Greene King Strong Suffolk (Olde Suffolk)

Brewed by Greene King
Style: Old Ale
Bury St. Edmunds, England

17oz bottle via Roths. Pours a dark brown with a nice beige head. Nose is very nice... lots of dark fruity esters, vanilla, oak, malty and a little alcoholic. Taste is the same and some a little chocolate, raisin, and nuttiness...even a little roastiness. Body is medium, carbonation seems a bit high. Pretty good stuff, and quite tasty for only a 6% abv ale!

Dark brown with a hint of red. Little head to speak of. Nose of hops, caramel, grapes, and a little malt. Flavours of caramel, nuts, licorice, malt, with a slightly alcoholic finish. I taste a bit of oak in there as well. Excellent spectrum of flavours, as well as being well balanced. Medium full mouthfeel with smooth oaky finish. I enjoyed this ale quite a lot.

Pint bottle - I love trying true English/Scottish ales as they usually put the American counterparts to shame. This is a nice, carmel flavored ale. Deep ruby color, thin head that disappears quickly, it does have a flavor unlike anything I recall before. I like it.

Fairly clear mahogany-maroon pour with a staying, thin skin of beige. Aroma of cinnamon bread and raisins, peppermint, and butterscotch. Some candi sugar, butter cookies and dirty malt; slightly phony. Thin taste of green apples with cinnamon and sugar, oak and vanilla. Hints of banana and pistachio; all of these, however, being mere intimations of nuance, like shadows cast by a low sun to suggest an illusory dimension. Really, very little is happening, although the taste of the caramel color has a bit of weight. Fairly light and spicy in the mouth with a slight bite of overcarbonation. Finishes with overripe apple peel, drying out into paper and walnut skin. Seems to be another example of the fairly reckless violence that bottling and pasteurization does to british styles; cask treatment would suit this so lovingly. In this capacity, it’s very weak and unlikable, however easy it is to imagine the possibilities.

Different and unique, but not outstanding by any means nesscary. Smells great with a bit of coffee cake flavor. Its still kind of thin. however their is a slight funkiness that puts me off a bit. Perhaps old ale is not quite in my top style.

The aroma is dusty with dark fruit, leather, and caramel. The appearance is medium brown with a small head. The flavor is like the aroma with a bitter finish. The palate is a little thin. Overall I don’t like it but it’s OK.

Bottle. Deep red-highlighted toffee brown, nice tan layer of foam that waits around patiently after the pour when I got distracted and left it lonely. M&S mince pies have just returned to the shelves and this make me think of those: deep plummy caramalized raisin and rum. Lots of butter, but not out of place here. Huge, but suprisingly delicate pit fruit flavor, stewed in rum and spice. A perfect touch of peppery alcohol. Apple tartness and a little coffee finish the sip. I have to say I was sceptical: Green King generally Does Evil and Brews Rubbish. But this...this is lovely, well crafted beer. May I ask, if the GK brewers can make this, what are they doing the rest of the time? Has something caused their attention to wander from the brewing process? Crack? Betting or horses? ("Where Is My Mind" by the Pixies plays in the speakers. Where indeed.)

500ml bottle. Pours reddish brown in color with small brown head. Aroma Sweet malt and nutty. Taste malty and lite oak with dry finsih. I must be missing be something on the rating 94 %?