Batemans Combined Harvest (Bottle)

Brewed by Batemans
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Skegness, England

500ml bottle. Deep golden body, short-lived white foam. Rather rich malty aroma; caramel, dense grain bread, biscuit, cereals and skunk. Some citrusy hops are intergrated. Reasonably lean body, carbonation quite low, oily texture spurred on by rye and oats. Complex grainy malts on the body, somehow reminisant of scotch whisky malt at times without the smokiness. Caramel malt in there too, hand-in-hand with lemon/orange citrus hop zest. Finishes moderately bitter, on the sweet side, with a doughy note. Interesting beer, the texture and malt profile is certainly quite unique and adds to the overall character, but it’s a bit unexciting otherwise.

Grain and meringue nose. Clear amber, no head. Very beery. A little metallic, grainy, not hoppy, nothing really jumps out at you. Creamy meringue finish. Clean, but a little watery. Easy to drink, but blah.

11/04/2009: Bateman’s Combined Harvest... Aroma: Faint apple/pear fruit; obvious oxidation. Appearance: Nice, clear, coppery color with a frothy off-white crown. Flavor: Dry and cardboard (somewhat oxidized); lightly buttered toast; watery almond in the finish; very mild to weak finish. Palate: Soft. Overall: Somewhat stale; not exciting in any way.

1 pint, 0.9 fl. oz. bottle ( Alc. 4.7% by Vol.) shared by Tmoney99. Thanks Tom! Rating #85 for this beer.

500 mL bottle. Wow that gushed! Pours an amber color with a very slight haze. Smallish head with decent head retention and lacing. Aroma of lightly toasted malts with strong honey and notes of coconut, nuts, apple and stone fruits. Taste is lightly tart. Notes of green apple, grain, leafy hops and very, very faint honey. Doesn’t hold a candle to the aroma. Thin bodied and slightly watery.

Bottle from Root Cellar. Poured clear copper color with an average frothy white head that mostly diminished with fair lacing. Moderate tart citrus and toasted sweet malt aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Medium bitter flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate duration. Soft drinkable beer.

"Thin cereal" says it best. The hints of oatmeal and richer barley malts were ultimately not enough to distinguish this bitter.

500 ml. Clear, burnt orange with a small, lasting head and bits of crunchy lace. Aroma of caramel apple and light wood. Flavor is caramel apple with some tartness, and a dry wood and peppery rye grain finish. Light body is watery and almost astringently dry on the finish.

Pours deep amber into an English pint. Soapy white head quickly recedes to sicken surface. Sour malt aromas. Sweet oaty softness upfront. Slightly grainy finish.