Batemans Summer Swallow
George Bateman & Son / Batemans Brewery

Bottled
I swear I reviewed this in depth with full description
no matter it was dull with no head retention or real noticeable aroma and tasted like a bit like saccahrine

Hand pulled pint in 'The Park Inn' Wellington, Shropshire on 4th Aug 2012.

Looked a bit insipid to be honest, very pale compared to the bottled version which was a light amber colour to start with. This also came out with a slight haze, so maybe it wasn't at it's best and hadn't been looked after too well!

The beer had a white head that produced some good lacing (unlike the bottled one).

The nose appears to have got hoppier than I remember the bottled version being too, as was the taste, those malty flavours being pushed towards the back as the hops gained strenght.

Enjoyed it, but it seemed a completely different beer to the bottle I had back in 2008.

A 500ml bottle with a BB of May 2012. ABV is stated as 4.2%. The tag line is 'One swallow does make a summmer'. We'll see....

Poured into a Sam Smith's pint glass. A clear orangy-amber hue with good carbonation. Yields a thin head of white foam that last for a minute or two before disappearing. Mild aroma of caramel malt with faint hints of toffee, apples, grain, dry yeast and stewed hops. Uninspiring.

Tastes of sweetish caramel malt with a dry finish. Notes of earthy yeast and weak stewed hops. A dry, almost sour background character. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, with some astringency. Yeasty malt aftertaste.

Weak. One swallow most certainly does not make a summer, unless you're some sort of masochist. The flavour is dull and vaguely unpleasant; clean malt or hop notes are lacking. Disappointing - give it a miss....

Beer bottle (50 cl.), tasted in 2010.

Appearance : orange color, with a white foam head (not persistent).
Smell : grassy hops, malty and caramel aromas.
Taste and mouthfeel : fruity flavors with a light bitter finish.
Drinkability : a good beer in the style English Pale Mild Ale.

Amber-orange body under a small white head. Poor retention.

Nose is a bit twiggy, mild altogether, bit of grain.

Starts off soft but smooth, then punchy malty sweetness through the finish. Rather grainy throughout. Light banana notes, wrapped up in incredibly creamy mouthfeel. Not bad.

The colour is dark amber – brown. The low head is compact and pale brown.

The smell is mild with some notes of dried fruits (raspberries?).

The taste is very balanced; lots of tried fruits, spices, sour candy and honey. The very mild hops gives an aftertaste with flowery notes of herbs.

The carbonation is mild; the liquid is very creamy.

A very nice ale, although maybe a bit too neutral to get the highest points.

I tried this one after a long trip round the supermarket with the wife, so I expected anything wet at that point would have probably pleased my pallet. This was on the whole a very disapointing beer.

The beer was a pale amber and very clear throughout, but produced very little head when poured into a glass. There were only faint hints of aromas from the beer, slight hint of hops and a wheat and tiny hint of fruit, but I had to really try to find these.

The taste was similar to the flavour, not horrible simply non existant. There was no overwhelming taste to speak of and it actually felt like drinking a lager, very watery. I dare say that if I enjoyed the taste it would have been a very drinkable beer given the light feel of it. This would probebly be a beer that any lager drinker would enjoy, however I prefer a bit more flavour and body to my pint.

Served in a pint glass from the cask, the beer look a hazy-gold with a pale-yellow head. Gives off a sweet aroma and has the crisp taste of your average ale despite the slightly thick, yet soft mouthfeel. Swallowing reveals a bright banana aftertaste that leaves a sweet taste in your mouth and makes you want more. Fairly drinkable, though better to sip and savor the aftertaste.

Appearance: light brownish gold, good clarity, poor head development and not much retention of the little that does form

Aroma: light bubblegum fruitiness, toasty maltiness, hint of spent coffee grinds (?), skunky (clear bottle)

Flavor: dryish malt base with a grainy edge, crisp hops and a refreshing subtle bitterness, finishes clean and dry

Mouthfeel: light body, crisp but soft texture

Other comments: Probably quite divine from a cask, but a bit of a dead dog from this clear glass bottle.

Coming in a clear, 500ml bottle, this beer is slightly stronger (4.2%abv) than its previous version and should be termed as Summer Ale or English Pale Ale, in my opinion.

Appearance: dark amber colour, with off-white head which stays throught the drink.
Smell: bready or light-biscuity maltiness, and a faint trace of mild, grassy hops on the nose.
Taste & Aftertaste: lemon-cake like malty taste comes with an interestingly warm hoppy feel at the back; with very smooth but somehow implicitly bitter aftertaste.
Mouthfeel & Drinkability: floating and lively mouthfeel at the front while it's a bit flat in the aftertaste. A light-bodied ale which is easy-drinking but not excellent in any department.

Cask-Round House, Covent Garden, London. Pretty simple, grainy cask ale. Pretty light, fresh and summery, and slightly floral nose, with little character, skullable, typical low ABV English summer blonde, perhaps this is on the blander side of the scale however.