malt, some biscuity, lightly toasted breadiness, a smidgeon of tangy citrus, and more tame leafy, and kind of peppery, hops.

The carbonation is pretty laid back, the body a decent medium weight, a tad watery, but generally smooth in deferential consolation. It finishes off-dry, the gravitas of the guest star hops coming more fully round on the lingering bready malt.

One of the better blonde ales I've come across, but it is an admittedly weak category to begin with. Anyhoo, the introduction of foreign flora into a native bio-environment has been accomplished with typical English understatement. Successful - yes, but you have to be patient, wait, suffer a wee bit, and then all is revealed, to somewhat of a less than tumultuous eclat.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 02:28:27 | More by biboergosum

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

1pt, 0.9oz bottle (5% ABV) poured into a tulip stout glass. Date stamp was 2178:13:44.

Appearance: Hazy golden yellow with a bit of orange to it. Thin white head across the top, occasional strands of lacing noted.

Smell: Quite a lot of American hop smell here, which seems to be what they were going for. Mostly grapefruit, but a hint of lemon citrus.

Taste: Very hop forward and hop dominating. Unbalanced towards bitterness with just the barest amount of malt underneath it all. The malt comes across as biscuity, not balancing enough though. Hop flavors are mostly grapefruit, pine, and a hint of skunk at the end.

Mouthfeel: Good in that it cleans the palate, but not fizzy. Just a hair thicker than water underneath.

Overall / Drinkability: Let me tackle drinkability first. Not very drinkable. One is enough as it has too much in the way of hop bitterness and not enough in the way of hop flavor and malt backbone balance. Overall, I think this beer is not in the right category. It's not an American blonde, but rather, a UK take on an American India Pale Ale, but without enough malt. It's too hoppy to be an American Pale Ale, and it's not a Blonde either. Given the hop bitterness of this one with an emphasis on the US based hops, it's more like an unbalanced AIPA. So overall I don't think it works well. Not a bad beer, but not a great one either.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 23:00:51 | More by damndirtyape

hosehead83

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pouered from a half-liter bottle into a standard pint glass.
Chill-hazed blonde in color, with a nice whipped egg-white head of foam.
Aroma-Subtle hop note
Taste-White grapefruit, mineral note, 'dusty' hops, dry finish. Good flavor for a sessionable brew. A fine match for a hunk of aged English white cheddar.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 17:40:10 | More by hosehead83

WesM63

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

10-12-2012 03:56:22 | More by WesM63

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another hand pump cask ale, while visiting friends in Andover, England.
Dark gold color, thin but tight foam with okay retention and lace.
Smell is more hoppy than alot of the ales we have tried, citrus and grapefruit aromas.
The taste jumps out with hoppiness up front, tangy citrus starts then solid backbone of malt finishes. Body is medium, good mouthfeel, dry and clean finish.
A nice, fresh summer brew that was enjoyed immensely.

Serving type: cask

09-16-2012 23:28:52 | More by BigBry

Bix

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

08-25-2012 16:18:46 | More by Bix

MEP

4.25/5  rDev +20.1%

07-27-2012 19:27:14 | More by MEP

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.55/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 500ml bottle with a BB of May 2012, so it's a little out of date. ABV is stated as 5%. The label commands that it should be served chilled (though I let it warm a little) - I suspect that this has been created to appeal to lager drinkers. A blonde beer brewed with chinook and columbus.

Poured into a straight pint glass. A golden-amber hue with medium carbonation and slight sediment. Forms a smallish head of creamy white foam that lasts for a minute or two before reducing. Aroma of light malt with mild notes of grapefruit and aromatic hops, accompanied by fruity ale yeast. Slightly sweet.

Tastes of light malt with subtle aromatic hops and a dry finish. Notes of mild grapefruit, citrus, and ale yeast. Slightly sweet. A faint, dry bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with good body for the style. Mildly astringent. Aftertaste of yeast with hints of aromatic hops.

Nice - exceeded my initial expectations. Light and refreshing, with a subtle but distinct aromatic hop character. Would go down only too easily on a warm summer day. Worth sampling.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 22:20:14 | More by jazzyjeff13

beerdrifter

Germany

3.73/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at the biggest beer store in the UK, Beers of Europe Ltd. Clear golden pour with two finger head that quickly fades to a creamy film with decent lacing. The nose is all earthy, fresh mowed grass at first, but as it warms you start getting some subtle sweet caramel malts and a bit of fresh hops with a touch of white pepper. The taste is grassy as well with a slight sourness on the finish. Subtle fresh hop notes along with a sweet maltiness emerge as it warms. The finish is crisp and slightly bitter with a nice refreshing quality to it. The light body makes it pretty drinkable. I liked it better as it warmed as opposed to when it was cold from the fridge, even though it's marketed with "chilled" on the label. A solid summery beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 18:05:11 | More by beerdrifter

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.78/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The first of the 4 beers I got from the Adnams shop in Southwold following a tour of the Adnams brewery. Because of the voucher for a free bottle of beer that came with the tour this was free (being the most expensive of the 3) which always a nice bonus.

A great blonde beer, golden in colour, and when served chilled extremely refreshing and quite easy on the palate. A perfect beer for the summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 13:44:19 | More by CwrwAmByth

Dentist666

Russian Federation

3.2/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've obtained Adnams Explorer Chilled ABV 5.0, it looks the same as Adnams Explorer. Orange/amber beer with rapidly vanishing head, only ring remains on the surface. Weak smell of citrus and watery but balanced taste with pleasant citrus and hop palate. Crisp and invigorate beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2010 19:09:05 | More by Dentist666

ADZA

Australia

3.13/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a golden amber colour with nice carbonation that leaves a fast receding two finger head,it has aromas of pale malts and some feint fruity hops,it has an average mouthfeel which really is pretty light and the aroma definately comes thru on the taste which really is quite bland but drinkable just not a standout beer in my category.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2009 09:05:13 | More by ADZA

charlatan

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

The head quickly dissipates to just a rim ring above the straw coloured beer. The nose is chalky leading me to expect a yeasty taste. There are some banana esters but no hint of the grapefruit mentioned on the bottle.

After a disappointingly watery start a pleasant light but warm Belgian flavour kicks in with hints of a spice I can't place (nutmeg perhaps?). Yeast is not a big factor. Then the hops kick in and I am treated to the grapefruit flavour, not bold or sweet, understated but welcome all the same. Then we're back to the original flavour but with a hint of popcorn. I'm quite surprised by the subtlety of the nuances here.

Rather watery and flat to start, it took a bit of getting into and even then left the mouth rather dry, yet by the end of the bottle I was wishing I had another!

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2009 14:47:10 | More by charlatan

jbro434

Switzerland

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy gold color with a small white head that left fine traces of lacing. Good bitter tinge upfront with a smooth malty presense. Floral citrusy nose. The malty, slightly creamy texture lingers throughout the mouth. Hints of citrus and a clean balanced finish made this a pleasure to drink. I had a four hour layover in London and hopped on the Underground to a pub in Earls Court for a quick pint. I feel I made a good choice considering the selection on hand.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2009 10:58:35 | More by jbro434

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had on cask at the Whitelock pub in Leeds England. Fairly typical ale appearance - slightly hazy gold with a rather thick and lasting head. Aroma was light and malty. Flavor was a wonderful mix of malt with hints of caramel balanced by a solid grapefruit-rind bitterness. The mouthfeel is where this beer shines - really full and smooth - borders on sensuous. The overall blend of flavors and exceptional mouthfeel made this a very drinkable beer - I had several as the night wore on. I wish we could get session-type beers with this much character in the US on a regular basis. This was a treat.

Serving type: cask

09-15-2009 22:57:15 | More by aaronh

Cresant

Kentucky

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received a full pint at the Blue Anchor in Hammersmith. Body was a hazy butterscotch yellow. sudsy foam on top (no room for a head).

Smell was fresh and very lightly fruity.

Taste was malts and grapefruit. Not grapefruit like a West Coast IPA but a mild grapefruit flavor. Mildly bitter and highly drinkable.

Mouthfeel was smooth and rather creamy. This is only the second cask real ale I've had. I like, but maybe dagerously drinkable.

Serving type: cask

08-11-2007 10:21:42 | More by Cresant