Adnams Broadside - Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery

Spikester

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Deep copper-brown with good amount of off-white head and lacings.
Aroma is some spice, toffee.
Taste is complex toffee sweet malts with just enough bitter european hops to balance. Easy bitter finish. Mouthfeel is on the light side which helps make this a session beer for me.
I had this from a bottle which was slightly larger than a 12 oz. and smaller than a bomber. Cost about $3 US. If this was a bit less expensive I would drink a lot of this beer. Well recommended. Would really like to try the on-tap version sometime.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2008 02:02:16 | More by Spikester

Thiestru

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint-sized glass.

Appearance: Deep coppery brown with a one-finger off-white head. Wonderful lacing on the glass.

Smell: Lots of floral hoppiness jumps out at me, offset a little by the malts.

Taste: The hops immediately rush out at me with a delightful spicy bitterness. The malt darkens the flavor well. I'm enjoying how earthy this is. This is how an ESB should taste. A faint bitterness lingers on for some time in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and creamy.

Drinkability: High! What a great, enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2008 04:48:29 | More by Thiestru

Daredevil

Switzerland

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a bit like the 2eme or 3eme GC Bordeaux .... everything is perfectly balanced and smooth ... no rough edges no lumps and bumps ... if you are looking for a perfectly executed, medium bodied, fruity ale ... this one might be just as good as it gets ...

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2008 22:29:11 | More by Daredevil

PartyHatjo

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Deep red / brown colour, some haziness, topped with a thick, off-white head. Beautiful retention, and quality lacing

Aroma: Stronger malt character than hoppiness. Slight diacetyl combined with a sweet caramel character. Toast/biscuit also part of the maltiness. Some earthy hoppiness creeps in as well.

Taste: This is a brew that focuses more on the malt than the hops. You get a big hit of toffee/biscuit flavors with thick caramel backbone. Some yeasty esters come through as well. Very slight hop character of the English variety.

Mouthfeel: Big body for a cask ale, not quite as balanced as I like.

Drinkability: Too much body for a session beer, heaviness hurts its quaffability

Serving type: cask

04-20-2008 08:48:44 | More by PartyHatjo

AylwinForbes

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Walnut brown, clear with nice sudsy head in the glass. Tasted side-by-side with a London Pride (the quintessence of English bitter) the extra body and content of this beer was very evident. Nice balance of malty fruitiness and hop. On draft it slips down with unreal ease. Very high marks for this. Of course, I have long had a soft spot for Adnams.

Serving type: cask

02-25-2008 21:36:07 | More by AylwinForbes

Natural510

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This brown ale poured an okay head which quickly evaporated. The color was a cloudy, almost muddy-brown which looked nice.
This is a somewhat average British ale...decent hop bite, but very sour aftertaste. Not much mouthful of which to speak.
It could make a good session ale, like most British browns, but I much prefer Young's or Samuel Smith, which go down smoother with a bit more flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 21:05:04 | More by Natural510

atigerlife

Hawaii

3.45/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown with lighter highlights. Slightly off-white 1 finger fluffy head. Good retention and lacing. Lots of carbonation.

Aroma of sweet malts [honey/caramel].

Taste has light hops and malts. Other things going on here, but very light and hard to discern.

Mouthfeel is slightly flat, lightly cleansing.

Overall, a decent brew. Definitely sessionable. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2007 23:50:24 | More by atigerlife

brendan13

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark mahogony colour with a few centimetres of beige head.
S - Sweet caramel malt & some floral hop notes. Some fruity esters.
T - Again sweet caramel but with some toastiness as well. Dark fruit flavours come through a bit as well.
M - Medium bodied with a fairly low carbonation level.
D - Nice flavourful beer that I could easily drink a few pints of.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2007 10:36:32 | More by brendan13

Atlas1

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Interestingly enough, the BA says that the Broadside is a mere 4.7% ABV, while the bottle's label says it's 6%. I think I'll go with what the label says.

From the bottle into my Sam Adams crazy glass, the beer appears a rich brown color, and provides a thick one-finger off-white head. But when held up to the light, bright hues of ruby red and burnt orange shine through and really bring this beer to life. A beauty, for sure. The nose is light, but filled with dark fruits such as raisins and dates. A faint banana scent, lots of malt, and the slightest hint of caramel. This is a nice aroma here. The taste is malty, with a richer caramel presence and lots of smoky licorice. Fruity, but in a relaxed, muted kind of way. Some baker's chocolate notes too. The malt stands out most here, but it finishes with a pleasant bitter hop tang. Mouthfeel is tangy and dry. Nice but nothing special.

This is really unlike anything I've ever had before, but I love it. One of the finest ESBs I've ever had, although I'm not sure I would lump this beer into the ESB category so hastily. It is really a strange cross between a hoppy brown ale and a dopplebock, in my opinion. Very tasty. I will go back for more.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2007 22:16:35 | More by Atlas1

IntriqKen

California

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a very dark amber with 2 fingers of tan that melted to barely a ring of lace.
Aroma is a typical British Ale yeast and sweet amber malts. Very warm, soft comfortable aroma. I keep stealing another sniff with each sip from the glass and linger over the scent long enough to go...Mmmmm.
Taste is very malty...lots of dark toasted malts that are moderately sweet. Break to a drying hop on the finish but never enough to overpower the wonderful toasty malts that are the base of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 03:19:35 | More by IntriqKen

aussielars

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Dark coppery brown with a firm of white slow disappearing head. Hazy appearance, and I couldn't see any effervescence at all. (Might be wrong here, drank it at night time with poor lighting.)
Sweet plum, malt with some tart undernotes.
Plum and malt in taste with a nice bitter after taste.
Medium to full mouthfeel and very smooth.
Not a session beer, but i do like a couple of this one on a cold Queensland night (18c or 64f)

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2007 10:34:00 | More by aussielars

Fernans

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Adnams was one of the many new beers that tried when I've been to London, but here in the states, I simply couldn't find it... until now. I bought an Imperal Pint bottle (it filled up by Guiness Glass very nicely).
Appearence: I love dark beers, anytime of the year. Deep amber with a nice tan head that stuck.

Smell: This is interesting. It smelled like bananas to some degree. Not too much, but noticeable

Taste: Very enjoyable toasty and nutty ovetones.

Mouthfeel: Smooth with some bubbles to let you know it's alive.

Drinkability: This one can be sipped or gulped without much difficulty which is nice.

B+

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2007 02:43:41 | More by Fernans

smurfyou

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I've grown to really like this brewery. The Broadside tastes, to me, very much like an English bitter ale should. Smells great, like sweet bread. It has a rich caramel malt flavor with just enough hops to make it bitter, and a somewhat dry finish. I find it tastes best when its out of the fridge for 20 minutes (like most beers I suppose). I think mine was around 6% abv, so I need to double check. According to BA its only 4.7. I could be confusing it with the SSB. Anyway, a great beer - only the price is keeping it off the session list.

Looking forward to visiting Southwold. Seems this beer would be great from a cask.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2007 23:13:14 | More by smurfyou

norwichboy

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hazy dark copper-brown hue. A large beige head is initially produced which settles to a light frothy layer that produces some good lacing. Aromas of sweet vinous dark fruits and toffee. Flavours are rich with dark fruits and apples, alcohol noticeable. The bitterness is fairly restrained, produces a clean finish, with some lingering bitter notes. Full creamy mouthfeel with great fine carbonation, which creates just enough liveliness on the tongue.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2006 10:26:38 | More by norwichboy

kmacphail

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.7/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a nice brown coloured, clear ale with an off white head. The bubbles are instantly noticeable when poured from the bottle, they are numerous.

The bitter hoppy smell is pleasantly mixed with a hint of citrus which makes the smell nice but rather bitter. This continues through to the taste dominated by the hops with an aftertaste of citrus fruits.

It sounds like a normal bitter but there is something different that I couldn't put my finger on. The beer boasts plenty of body, but I have a feeling that this was designed for the cask. The bottled edition boasts a very bitter and sharp aftertaste that actually spoils the enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2006 19:57:38 | More by kmacphail

goodbyesoberday

Australia

4.22/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Rich copper hue with some slight haze and a small off-white head. Caramel malt aroma dominates, some fruitiness and a touch of alcohol. Caramel continues into flavour, combining with strong bitterness, but caramel still dominates. Some alcohol warmth noticeable. Light floral component detectable behind caramel and bitterness. Good body and low carbonation, creamy texture.

Overall strong and warming yet very pleasant drinking. Perfect for a session beer on a cold day. A strong beer with the caramelly maltiness either barely dominating or holding the assertive bitterness in check.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2006 15:21:00 | More by goodbyesoberday

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

4.53/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my wife's favourite beer!

This is serious drinking beer, full of colour, full of powerful flavours and aromas. A dark ruby-red strong English Ale which demands respect.

My wife and myself drink it in 'The Nelson', Southwold. The pub is full of naval stuff, as you would expect, it is also only 400 yards from the brewery. The horse-drawn dray delivers to all the pubs in Southwold even to this day, a great sight.

Adnams are pushing their beers into the 'Free Trade' more and more at the moment and are expanding. Their beers are now available all over the UK. I have not detected any lowering of standards or tastes of any of their beers. I try them whenever I come across them, Broadside at its best, is a very very good beer.

Serving type: cask

08-06-2006 21:39:27 | More by BlackHaddock

GallowsOak

United Kingdom (England)

4.88/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Simply English Premium Cask Bitter at its best. Spicy notes of Challenger (?) hops. Malty and rich but not overpowering. After the first pint the second is enevitable. If you find it on a bar in England it would be rude not to try it! Think warm summer evening in a English country pub garden after a hard game of tennis. Broadside is a drink to sip gently, talk about, then finish off in large mouthfuls. Adnams have acheived a perfect balance of robust and 'easy to drink'. Don't buy the bottled version thinking it's the same drink, it is very different, very good indeed, but very different.

Serving type: cask

07-14-2006 21:59:56 | More by GallowsOak

JohnfromDublin

Ireland

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Tasted this 500ml bottle on 2nd July 2006 (BB 27 JUN 07) NOTE: 6.3% ABV.

As soon as I removed the crown cap, a nice surge of bubbles appeared from the top of the bottle. Poured into pint glass a clear fairly dark brown brew with a nice head. The smell was a surprise, being fruity (apples and pears). I had expected an earthy malty smell. The taste was malt and hops, very good, although not complex. Mouthfeel was clean. This is a good honest English Ale. The only downside was I got a tiny bit weary of the taste which explains my reduced drinkability score. I would love to have a couple of pints of the cask version.

EDIT:
Okay, I have had the cask version (a number of times!) in April 2007 while visiting London. I found it to be an excellent "session" ale, so my "drinkability" score would be a 4.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2006 13:45:14 | More by JohnfromDublin

SilentSabre

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Oh my! What a terrific ale! I must say, this poured much darker than I was anticipating. A dark cloudy bronze / red colour with a lovely khaki coloured head. It looked wonderful! The smell is delicious with loads of caramel and other sweet, candy-like nuances. There is also a pleasant measure of hops detectable, as well. The taste is a magnificent balace of caramel and hops, as both the sweetness and the hops' bitterness seem to manifest themselves at the same time. The mouthfeel is very smooth, making this easy to drink. A perfect measure of carbonation in a truly wonderful English ESB!! Smashing!! ..and a special thanks to BA Ding for being kind enough to provide me the opportunity to taste this lovely treat!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2006 03:03:14 | More by SilentSabre

jaluria

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Read about this beer in The Brewmaster's Table and decided to pick up at my local store.

Poured a nice crimson color with an eggshell colored head that left behind some lacing and contained a medium level of carbonation. Aromas of sugar, plums, roasted malt, and sea salt seemed apparent. The taste was somewhat smokey with strong malt flavors. The beer was engaging with a bitterness that grows with each sip and dominates the finish. Slightly chewy texture with a smooth and refreshing. Good flavors and low alcohol content make this an easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2006 12:53:56 | More by jaluria

geexploitation

Indiana

3.15/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer calls itself an "English Ale", but it doesn't taste too much like one. It doesn't taste like an ESB (which is how BA classifies it), that's for sure.

Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights when held to direct light. Big head initially, but it fades. The nose is quite sweet, with caramel notes, perhaps some beet sugar notes, and just a touch of earthy hops. Not much hop character for an ESB/English Ale. The palate is more of the same: there's some balance in the bittering hops, but lots of sweet malt character -- caramel and dark fruit -- and a finish with a dry, Burton-gypsum snap. Mouthfeel is rather viscous, perhaps due to some residual sugars.

All in all this is OK, but I'm not terribly impressed. This just doesn't strike me as very English.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2006 02:56:25 | More by geexploitation

LHMark

New York

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At 6%, Broadside is a big beer, especially for one that advertises itself simply as "English Ale." Yet the brew is nicely balanced and pleasant. There's nothing extraordinary here, but I'd happily order a Broadside from time to time.


I screwed up the handling of the bottle, leaving a luxurious trail of suds across the floor as I rushed to get the gushing maw over the sink, so I can't accurately comment about the beer's head. It pours a pretty amber, almost apricot when held up to the light.


Being used to American IPAs and pale ales, with their esters and Pacific Northwest pine scents, I found Broadside's aroma refreshingly different. There;s some floral hop smell, but it's more subdued...dare I say more refined?


The beer felt pleasantly viscous in my mouth, and I thought that was a nice touch considering the higher alcohol content compared to most English ales. The beer had light fruit flavors that did not obscure the sweet taste of the malt, and finished with a noticeable but subdued hop flavor, with none of the grapefruit or pine of it's American counterparts. Overall pretty nicely balanced.


I hadn't had an English beer in a long time. Adnams Broadside is a good way to get reacquainted.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2006 22:39:17 | More by LHMark

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.63/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - a bloodish-red amber color, a light mocha head is quick to build up to two fingers, then drift down slowly, some choppy lacing left behind.

Aroma - sweet, malty, bready, biscuity, like most good ESBs.

Taste - sweet malts at first, quickly followed by some good balancing hops. A hefty wash of carbonation cleans the palate for the ensuing roasty flavors. Ends with that malt roastiness and some of the hop bitterness. Great balance, a great beer!

Mouthfeel - very bubbly, and medium-bodied.

Drinkability - a great beer at a great price. 99 cents a bottle on sale at Jungle Jim's. Woo Hoo!

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2006 05:51:59 | More by brewdlyhooked13

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted by two half pints at the Anglesea Arms, South Kensington, just before X'mas 05. I can't help feeling that many BAs need to examine their eye-sights: the entry here is for the 4.7%abv. draught version rather than the stronger 6.3%abv. bottled version!! And, quite honestly, these are almost two different beers IMHO~~ Here's why:

A: pours a bright, copperish hue, with a thin frothy cap on the top, leaving very tight lacing against a low-carbonated body. Very decent and fresh~~
S: resinous hops float from the beer head, while luscious dark fruits and slightly sulphurus and earthy hops come through after swirling, backed by a toffeeish malty overtone at the back.
T: ultra smooth-textured, almost mixed juice like fruity maltiness prevails upfront (mixed of red apples, raisins, ripe black plums, with a lightly vinous touch), backed by a lightly toffeeish flavour; quickly leading to a dryish hoppyness and bitter-sweet, dried berry-fruitiness in the aftertaste... just when it's about to end a tangy fruity hoppyness with the Adnam's special soft-salty hint (as vividly demonstrated by Adnam's flagship beer: Bitter) kicks back, resulting in a satisfying, almost tea-like texture at the back of the palate.
M&D: medium-bodied and lively at the same time, the mouthfeel is rounder than round and softer than soft, with a touch of oil against its well-balanced flavour profile. It's simply a bliss as far as a draught ale is concerned... After having tried this fantastic draught version of Broadside five years ago in a Sussex village, this is my first time to bump into the same ale in such perfect condtion. A distinctive ale (IMO) from its own stronger cousin, and equally impressive!

Serving type: cask

01-12-2006 19:01:01 | More by wl0307