XB
Saltaire Brewery Limited

Tasted by a half-pint at the Devonshire Cat, Sheffield. Served by a hand pump fitted w/ a sparkler.

A: dark copper in colour, coming with a frothy off-white foam that lasts very well, on top of low carbonation.
S: toasted autumny fruits abound, backed by caramel malts, mild roastiness, lively hop resins, and a mildly spicy hint of Fuggles hops.
T: sticky bitter-sweet caramel malts come on top of a smooth but slowly deepening roasted bitterness of malts, and plentiful toasted fruits (mainly plums and apples); the latter half of the taste sees the manifestation of a citric edge of hops and lingering tannic/chewy bitterness of roasted tea-leaves and ground Chinese herbs, while the aromatic hoppyness and residual fruitiness also make a substantial appearance.
M&D: light-medium bodied, the texture is smooth and fresh. A nice and quaffable Best Bitter this is, and shows a reasonable complexity brought about by hops and malts.

500ml bottle, bottle conditioned served chilled in an imperial pint glass

Pours with a cloudy rich amber body. Tight half inch off white head with good retention. Some little patches of lacing all up and down the glass

Smell, rich bready malt, sticky toffee, crisp and fragrant english fuggles hops. Little bit of yeasty aroma, slight hint of a buttery diacetyl along with a helping of fresh fruit and a few slightly sugary esters

Taste, crisp bittering hops (tastes like goldings) with a nice sharp bitterness although not overpowering. Bready and biscuity malt backbone with some wheaten bread character. Some fruity sweetness on the finish along with a slightly cloying dry yeast character.

A very sessionable bitter. Full of flavour and great on this hot Belfast day with nothing to do :)

500ml bottle bought from The Vineyard, Belfast...

Poured a nice rich coppery orange colour. Creamy head with some rusty hints poured quite small and then faded to light wispy layer... no lacing and no carbonation to talk about...

Aroma - Nice strong, lightly toasted, biscuity malts, toasty bread, juicy fruits (figs, raisins, oranges), strong nutty notes, caramel / toffee sweetness, some sea saltiness, the faintest of dusty / smokey notes, peppery hops, grassy traces...

Taste – Nice strong spicy / peppery hop bitterness, juicy and vinous fruits (raisins, prunes, bitter oranges, apples), strong toasted bread notes, caramel maltiness, burnt sugar sweetness, nutmeg hints, malt loaf notes, woody / earthy hints, some grassiness...

Feel - Initial sharp bite then mellows out... light / medium bodied... very very refreshing and drinkable - excellent session brew at 4.3%...

Overall - An excellent bitter... i wish i had bought a few more of these.. definitely recommended..