William Wilberforce Freedom Ale
Westerham Brewery Company Ltd

On cask at Beer Table, Brooklyn.

Pours a hazy orangey-gold with a really nice, 2-finger pillowy head - must have a sparkler. Head settles into a nice cap and eventually fades away, but nice nonetheless.

Nose is floral, round, bit of orange blossom underneath, honeysuckle. Very nice.

Taste is rather mellow. Well integrated, with a biscuity but juicy malt center, surrounded by very floral hop notes all around, herbal. Quite nice - some orangy, fruity esthers in there too.

Mouthfeel is a high point. Silky cask-conditioned body while at the same time, fluffy and with the lightest prickly carbonation. Wonderful feel in the mouth.

Drinkability is phenomenal, as I find to be true with most sessionable, cask-conditioned beers. Nice, full flavored but not overwhelming, delicious but easy to quaff.

Purchased at the Waitrose Supermarket, which is the only place where I've ever seen this bottle-conditioned ale on display. This beer, in addition to traditional ingredients such as Marris Otter and Crystal malts as well as Kentish hops (Northdown & Goldings), also uses "Fairtrade Demerara Sugar". 4.8%abv., BB 11/2008, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass.

A: slightly hazy, dark orangey amber in colour; the white pillowy head lasts quite well, leaving uneven sheets of lacing along the way, while the carbonation is fine and constant.
S: lightly dusty and orangey-hoppy upfront, underlined by a rather deep and juicy malty base as well as estery fruitiness; a close sniff gives out more hints of white-date jam, longan-fruits, and caramel... Overall, true to a premium bitter, it's fragrant and fruity but not excessively so.
T: peardrop and yeasty sour-sweetness come a bit overpowering, but then the biscuitiness of English pale malts catches up quickly to balance with the deep backdrop of orangey fruits and moderate hop bitterness... The finishing mouthfeel is somewhat powdery due to the lingering malts, while it's also semi-dry and tea-ishly bitter.
M&D: well bottle-conditioned, showing soft fizziness in abundance against a medium body; overall the aftertaste is not bad, but the foretaste evinces the weakness of this ale where the sour-fruity edge comes a bit too much and compromises a favourable balance for a Premium Bitter or Pale Ale.

A - Bright, clear copper, with a half-inch of frothy white head from a hard pour. Medium carbonation made up almost wholly by tiny bubbles.

S - Grapefruit, lychee, tea.

T - Initial very muted flavour of light fruits with a light bubblegum flavour moving forward in the middle. Grassy/leafy hops at the back, although the flavour is really too unpronounced to distinguish. Quite disappointing.

M - Light to medium body and very watery. Carbonation is pleasant although a little too soft.

D - Looks and smells fairly appealing, but is let down by the taste. Overall easy to drink though.