Pitfield's Trafalgar Celebration Ale
Pitfield Organic Brewery

Obtained at the last day of business of the Pitfield Beer Shop, London. This organic beer was brewed to celebrate the Bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar on 21/10/1805. Bottle-conditioned, BB 06/2006, served cool in a straight imperial-pint glass.

A: pale chestnut-brown, slightly hazy as some yeast sediments fled into the glass; effervescent and foamy off-white beer head, sustaining well and slowly settling to a thin tight cap; the carbonation turns from initially lively to constant and mild. Very good presentation.
S: extremely juicy fruity--bitter grapefruity and juicy plums, on top of very light toffee-ish as well as chewy nutty amber malts imparting a bitter hint of burned brown sugar; a mildly (pine)woody, hay-ish, sweet spicy(clove-ish) hoppyness and yeastiness sustain pretty well in the background. Overall, quite enticing nose.
T: intense spicy+woody bitterness and hoppyness prevail from the first second onwards on the tongue, gradually turning more dryish bitter while an interesting soupy flavour also develops at the back. Chewy maltiness follows, but not sweet and at best complements the dominating bitterness throughout. The aftertaste continues from the bitter fore-taste, leaving a slightly citrus-zesty as well as root-spice like chewy-tannic dryish mouthfeel down the palate. What a finish this is!
M&D: the lively mouthfeel serves to contrast with the lingering bitter palate, working just fine, and the dryish-bitterness makes it very much a thirst-provoking beer. The consistent yeasty+spicy bitterness somehow reminds me of the famous Trappist ale Orval?! Well worth a try if you could find it~~