Shore Leave
BrewDog
- From:
- BrewDog
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #566 - ABV:
- 4.3%
- Score:
- 78
Ranked #37,720 - Avg:
- 3.2 | pDev: 24.38%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 13
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 23, 2026
- Added:
- Oct 15, 2023
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
78
Okay
78
Okay
You’ve tried real ale. And you might think you know what real ale tastes like. But don’t be so shore. This is real exciting real ale. Columbus, Mosaic and Citra come together to give a light fruitiness and a balanced bitter finish all brought together with a lightly toasted biscuit and caramel aroma. Real ale like your grandad’s never tasted. This is punked up proper ale.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Tonythekingfisher
2.01/5 rDev -37.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
2.01/5 rDev -37.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Pours golden amber with a white head and moderate carbonation. Almost no identifiable nose. Thin and tastes of almost nothing in the mouth, though not offensive. Very vague after taste of malt and hops. It reminds me of 1960s Double Diamond, which is no compliment at all. Brewing this was a waste of good water.
Nov 21, 2025
Reviewed by DraftMonger from Denmark
3.21/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
3.21/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.25
Copenhagen 22/6 2024. 44 cl can from Meny, Vermlandsgade, Kbh. S. A blue sea on a off-white can with a lot of gold.
Pours clear golden amber with a big white head. A bit bubbly. Settles as thin, almost transparent layer of foam stretching to cover the surface of the beer. Crawling up the sides of the glass. Substantial lacing.
Aroma is medium its with a sweet, slightly toasted, malty odor mingling with a salty scent and some sourish grains. Caramel and biscuits. Toasted bread. Salt water.
Soft carbonation. Medium thick, soft, creamy, flat texture.
Flavor is medium intense with a medium strong sweetness followed by a moderately strong salty and bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter. Lingers for a bit. Finish is semi-dry.
Decent Amber Ale with a maritime touch.
Feb 10, 2025Pours clear golden amber with a big white head. A bit bubbly. Settles as thin, almost transparent layer of foam stretching to cover the surface of the beer. Crawling up the sides of the glass. Substantial lacing.
Aroma is medium its with a sweet, slightly toasted, malty odor mingling with a salty scent and some sourish grains. Caramel and biscuits. Toasted bread. Salt water.
Soft carbonation. Medium thick, soft, creamy, flat texture.
Flavor is medium intense with a medium strong sweetness followed by a moderately strong salty and bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter. Lingers for a bit. Finish is semi-dry.
Decent Amber Ale with a maritime touch.
Reviewed by Erik7494
3.5/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A nice enough Amber. The American hops don't feature too strong in the flavour profile, which in my view is a good thing. Nice fruity smell with some pear, easy too drink, missing a bit caramel but overall a well balanced very drinkable session beer
Jan 25, 2025
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.63/5 rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.63/5 rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I've only had four beers from BrewDog. They seem to invite extreme reviews and ratings... in part because BD has an extreme reputation. It is unclear to me that their loosey-goosey approach to the law and marketing has become loosey-goosey with the truth. At any rate after 15 years, it is time for BD to grow up and they have a new CEO now; so let's put all the nonsense and stunts behind us and focus on the beers. I also give high Overall Hugs because I drank Shore Leave while eating Indian food and it performed fine: just enough fruit to modify the spices and soft enough to calm the palate.
Shore Leave is effective at what it does. It largely Smells, Tastes and Feels like a Mild. So what is the big fuss ?
Oct 25, 2024Shore Leave is effective at what it does. It largely Smells, Tastes and Feels like a Mild. So what is the big fuss ?
Reviewed by Maltman74
1.94/5 rDev -39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2
1.94/5 rDev -39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2
This is not an Amber ale. I’m guessing they got mixed up with an ipa. No biscuit, no caramel. Made by hipsters for hipsters that don’t like proper beer.
Oct 24, 2024
Reviewed by jjamadorphd from Florida
4.06/5 rDev +26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +26.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A surprisingly flavorful beer...
What surprised me the most was it's scent of pears and how fruity sweet and malty it was to the tongue. This added to the great looking dark caramel color with lightly beige-colored head and a mouthfeel that was somewhere between light- and medium-bodied. Overall, I was surprised (in a good way) which is always a good thing...
Jul 28, 2024What surprised me the most was it's scent of pears and how fruity sweet and malty it was to the tongue. This added to the great looking dark caramel color with lightly beige-colored head and a mouthfeel that was somewhere between light- and medium-bodied. Overall, I was surprised (in a good way) which is always a good thing...
Reviewed by Spike from England
2.6/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
2.6/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
500ml brown glass bottle. Label states “Ale as it should be: smooth, sessionable and full of flavour. Shore Leave is a 4.3% amber ale that just goes down easy”.
L: Clear, very pale amber, almost yellow, with one finger of short-lived head.
S: Almost nothing.
T: Light, anemic, vaguely citrusy, a hint of malt, very low bitterness.
F: Light body, some butter, low carbonation.
O: A golden ale brewed in Scotland using some New World hops apparently, although they’re not exactly bursting through. Very light, lacks flavour, feels kind of watery. Another poor Brewdog offering. The label blurb is a total joke.
Jul 25, 2024L: Clear, very pale amber, almost yellow, with one finger of short-lived head.
S: Almost nothing.
T: Light, anemic, vaguely citrusy, a hint of malt, very low bitterness.
F: Light body, some butter, low carbonation.
O: A golden ale brewed in Scotland using some New World hops apparently, although they’re not exactly bursting through. Very light, lacks flavour, feels kind of watery. Another poor Brewdog offering. The label blurb is a total joke.
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil
3.56/5 rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Solid golden, slightly copperish color with a thick head.
Nice aroma with notes of mango and caramel.
Flavor with notes of stone fruit, slightly toasted malts, grapefruit citrus and tea. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness.
Light body with appropriate carbonation.
Nice Amber Ale with tea and stone fruit notes.
Jun 04, 2024Nice aroma with notes of mango and caramel.
Flavor with notes of stone fruit, slightly toasted malts, grapefruit citrus and tea. Dry aftertaste with a medium bitterness.
Light body with appropriate carbonation.
Nice Amber Ale with tea and stone fruit notes.
Reviewed by atigerlife from Hawaii
3.61/5 rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.61/5 rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
On tap at BrewDog in Cardiff.
Pours a dark golden with a 1" creamy white head. Good retention. Lots of carbonation rising.
Aroma is fruity, malt, and some other less prominent aromas.
Taste is fruit, sweet with some hops. Not too much going on.
Mouthfeel is Light-medium with some cleansing ability.
Overall, it's OK. Sessionable if you like it.
Apr 22, 2024Pours a dark golden with a 1" creamy white head. Good retention. Lots of carbonation rising.
Aroma is fruity, malt, and some other less prominent aromas.
Taste is fruit, sweet with some hops. Not too much going on.
Mouthfeel is Light-medium with some cleansing ability.
Overall, it's OK. Sessionable if you like it.
Reviewed by vinicole from England
3.36/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
3.36/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Bottle. Clear light amber with a thick frothy head. Gently rising bubbles .
Smells of green hops and distant malt.
Hops almost disappear followed by indistinct light caramel malt. Bitter finish.
Moderate body and carbonation.
Not as bad as previous reviews might suggest.
Feb 03, 2024Smells of green hops and distant malt.
Hops almost disappear followed by indistinct light caramel malt. Bitter finish.
Moderate body and carbonation.
Not as bad as previous reviews might suggest.
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
2.43/5 rDev -24.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
2.43/5 rDev -24.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
Bottled and purchased from Tesco to rip Brewdog by altering the label but it got ripped
Pours a clear amber body with okay white head
Aroma is malty
Flavour is
Dec 23, 2023Pours a clear amber body with okay white head
Aroma is malty
Flavour is
Reviewed by TomNightingale
1/5 rDev -68.8%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
1/5 rDev -68.8%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
One of the most worst beers I have ever tasted. I expected "Amber Ale" to be like amber ale. It isn't...just an unpleasant, watery grapefruit flavoured liquid. I've had lagers that are better.
Nov 04, 2023
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