Greene King Abbot Ale (Pasteurised)

Brewed by Greene King
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Bury St. Edmunds, England

A lot like Bass but with a slightly different taste. Fuller bodied and still smooth. Not distinctive by any standard but a solid brew to enjoy with a meaty meal.

500 ml bottle. Dark amber colour and crystal clear. Average-sized white head. The head falls down rather quickly. Delicious nutty malt aroma. Could it be Maris Otter? It is very distinct and obvious even though the beer is served cold. Gentle carbonation. A slight acidic hoppiness in the mouth at first. Not nearly as much malt character in the mouth as in the nose. But is stilll a nice quaffable ESB. Medium-bodied. Light hop bitterness in the finish. Hints of cinnamon.

ummm, ya...this is ok...a tad shocking actually....nice and bitter,,,looks about right...like a bastardized version of old speckled hen...not as thin as i thought it would be, considering the can....not a bad bitter, but i think a not again , well not 4 a while.

A Mes rate: Cask at Baker Street JDW. Weak in the flavour and aroma. Typically lifeless GK rubbish. Metallic and generally unpleasant, particularly in the nose.

500ml bottle. Surprisingly decent. Doesn’t really deliver on the promise of a "full flavoured, smooth, ripe mature (...) irresistible beer" but it is a middling british ale, soft hints of nut, malt, caramel, slight fruitiness in the finish. nothing too striking though.

Pint can. Weak metallic aroma, somewhat reminiscent of a hefeweizen. The way this beer looks when poured is about as good as it gets, and I am very surprised to see middle-of-the-road reviews of the appearance by other raters. Once settled, the beer has a very nice copper color with a large cream-colored head. Unfortunately, the appearance is the highlight. The beer is creamy and light bodied. This generally is not my preferred style, but it works in this case. The weak flavor is almost lost in the distinctive palate. Flavor-wise, this is a forgettable beer. In fact, I tasted this beer around a year ago, and yet I had no recollection whatsoever of what it tasted like until I tried it again recently. That’s not a good sign. The label proclaims "a distinctive, full flavor," but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Nonetheless, it looks great and has a very interesting texture.

Bottle: copper colour with a rapidly fading white head; aroma is predominantly malt with a nutty touch; a tangy malt taste with a good balance of bitterness as an afternote. A classic English ale.

Orange amber with fizzed head. Fruity gape aroma. Flavor is malty, with some fruity undertones, and a bit of Belgian spiciness. A bit of hops in the finish.