Distinction Ale
Speight’s Ale House
- From:
- Speight’s Ale House
- New Zealand
- Style:
- English Bitter
Ranked #157 - ABV:
- 4%
- Score:
- 81
Ranked #35,519 - Avg:
- 3.37 | pDev: 9.5%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 28, 2023
- Added:
- Dec 12, 2003
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
81
Good
81
Good
A premium traditional ale brewed in celebration of Speight's 120 year anniversary.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by tonton from Hong Kong
3.09/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.09/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This is not the same beer as already on Beer Advocate, except by name. The bottle is different, clear label, gold lettering on a brown bottle.
The beer I had is 4.0 abv.
Smell is average. Taste is average. Not even an ale. Tastes like a euro lager.
Maybe the 5.5 abv Speight's Distinction Ale was an OK beer. This beer is not ok. Nor is switching or watering down a brew and calling it by the same name.
I will never buy a Speight's beer again.
Apr 04, 2013The beer I had is 4.0 abv.
Smell is average. Taste is average. Not even an ale. Tastes like a euro lager.
Maybe the 5.5 abv Speight's Distinction Ale was an OK beer. This beer is not ok. Nor is switching or watering down a brew and calling it by the same name.
I will never buy a Speight's beer again.
Reviewed by DaveFL1976 from Florida
3.53/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.53/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Well, it's a good beer, but I wouldn't call it 'distinctive.'
The aroma is very light. Faint malty sweetness and maybe a little hint of hops, but the bittering kind, not aroma. On a positive note, the taste is quite well balanced and smooth. Nothing overpowering, and nothing memorable. Yeast taste is almost nonexistant, with little aftertaste. It's a good beer -above average-, but I'm a little disappointed with the lack of complexity
May 25, 2006The aroma is very light. Faint malty sweetness and maybe a little hint of hops, but the bittering kind, not aroma. On a positive note, the taste is quite well balanced and smooth. Nothing overpowering, and nothing memorable. Yeast taste is almost nonexistant, with little aftertaste. It's a good beer -above average-, but I'm a little disappointed with the lack of complexity
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia
3.12/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.12/5 rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Tried at the brewery, late Oct 2005.
Darkish orange/amber colour, with hints of red. Decent head, which quickly disappears. Quite heavy carbonation.
Smell is rather bland and lagery. There's a little sweetness, like butterscotch or caramel, but it's rather reserved. It's alright, but doesn't bode well for the taste.
The taste is somewhat better than I expected, but still quite bland. Sweetness is predominant, with a hint of dark bitterness, like high-cocoa chocolate. There's just not enough going on to keep you interested, although it would probably make a good session beer.
Nov 14, 2005Darkish orange/amber colour, with hints of red. Decent head, which quickly disappears. Quite heavy carbonation.
Smell is rather bland and lagery. There's a little sweetness, like butterscotch or caramel, but it's rather reserved. It's alright, but doesn't bode well for the taste.
The taste is somewhat better than I expected, but still quite bland. Sweetness is predominant, with a hint of dark bitterness, like high-cocoa chocolate. There's just not enough going on to keep you interested, although it would probably make a good session beer.
Reviewed by koolk from Australia
3.85/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.85/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
NZ Trip Jan/Feb '04
A member of Speight's Craft range.
A dark red - light brown colour. Strong wiffs of caramel, some toast/roast flavours and a chunk of malt.
A slightly bitter palate reveals more caramel flavours, with some slight hop fruit flavours. Really nice stuff.
I guess this was my fav out of all 4 of the craft range. Cheap too, only $10.50NZ / 6 pack!
Feb 15, 2004A member of Speight's Craft range.
A dark red - light brown colour. Strong wiffs of caramel, some toast/roast flavours and a chunk of malt.
A slightly bitter palate reveals more caramel flavours, with some slight hop fruit flavours. Really nice stuff.
I guess this was my fav out of all 4 of the craft range. Cheap too, only $10.50NZ / 6 pack!
Reviewed by diablo14 from Illinois
3.85/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.85/5 rDev +14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
speights just dont get the wider recogintion they deserve. even their boring lager is better than most going around anywhere, and their special brews like this ale show they have what it takes to cut it with the best. this is a flavorsome, crisp esb style that has plenty going for it in every department.
great deep amber color with a thick rocky head that is backed by a firm but not insane bubble action. nose could be bigger, but still has nice caramel and nutty notes with a good blast of floral hoppiness and some elements of dried fruits. taste is spectacularly smooth, with nuts, malts, butterscotch and a marvellous sweetness that is followed up with hop bitterness that is lingering and slightly dry but perfectly complimentary to everything else thats happening here. clean and crisp but somewhat robust all the same, a real complex session beer thats got it all going on but dosent get too huge during the course of a night.
a hidden classic that alas most beer lovers wont get to sample, the distinction is a great example of a refreshing ale from down under that shows what we can really do in the brewing stakes in this part of the world when we set our minds to it.
Dec 12, 2003great deep amber color with a thick rocky head that is backed by a firm but not insane bubble action. nose could be bigger, but still has nice caramel and nutty notes with a good blast of floral hoppiness and some elements of dried fruits. taste is spectacularly smooth, with nuts, malts, butterscotch and a marvellous sweetness that is followed up with hop bitterness that is lingering and slightly dry but perfectly complimentary to everything else thats happening here. clean and crisp but somewhat robust all the same, a real complex session beer thats got it all going on but dosent get too huge during the course of a night.
a hidden classic that alas most beer lovers wont get to sample, the distinction is a great example of a refreshing ale from down under that shows what we can really do in the brewing stakes in this part of the world when we set our minds to it.
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