Adnams Southwold Bitter - Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16.9 ounce bottle - $3.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out a clear, deep amber-hued body with a foaming, short-lived, white head. A few spider web streaks of lace on the descent.

Smell: Toasted barley husks in the nose with an ill-defined sweet-scented trace to it, discarded fruit skins, and some earthy, woodsy English hops.

Taste: A taste of wet toast with a little, light caramel sweetness that quickly recedes away. A bit of apple skin, a bit of red grape skin. Earthy, woodsy, faintly herbal hop character with medium-light bitterness. Faint toastiness remaining in the predominately hoppy (though, even that’s still quite restrained)

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Falls a little shy of a medium level of carbonation for an overall soft mouthfeel.

Overall: Enjoyably subtle.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 18:30:09 | More by ChainGangGuy

KStark

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +11.7%

06-14-2013 15:20:40 | More by KStark

kurt65

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +25.7%

06-08-2013 21:08:16 | More by kurt65

maxwelldeux

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -16.2%

06-02-2013 02:19:57 | More by maxwelldeux

apanloco

Sweden

1/5  rDev -72.1%

05-18-2013 20:21:44 | More by apanloco

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A 500ml bottle with a BB of April 2013. Picked up some time back from a supermarket. The figure depicted on the label is 'Southwold Jack', a local icon and an emblem of the brewery.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A deep orange-amber colour with medium carbonation. Forms a decent head of frothy off-white foam that lasts for a minute or two before collapsing to a patchy surface layer. Aroma of caramel malt with fruity yeast esters, stewed hops, faint grass/hay and a hint of sweetness.

Tastes of caramel malt with a dry finish. Notes of caramel, fruity yeast esters, stewed hops, mild grass/hay and a dry earthiness. A subtle bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with light carbonation and good body. Slightly astringent, with an aftertaste of dry stewed hops and fruitiness.

A decent bitter, if a tad unexciting. Would be nice if the hop aroma was more prominent, but overall this is balanced and well-crafted. A easy-going ale that would be perfect for sessioning. Worth sampling if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 21:09:47 | More by jazzyjeff13

gwiedman1

New York

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

03-30-2013 21:31:24 | More by gwiedman1

match1112

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

02-16-2013 13:11:56 | More by match1112

Liquoric3

Germany

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

02-12-2013 22:54:20 | More by Liquoric3

Focusf111

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

01-18-2013 01:06:41 | More by Focusf111

nathanjohnson

Vermont

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

01-12-2013 21:06:49 | More by nathanjohnson

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: 16.9 oz bottle. Pours a rich, clear deep copper. Off white silky head leaving layers of lace.

SMELL: Toffee and sweet dough initially, a bit sweet smelling and candy like. Brown sugar and molasses.

TASTE: Well balanced with caramel, butterscotch and a noble, grassy pine like hop. The dough apparent in the nose carries through with the taste. Very lightly bitter, this is a nice English ale.

FEEL: Medium bodied, smooth, creamy and delicately carbonated. A more than quaffable session beer.

OVERALL: Bottle claims the Adnams brewery of the year in 2011. With offerings like this, you can see how they've earned that distinction.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 22:11:18 | More by Stinkypuss

profondo

Sweden

4/5  rDev +11.7%

01-03-2013 18:39:23 | More by profondo

rangerred

Tennessee

3.83/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle into an imperial pint glass.

Pours a dark brown with a slight chill haze. Just a small half finger head than doesn't last for long with a few streaks of lacing on the glass.

Aroma has dark fruits typical of English bitters along with toffee/caramel and some burnt toast. Pretty average.

The flavor continues the English fig, prune, toffee characteristics but I like that there is an additional bready/grain flavor. Everything is just a tad bit muted but no off-flavors are detectable. Bitterness is light with great grassy hop flavors. Mouthfeel is slick and silky but a little sticky which is slightly distracting.

Overall, a good English bitter but not quite up to the Fullers level. Still, I love this style and would really like to sample this out of a cask.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 03:39:37 | More by rangerred

claspada

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a fairly dark amber color with a thick eggshell head of froth that recedes to leave solid lacing.

Aromas begin with earthy, floral hops with some emerging fruity green fruit esters with some more herbal hops in the background. As it warms you get some of the malt base composed of heavily toasted bread, light minerally aspects with some emerging caramel maltiness.

The tastes begin slightly biscuity and toasted maltiness with some minerally aspects in the finish. Hops are lightly bitter but balance the malt sweetness, mainly earthy and herbal. Some fruity English yeast esters also emerge as it warms.

Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is slightly bitter with a slightly balanced malt sweetness.

Overall this was an enjoyable beer that I enjoyed while eating my Malaysian dinner the other night. It is extremely drinkable, never boring and just a quality example of an English Bitter, one of the top ones I've had in the US for sure. It lacks the spoiled, old, oxidized flavors many English imports have which was very pleasing.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 14:51:23 | More by claspada

mikeg67

New Jersey

2.68/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

500 ml bottle. Pours amber with a medium lasting white head. Aroma is of grassy hops, caramel malt, and ripe fruit. Body is medium and tangy. Earthy hops followed by caramel malt and some fruit on the palate. Finish is long and earthy. I can’t say I enjoyed this brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 19:28:44 | More by mikeg67

Thomas_Picton

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

11-19-2012 00:29:28 | More by Thomas_Picton

Offa

California

4.33/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is an excellent bitter with nice character yet low ABV, a very English beer.

Bright reddish copper, it has a big off-white head steadily shrinking to lasting rocky top.

Aroma is wonderful full roasty character, slightly caramelised toast, tea, hints of citrus and jam.

Taste is wonderful juicy, faintly winy toast, tea, woody-toasty bitter finish after a sweeter start. It is lively and engaging, juicy and appetizing. The bitterness and sweetness are gentle and balanced, but firm and it leans slightly to the bitter side in a lean finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 04:58:20 | More by Offa

Gtotango

California

2.5/5  rDev -30.2%

11-11-2012 19:37:42 | More by Gtotango

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

500ml bottle - surely this is the same offering as the 'Adnams Bitter', no?

This beer pours a clear medium golden amber hue, with two fingers of loosely foamy, dirty white head, which leaves some low shoreline lace around the glass as it quickly settles.

It smells of grainy caramel malt, thin apple orchard fruit, and some mildly bitter leafy, grassy hops. The taste is somewhat biscuity, grainy malt, with some breakfast butter character, a simple drupe fruitiness, and herbal, leafy hops.

The carbonation is generally quite sedate, just a bit of sass here and there, the body medium-light in weight, and haltingly smooth, a slight indistinct edge floating throughout. It finishes off-dry, barely, the grainy malt, apple skin fruitiness, and leafy hops conspiring and conjuring that particular effect.

A so-so bitter, not really up to the spec of a Fullers or John Smiths, with an off kilter, and overly dominant fruit nature. Good for one, I suppose, and then it's simply time for something else.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 02:50:50 | More by biboergosum

defect_

Sweden

3/5  rDev -16.2%

11-08-2012 00:48:31 | More by defect_

RoryOMoore

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -16.2%

11-06-2012 03:51:12 | More by RoryOMoore

everettsbeerguy

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

10-23-2012 16:30:39 | More by everettsbeerguy

jtierney89

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Gorgeous tarnished brassy hue with great clarity and 2 fingers of off white head that sticks to the glass. Bold, earthy and spicy hops on the nose with buttered burnt biscuit it underneath it. Toasted grains, roasted malt and a slight floweyness.

Light body. Big malt profile. Toasted grain on the flavor with a little bit of butteryness. Hops come through flavor wise but there's not a ton of bitterness. Lots of balance. A little thin and watery but it has good flavor, a nice balance of complex malts and noble hops. Bold for a session brew but the water like body takes away from it a bit.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 02:07:33 | More by jtierney89

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.2/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a clear amber with one and a half fingers of white foam that lasts for about three minutes, minimal lacing left behind on the glass. Medium-light body and carbonation levels, crisp snappy finish that has a fairly decent sustain to it.

Smells of buttery toasted bread with a light fig jam spread on top. The sip, however, is markedly sharp and bitter with an initial attack of strong herbal-woody and medium earthen hopping over biscuit malts with another garnish of fig jam... it is VERY much drier and bitter on the tongue than the nose had led me to expect, and I'm liking it very much. I'm not normally a big fan of diacetyl, but somehow this beer has managed to have a reasonable modicum of butter in the aroma but hardly any at all present in the flavor, which works out for the best IMO. Well worth trying, and quite sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 18:19:11 | More by WastingFreetime