Adnams Southwold Bitter
Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery

Adnams Southwold BitterAdnams Southwold Bitter
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From:
Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery
 
England, United Kingdom
Style:
English Bitter
Ranked #87
ABV:
4.1%
Score:
82
Ranked #24,936
Avg:
3.61 | pDev: 15.24%
Reviews:
78
Ratings:
178
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 07, 2024
Added:
Aug 12, 2002
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  14
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
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Ratings by WVbeergeek:
Photo of WVbeergeek
Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

4.32/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Southwold Bitter pours a deep mahogany caramel amber color with a slightly hazed appearance. Head is thick and tan full of froth, with fine even lacing. Earthy, leather notes of complexity even some fruity grape notes more concentrated raisin even, with a hop nose of earthy herbal hops. Complex enduring flavors of butterscotch, caramel, blended with earthy herbal hops dominating eachother into submission to create an exhilarating layer of balance. Which exudes the palate into wanting more and more, a very easy to consume complex low in alcohol English bitter. Mouthfeel is complex with a hint of diacetyl but doesn't knock you down, rather it balances out other aspects that the beer has to offer. Medium bodied evenly carbonated this beer I'm sure is supreme on cask. Overall a enjoyable beer that I want travel to far for since I can get right down the street.
Apr 22, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On cask at The Old White Horse in Baldock this lunchtime.

Copper colored body, strong white head, scattered lacing. Malty aroma, taste is nicely balanced, decent bitterness, lasting dry finish.
Feb 07, 2024
 
Rated: 3.54 by shelby415 from Oregon

Jul 01, 2023
Photo of Snowcrash000
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
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, 2022
 
Rated: 3.72 by Daneve76 from Australia

May 25, 2021
Photo of JamFuel
Reviewed by JamFuel from Sweden

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, 2021
Photo of James94
Reviewed by James94 from England

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, 2021
Photo of Sigmund
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
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
 
Rated: 4.09 by GregSemenza from Connecticut

Jan 26, 2021
Photo of Storm_Rryder
Reviewed by Storm_Rryder from Iowa

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
 
Rated: 3.68 by JonnoWillsteed from England

Sep 30, 2019
 
Rated: 2.75 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Dec 07, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Nov 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.64 by npfreeman from England

Jul 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.74 by TheCrowsEye from California

Dec 09, 2017
 
Rated: 3.59 by Momon from Philippines

Feb 06, 2017
 
Rated: 3.81 by Robertas from Lithuania

Dec 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by louislouis91 from Ireland

Aug 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.62 by dcotom from Iowa

Apr 25, 2016
Photo of vinicole
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
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, 2016
Adnams Southwold Bitter from Adnams plc, Sole Bay Brewery
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 178 ratings