Adnams Spindrift - Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

330ml, dark electric blue-tinted bottle. Does this protect against light taint?

This beer pours a clear medium golden straw hue, with one finger of fizzy, foamy off-white head, which wisps away just a little too quickly, leaving nothing in the way of even semi-permanent lace around the glass.

It smells of grainy, crackery pale malt, some stale lemon and blemished apple fruitiness, a slightly zingy yeastiness, and some further leafy citrus hops. The taste is gritty grainy malt, a touch of crusty breadiness, more subtle, old lemon fruitiness, and a soft herbal, leafy hop bitterness.

The bubbles are sedate, but not without a mild flinty edge, the body on the low side of medium weight, a slight clamminess tugging at an other otherwise pleasant smoothness. It finishes mostly dry, the crackery malt, herbal leafy hops, and waning fruitiness seeing to that.

An approachable enough pale ale, with enough varied flavour (I'm not going to use all caps like on the label) to warrant another pass or two, should one be deserted with this on Remote Pub Island. And the blue bottle appears to have had no ill effects - though I have no control subject. Oh well.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 03:54:37 | More by biboergosum

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

2.85/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

330ml Blue bottle. The rear label claims this is a bright blonde English beer brewed with East Anglian malted barley and wheat and hopped with English Hedgerow and other aromatic hops. The beer is dry and crisp with aromas of tropical fruit.

OK, time to open it. I've chilled it a bit, hope it doesn't mind!

Poured into a 'Hoegaarden' Grand Cru stemmed tulip glass.

Deep golden (almost lagerish), clear and bright, white head, losing ground very quickly. No head left by the time I'd typed this in! Maybe it doesn't like being too cold?

There is a hint of citrusy lemony smells but not much, certainly no malt flavours in the aroma or taste. None of the promised tropical aromas either.

The taste is citrus fruits, dry and refreshing, good job it's a sunny, warm day, as this is a summer style beer, not a winter warmer type drink. The front label tells me it 'evokes images of sea spray blown off a cresting wave', I'd better get my sou'wester before I get wet then.

Not overly impressed, I wish Adnams would stick to their original, regular brews. They didn't play the guest beer/seasonal beer game until a few years ago, now it would seem they brew stuff just for the sake of it sometimes.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 12:53:23 | More by BlackHaddock

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.29/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

330ml bottle poured into pint glass 13/3/13

A clear bright yellow with lots of speedy bubbles feeding a thin film that leaves some random lace

S grassy and slightly skunky with some green apple and cracker, faint floral aspect

T much like the smell, no skunk and some faint toffee with a little lemon and honey

M thin and soft from the bubbles, finishes fairly clean with just a little grass left behind

O pretty basic beer but easy enough to drink, I could drink this on a hot day but I might get board pretty fast

My collection of blue beer bottles has grown by one today all the way up to 4, that's right I might have the worlds largest collection of different blue beer bottles

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 01:23:00 | More by wordemupg

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

2.58/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Oct 2012. The bottle is a vivid sapphire blue - simultaneously original and gimmicky! Described as a blonde beer; my view is that it targets a share of the lager market.

Poured into a straight pint glass. A clear golden-amber hue with good, lazy carbonation. Forms a small head of white foam that disappears rapidly. Aroma of light, grainy malt with notes of fruity ale yeast. Faint grassy/citrus hops, and a subtle whiff of stewed veg and banana in the background.

Tastes of light caramel malt with a dry finish. Notes of fruity ale yeast, faint grassiness and mild stewed hops. Hints of stewed veg and unripe apples/acetone in the background. Mouthfeel is light, with prickly carbonation. Mildly astringent. Aftertaste of weak stewed hops/veg.

Bland fare - best served cold to minimise the off-flavours. The ale equivalent of a macro lager; it doesn't have much going for it. The faint hop aromas are nice at the beginning, before they are lost to a fug of yeast esters. The unappetising off-notes don't add anything. Adnams make some great ales - they should stick to what they do best. Give this a miss.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 22:27:27 | More by jazzyjeff13

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

2.93/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Light caramel brown colour with a bubbly white head that fades quickly to leave a tiny amount of bubbles around the side of the glass.

Light smelling with some faint hops and a little bit more of malts and touches of toffee/caramel as well.

Fairly bitter tasting beer to begin with, there is a bit of malt and earthy hops too. Like the smell, I felt the taste was lacking a little bit of depth and was pretty basic. At the end there was some more bitterness and a burnt caramel taste.

Light bodied although not what I would call thin. There is a fair bit of carbonation and bitter, almost burnt feeling finish.

The body on this one was too light and both the taste and smell were lacking, particularly considering the reputation of the brewery. I didn't feel this was the best of beers to be introduced to the Adnams range and I am sure there are a lot better beers from them out there for me to hunt down.

1001 Beers Blog:
http://abarwithnoname.wordpress.com

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 20:38:24 | More by flyingpig

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

3.5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a chimay goblet.

Pours a faded colden colour.

Smells slightly hoppy.

Taste is alright, a hoppiness like a golden ale, with the addition of a full mouthfeel like with a wheat beer.

Overall a nice beer, like a golden ale with the wholesome and refreshing mouthfeel of a wheat beer

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 16:53:50 | More by CwrwAmByth

Cozzatoad

Italy

3.55/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

330ml bottle

A- Dark golden, perfectly transparent, some carbonation bubbles randomly showing up at times. A finger of perfectly white head, even with quite hard pouring, which immediately disappears, no lacing to speak of

S- Fresh herbal/grassy feel, with some light fruity/citric hints to bakc up. Delicate but nice and refreshing

T- Very light on the malts side (in terms of both flavour and body), with maybe a slight touch of caramel to be noticed. A delicate herbal/grassy feel pervades the whole taste, showcasing some sweet, background fruity notes (mostly lemon). slight hint of grassy bitterness in the aftertaste. Overall quite dry for an english beer. Very refreshing

M- Very light in body. Carbonation is gentle on both tongue and palate. Decently soft and smooth

O- Rarely i had a beer that was as easily drinkable as this one. It's pretty much all there though, just a nice refreshing option on a hot summer day

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 12:44:15 | More by Cozzatoad

BarryNL

Netherlands

2.05/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A shame that one of my favourite breweries was responsible for this. The beer is overly fizzy, even for a bottled beer. There is little taste or aroma and the mouthfeel is thin. The last of this bottle actually ended up down the sink.

It quickly became apparent from the taste and the style of the bottle what sort of market Adnams are aiming this beer at. This is obviously an attempt to grab a slice of the teeny alcopop market. The beer is tasteless and inoffensive enough not to disturb the teen palate. Served cold enough it would be virtually indistinguishable from mass American lager, and the attractive cobalt blue bottle screams 'trendy'.

I certainly understand why Adnams would want to tap this market - who knows, maybe it will even encourage the kiddies to try better real beers. For myself, I'll try and forget that this had anything to do with Adnams and continue to enjoy the excellent beers they normally brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 20:22:59 | More by BarryNL

OF001

3.28/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

330 mL btl in a chalice at 5C. Blue glass, why? make it clear or brown. It looks cheap.

bright golden urine colour with a very thin head that fades quickly into a thin ring with very little active carbonation and no lacing. Looks like an under carbonated bud.

Smells of dry grainy pale malts, hints of sweetness and mild integrated creamy fruits.

pale malt with a hit of graininess, but juicy with a crisp mildly bitter citrus finish. Leafy hops and a lasting yeasty undercurrent that doesn't quite make it to the back of the palate.

Carbonation is gentle but leaves a high mineral content film on the palate; slightly metallic with calcium and some hard stone (like whisky stones). Its simple but adds a subtle complexion to make what would otherwise be a crap English blond to a drinkable one.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 06:06:56 | More by OF001