Adnams Broadside | Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Deep, dark, ruby red. Good head and lacing.

Aroma: Dark fruits. Reminiscent of Belgian dubbel and not too far off in abv. Cola. toffee and raisins are all pleasant. This smell very malty and sweet with a bit of booze. There's some stout-esque roasted malt in there too. Nice/

Taste: This beer tastes like toffee. Swueet and delicious. Malty, roasty and delicious. Broadside is full bodied. Theres a touch of English hop bitterness at the back end underlying the predominant syrupy sweetness. Very unctuous in flavour.

Overall: This is really a great English Ale. Right up there next to Fuller's 1845 in this genre.1845 is considered a strong ale while this is an ESB. I would say there is very much overlap between these styles. A wonderful break from hops and a real taste of the full bodied potential of English beer when breaking free of the confines of English session beers. Highly recommended.

89/100

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4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle: A large dark brown 500mL bottle with a decent label. (3.5)

Appearance: pours out a dark red-brown in colour with a moderate amount of fine carbonation visible. A fantastically thick and creamy one-finger beige head hangs about for quite a time, with great lacing. Looks good. (4.5)

Aroma: definite notes of earth and resin, some bread malts and a touch of some sweet alcohol - perhaps sherry. (4.0)

Taste: a fantastic combination of the characteristics on the nose - earth and resin with bread malts and heavy fruits. (4.5)

Aftertaste: some sherry comes through in the aftertaste, along with the full profile on the palate lingering for quite a time. (4.5)

Mouth feel: medium in body with a moderate carbonation that brings the flavour through nicely - if you decide to let it warm enough. (4.0)

Overall: one of the better beers I have had to date, and certainly one of the best English Bitters. Generally I find English Bitters way over-priced and pretty boring, but this one is full on flavour and a very decent price. An equivalent price of 24 x 330mL case for AU$55 (2014) is almost unheard of for something this good. Surely this must be an introductory price, as this is a new ale to Queensland...

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4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice find here,pours a rich amber with a nice looking slightly off white head.Aroma is deeply malty with some yeast notes with a touch of fruit,taste is sweet and rich with some great fruity depth.Very smooth going down I have a case and I will savor it.A light bitter finish but a nice big malty brew.

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4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – This one had a huge, explosive head, which is unusual for the style. The body is a dark, solid brown.

Smell – The light, toasted malts are subtle but well-defined. There’s a spritzy yeast character to the nose as well. I can pick up some wicked fruit like green apple and just a hint of alcohol.

Taste – The malts are huge at the taste. This is almost like drinking that liquid malt you can buy at a homebrew shop. The light yeast character from the nose made it’s way to the taste. The tart apple and some fruity sweetness round out the flavor profile.

Mouthfeel – This is full-bodied with some light woody notes that really smooth out the mouthfeel. There’s just the right amount of alcohol warmth on the tongue.

Drinkability – This one is a mouthfull, that’s for sure. It is thick and chewy and almost needs a knife and fork.

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3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

4.75/5  rDev +22.7%

4/5  rDev +3.4%

3.82/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

$3.45 @ Charles Street Liquors, Boston, MA:

http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/user_reviews/1008/

Presentation: 16.9 oz brown bowling pin style bottle, best before date on the back label.

Appearance: Pasty off white lace clings well, weather brownish bronze hue is dark and inviting.

Smell: Ripe pear and black currant fruit mix as well as a light metallic malt sweetness. Touch of buttery yeast in the back.

Taste: Very malty with toasted and caramel like qualities, hops barley crest the sweetness and lend some flavor as well. A touch of ripe dark fruit with a hint of buttery yeast and alcoholic esters in the back. Finishes a bit sweet.

Mouthfeel: Slick thickness on the palate drops out after a quick prickle of carbonation.

Notes: A very flavorful strong ale with simple complexities. An easy pick to pair with a nice hearty sandwich for lunch.

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3.92/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Served at Hunger & Thirst in Lancaster PA. This was an excellent presentation of a classic beer. Very pretty dark brown and heady in the glass. Malty but not sweet, also caramel flavors but not sweet; very well balanced. I almost thought I was drinking a heavy lager, this beer was so smooth.

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4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Heavy, dark brown, 16.9 oz bottle, "Best Before 25 Nov 2004" on label. Sampled on 12 Dec 2004. Pours a chill hazed garnet mahogany body with a small, but longlasting, beige head that leaves some nice patch and sheet lace.
Aroma is very floral, with a strong caramel background.
Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy with low medium carbonation. Very clean, with a mineral note that is ideal for the style.
The taste begins with a leafy, hops bitterness that is floral(lilac?). Caramel and buttery toffee offer up a solid malt backbone, and pear and apple notes are picked up midway through. Some hints of mineral that were noticed in the aroma add to the sublime complexity. Finish is clean, with a floral hops aftertaste.
Very well executed English Bitter. Though past the freshness date, it has been stored well and exhibits no hint of oxidation. Wonderful brew from the "Sunrise Coast" of England.

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4.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

16.9 oz bottle, fresness date of 03 Feb 05, pours nice dark almond with some reddish hues. Tan head leaves medium lacing. Tasty, malty British style ale. Medium body, smooth creamy mouthfeel. Balanced and understated, a nice warming everyday ale, fine session quaffer.

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4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle with ADNAMS raised in glas on both the front and back bottoms of the bottoms of the bottle. Best before 26 Nov 04.

I paused briefly after opening the pop top bottle cap on this beer, which was long enough for foam to come spewing out the top the bottle. It hung precariosly from the top, but never dripped down the side of the bottle.

Poured a reddish brown with a nice frothy head with more lacing that I expected, which coated the inside of the glas. I could have sworn I smelled a bit of maple coming from my glass as the sweet ale arrived to my lips. Smooth, sweet and very easy to drink, a fine product from Sole Bay Brewery.

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2.75/5  rDev -28.9%

3/5  rDev -22.5%

4.11/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

What's this? A new imported strong ale at the LCBO?

Done. And. Done.

Lovely looking bottle, shaped almost like a bullet. Poured into a nonic. A deep, dark ruby, one inch thick head. Loads of spidery lacing. Very nice.

The smell is not this brew's strongpoint, but gets a bit more discernible with warmth. Mostly roasted malts, bread, a bit of fruit (plums and cherries).

A terrific English bitter ale. Intensely flavourful, with nice roasted maltiness up front, fruitiness in the middle (cherry, plums, apples), tart bitterness at the finish. I get a slight taste of alcohol, but not enough to be a problem.

Mouthfeel is slightly syrupy, but still terrific. Right amount of carbonation. The bitterness lingers long after each sip.

Just a terrific ale. Well worth a try if you like the style, certainly good for a session, although the ABV is certainly high enough to warrant caution.

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3/5  rDev -22.5%

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%

3.82/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

500ml bottle poured into a pint glass mug.

Pours out a clear, very dark brown with a hint of ruby red. A light brown head which goes down quickly but retains a thin layer.

A strong smell of dark berries and currents. A little bit biscuity.

Initial taste is very sweet, of brown sugar with a strong fruity flavour. A vert pleasant fruitcake and hoppy aftertaste with a hint of caramel.

Has a fairly thick and creamy feel in the mouth with a slight carbonation.

Overall, not the usual beer I would go for but enjoyable none the less. I would not have guessed the strong alcohol content and it wasn't as thick or filling as I expected which is a good thing for me. A beer which is very different to most which I would recommend.

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4.5/5  rDev +16.3%

Nose: fruity, plums, herbal hops, spicy malt.
Brilliant deep ruby brown chestnut under a light frothy tan tinted white 2" persistent head that leaves thick lacing from top to bottom.
Palate: clean malt, a subtle fruity sweetness with a touch of plum over a background of light caramel accented with light herbal hops. The hops quickly rise to balance the initial sweetness and linger pleasantly into the aftertaste. No roast malt flavors. The fruit flavors come out more as the beer warms. A hint of treacle. Balance is ever so slightly to the hops.
Medium to just below on the body, medium low carbonation.

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4.24/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 500ml bottle with a BB date of July 2011. The label mentions that this was brewed in commemoration of the battle of Sole Bay. The stylised image of a navel battle is cool. I received this for Christmas as part of a gift pack - cheers!

Poured into a pint glass. A deep reddish-brown colour with strong carbonation. Produces a thick, creamy off-white head that subsides slowly but remains for the entire glass. A rich malty aroma with a whiff of alcohol. Notes of burnt/roasted malt. Warm and inviting.

The taste is dark malt with good bitterness. Plenty of roasted malt on the palate, as well as burnt flavours. No obvious hoppy notes. Mouthfeel is smooth and somewhat creamy with mild astringency. Leaves a rounded bitter aftertaste.

An excellent dark ale, and well worth seeking out. Achieves a great balance between the dark malt and hops bitterness. I'd have this again....

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4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 1/2 liter bottle that had been aged for 7 months. Dark golden appearance with a foamy head and lacing. Light, sweet smell that isn't assertive. Taste is great--initially a strong syrup/molasses taste that isn't cloying--honey and herbal floral tastes, honeysuckle. A complex bittersweet, buttery character quickly takes over, crisp but still rather heavy in mouthfeel. Dried fruit--apricots, raisins, currants. Typical taste of ESB and English ales in general of a good toasted breadiness. Overall a little too sweet for my tastes, which makes it a heavier beer than I would like, but I would happily get it again.

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4/5  rDev +3.4%

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty good. Quiet smooth malty flavour, quite a nice caramelly roasty flavour, a bit sweet, but balanced by a decent bitter finish, i kn dof like it, quite smoooth aswell, decent.

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