Taken from notes, Summer 2007. Drank a couple of pints of this at The Bear in Esher, Surrey with my good friend Dave - thanks Dave! Striking light colored pour that the name would suggest. Thin head. Another of the ever popular English "Golden Ales", I think this should be added to the BA database as a style, despite the fact that I don't really care for them much! Light freshly mown grass in the nose, and a distinct yest note that carries over to the taste. Although not a "hoppy" beer by ANY...
Notes on beers brewed by
Wells & Young's Ltd
Wells Bombardier (English Premium Bitter)
I've been enjoying this over the course of the last few months at The Brick Store, Decatur, GA, USA. Great clarity on the pour to leave a mahogany colored body and plenty of ivory colored head and lace. Looks super. Very typical of the genre, with it's biscuit based malts supporting the very mild bitterness. This has traveled better than many others of the style, and I feel that this is a good example for Americans to sample a simple, moreish, English Bitter. Better on cask (what isn't?), but...
Young’s Winter Warmer
$3.99 from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. 1 Pt 0.9 oz (US) - 500 mL bottle. Has the updated Young's logo. Not a Winter Warmer in the US sense of the style, this is a simple, but delicious malty and caramel based ESB/Bitter/Brown Ale cross. HUGE, frothy and creamy head atop a beautifully clear, dark brown body with plenty of impressive lace on the glass. Looks AMAZING! Tasty malts dominate. This is VERY English with the Maris Otter also coming through some. Moreish taste. This is...
Wells Banana Bread Beer
This had been on my Wants list for a long time and I eventually caught up with it on my recent trip home to England. A few weeks after returning from the UK, up it pops in GA! I'm pretty sure this is a new addition to the USA, let alone GA. Anyway, back to the beer itself. From a substantial 1 pint, 3.25oz bottle with a different, updated label from the one in the BA dB, it pours slightly darker than a macro lager yellow, with a small head, some carbonation and a small ring of retention. Good...
Young’s Ram Rod
Rather light, golden appearance with some cloudiness. Nice fluffy head, if somewhat small, with a little lacing and mild carbonation. Malty sweetnes in the aroma. A little dry in the finish, but this reflects the English ESB style nicely. Typical mild flavor which makes this infinitely drinkable. Smooth, sweet, malt and hops in perfect combination that give a lovely aftertaste that makes the bitterness seem really creamy and balanced.
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
Out of the bottle but still a nitro poured appearance. Small, perfectly formed light tan colored head sits atop the jet black body. It promises much. Definite sugar, confectionery type aroma, but not as chocolate laden as the name or the anecdotal evidence would suggest. Certainly some cocoa type undertones, but surprisingly controlled. I get some acidity that I wasn't expecting and little more bitterness than others in the Milk/Sweet style. I guess that's the chocolate coming through with a...
Young’s Waggledance Honey Ale
As usual, very solid offering from Young's. Definitely a good looking beer with plenty of the golden honey that you get in the taste reflected in the appearance. Light color and frothy head promise refreshment and that's what you get. Certainly the honey taste does come through strong, especially in the finish. Lots of sweet notes underlie this brew which is its strength. Definite sense of lightness and freshness about it. Spring/Summer possibilities? Aroma's are malt honey and taste reflects...
Young’s Special London Ale
Utterly brilliant. Paler than expected pour, but with a striking clarity, this beer starts out in the glass by telling the drinker that it is delicious. Add in deep malt and hop aromas and you can start drinking this through your nose. Frothy head with globules of sticky lace adhering to the Young's pint glass that this is displayed in. Perfect hop/malt balance, with more hops coming through in the finish than are present up front. The ending is as smooth as silk. A classic example of the...
Young’s Oatmeal Stout
A work of art. This is a beer that is very unusual in its ability to stay perfectly within style (and be classic example of the genre), and at the same time be able to transcend the style and have a huge appeal even to those who do not especially like Stouts. Does that make any sense? Well, what I am trying to say is that this beer is so good, I'd be very surpised if anybody disliked it, even those not especially fond of the style. Lovely, "noisy", bubbly, thick, viscous pour with a beautiful,...