Greene King Strong Suffolk (Olde Suffolk)

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

Pours a dark reddish-brown, almost on par with Wellington’s Old Duke, with a very thin head that builds on the edge of the glass. The sweet malt aroma is complicated and layered with suggestions...caramel, cherry, vanilla. Hops are not present. Flavour is coffeeish with a licorice swallow. Very spicy and the palate is thin. Overall, an interesting seasonal. It’s not my favourite seasonal but I would drink more of it.

Poured reddish brown with almost no head. A interesting brew. Taste is caramel and roasted malts. A nice winter beer.

500 ml from LCBO. Dark brown with a thin beige head. Aroma is roasted malts and nuts, with caramel. Taste is roasted malts, nuts, caramel, pretty sweet overall, with some bitterness in the aftertaste.

500 mL bottle from LCBO. App.: pours deep copper with a light mocha, fluffy head that lasts well. Aroma: lots of lovely toffee and caramel, roasted malts and sweetness. Some dark dried fruits and nuttiness too. Not unlike fruitcake. Palate: med. body and reasonably low carbonation with a few sharp bubbles. Flav.: much of the nose carries through to the mouth with the addition of black licorice. There is an odd, red wine quality (maybe its the oak?) and finish as sourness (subdued). I ate cajun catfish for dinner and me thinks it is affecting the tatebuds! I will grab more and resample.

Bottle: A brisk pour puts a dark cola colored ale with a 2 finger rocky cap into the pint glass. Good cap retention leaves a lace...mildly carbonated. Aroma not unlike a good bock except for the overpowering caramel which has notes of toasted malts, some dried fruits a hint of "char" and an interesting woody- earthy smell from the oak barreling. Decent roasted malt spine, sturdy body, silky smooth mouth feel, unique fruity-mellow "charred" character Flavour profile starts with a big dose of toasted and caramel malts then these are blended into a very pronounced juicy fruit decernment like marmalade on dark. toasted treacle-soaked rye bread...then mid palate the hops strike and we get a nice stab of delicate bittering to this mixture ..finish is long and wet and slowly the sweet fuity-cocoa tones go mellow with metalic tones from goldings and the astrigency from the black malt char....a light clean almost citrus after taste. A very interesting blend of flavors almost like a dark bock and a strong IPA. Seeing how this is a blended ale I think the amounts of the 2 original brews was delecately measured to produce as complex a flavour profile as posssible. Three thumbs up on this awsome mellow smooth blended ale..I’d love to taste this unpasturized.

Dark reddish brown, no head. Bit of a tart aroma, reminds me of a certain Flemish sour ale. Flavor makes me think of a dark bread, with a hint of a Flaming Homer’s secret ingredient. Strong enough to feel it warm the throat. Interesting brew. Does go well with cheese.

Picked one up0 at the LCBO. Not bad, Next to no head. Aroma is raisins, and almost like red wine. Mouthfeel is kinda thin.....caramel with winey raisin taste. good, but not great.

Thanks to Indra for this one! Neat stuff here. Pours a very dark amber, little head fades away entirely. Aroma initially strongly of apples, as it warms, a soft warm caramel note emerges. Flavor is initially that of fresh green apple peel. As it warms up, caramel and toffee emerge, along with a bit of a woodsy note. An English beer for those who like Belgians. Nice stuff.