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Adnams Southwold Bitter
Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery
- From:
- Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- English Bitter
Ranked #82 - ABV:
- 4.1%
- Score:
- 82
Ranked #26,098 - Avg:
- 3.61 | pDev: 15.24%
- Reviews:
- 77
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 01, 2023
- Added:
- Aug 12, 2002
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 14
SCORE
82
Good
82
Good
Southwold Bitter is a beautiful copper-coloured beer, late and dry-hopped with Fuggles for a distinctive, lingering hoppiness.
Brewed with the finest East Anglian Pale Ale malt barley, sourced locally to the brewery. We use Fuggles hops which we add late in the boil to preserve the herbal flavours of this traditional English hop.
First brewed in 1967, it was originally called Adnams Best Bitter. It holds our oldest trademark, Southwold Jack, and remains the original hero in our range.
Southwold Bitter is as distinctive as ‘Southwold Jack’ (the knight with the sword) who appears on the pump clip and has done so through many incarnations. Many Adnams beer fans would agree with our Head Brewer that Adnams Bitter is a truly distinctive pint. We wouldn’t be overselling it to describe it as a classic
Brewed with the finest East Anglian Pale Ale malt barley, sourced locally to the brewery. We use Fuggles hops which we add late in the boil to preserve the herbal flavours of this traditional English hop.
First brewed in 1967, it was originally called Adnams Best Bitter. It holds our oldest trademark, Southwold Jack, and remains the original hero in our range.
Southwold Bitter is as distinctive as ‘Southwold Jack’ (the knight with the sword) who appears on the pump clip and has done so through many incarnations. Many Adnams beer fans would agree with our Head Brewer that Adnams Bitter is a truly distinctive pint. We wouldn’t be overselling it to describe it as a classic
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Snowcrash000 from Germany
3.89/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.89/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a clear, dark amber coloration with a medium, creamy head. Smells of toasted, caramel malt and herbal, citrus hops, with notes of orange rind, as well as just a hint of toffee. Taste is a great balance of toasted, slightly grainy and caramelly malt and herbal, fruity, slightly floral and spicy hops, with notes of orange rind, red berries, toffee and hints of peppercorn. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some orange rind, berries and toffee lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.
This makes for a pretty nice low-ABV bitter with good balance of toasted, caramel malt and herbal, citrus hops, with a really nice aroma and great body and mouthfeel for the ABV. I still found this pretty enjoyable at 8 months old and it was probably a lot better fresh, although I think that Bitters generally hold up pretty well. While I've had better Bitters, I wouldn't turn this one down either.
Nov 05, 2022This makes for a pretty nice low-ABV bitter with good balance of toasted, caramel malt and herbal, citrus hops, with a really nice aroma and great body and mouthfeel for the ABV. I still found this pretty enjoyable at 8 months old and it was probably a lot better fresh, although I think that Bitters generally hold up pretty well. While I've had better Bitters, I wouldn't turn this one down either.
Reviewed by JamFuel from Sweden
3.94/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours ruby with soft, tan head.
Smell is malty and a bit roasted with notes of florals, leather and citrus.
Taste is malty and a bit sweet with floral hints. Notes of roasted malt, citrus, leather and elderflower. Pretty strong bitterness.
Mouthfeel is medium, smooth and well carbonated.
Overall, a nice bitter, well made and balanced.
May 07, 2021Smell is malty and a bit roasted with notes of florals, leather and citrus.
Taste is malty and a bit sweet with floral hints. Notes of roasted malt, citrus, leather and elderflower. Pretty strong bitterness.
Mouthfeel is medium, smooth and well carbonated.
Overall, a nice bitter, well made and balanced.
Reviewed by James94 from England
4.17/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.17/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
L: Dark golden amber colour, head disappears quickly, some lacing
S: Wood, nuts, caramel, raisins, burnt apple, lemon
T: Chocolate, lemon, wood, vanilla
F: Dry bitterness at the back, medium-low bodied, good balance of carbonation
O: 4.25
Apr 22, 2021S: Wood, nuts, caramel, raisins, burnt apple, lemon
T: Chocolate, lemon, wood, vanilla
F: Dry bitterness at the back, medium-low bodied, good balance of carbonation
O: 4.25
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.19/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.19/5 rDev -11.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
500 ml bottle, from Vaaland, Bryne. ABV is 4.1%. Copper coloured beer, moderate off-white head. Moderate aroma, some malts and toffee, hints of stale berries and "dusty" hops. The flavour has again some malts and toffee, but is quite dry. Just a hint of fruit. Moderately bitter hops in the finish, some nutty notes. Drinkable, but not Adnams’ best.
Apr 10, 2021
Reviewed by Storm_Rryder from Iowa
4/5 rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I dig this one ! I think I'm a fan of this style, I like this as much as hobgoblin. Light brown color, not much foam, low carbonation. Big caramel flavor at the beginning, but later on could detect some fruit undertones. Delicious, more english bitter please !
Jan 20, 2021
Reviewed by vinicole from England
3.77/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Clear amber. Little head.
Sweet malt nose.
More malt than hop upon tasting. Toffee. Fruit and nut.
Moderate feel.
This was from the bottle. It is much better when cask dispensed.
Apr 10, 2016Sweet malt nose.
More malt than hop upon tasting. Toffee. Fruit and nut.
Moderate feel.
This was from the bottle. It is much better when cask dispensed.
Adnams Southwold Bitter from Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery
Beer rating:
82 out of
100 with
177 ratings
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