Greene King Strong Suffolk (Olde Suffolk)

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

This is an excellent old ale when you can get a bottle that hasn’t been spoiled... Greene King for whatever reason sees fit to use clear glass bottles and I have on a few occasions picked up a bottle that was skunked. Pours a dark/deep ruby with a light tan head that doesn’t last very long. There is a nice deep, malty aroma that is fruity with a hint of hops, and becomes more vinous and complex as it warms. Hops lead on the tongue, soon overtaken by malt, following through with deep fruits and lingering maltiness. I love to have this one with a grilled steak...

500 ml bottle - pours clear, dark brown with bubbly white head to the edges; candy sugar, caramel, dark fruit, oranges too; lots of toffee; light bodied with plenty of sweetness; very drinkable though with a fruity finish; not very complex as it’s mainly dominate by a thin, malty sweetness; figs and oranges; not bad, but a little simple and not thick enough to my palate when it comes to old ales

(br-btl gl-cap, wh-lbl w/ oak vat)
dark amber, ^high co2,
fresh spicy T1 bitter musty T2, §alc-warmth T3

~ Purchased this bottle from Big Z Beverage in Huntington, NY. This beer pours a deep reddish brown with a medium head. It smells of dark fruit, oak, toffee, and roasted malt. The taste is very similar to its smell. All the wonderful flavors and aromas make this a special beer. It’s complex, smooth, and delicious. A truly unexpected surprise! ~

Poured dark reddish brown, caramel malts, wood, little dark fruits, little earthy hops.

Near-transparent mahogany with a small, bubbly tan head. Nose is malt heavy with tea, almond, and sugary icing. Sweet flavor of brown sugar and icing, wood, and leaves. It starts full, but the finish is thin and watery, light leaf and wood balanced with remnants of the sugar. The alcohol stays pretty dormant here, but the hoped-for complexity is never reached; the beer is rather front-heavy. Still, nicely coherent and still rather enjoyable.

Bottle - Pours a dark brown with a reddish hue, small off head that simmers away. Malt earthy aroma with dark fruits. Medium body with light grains and a light hop presence. Easy drinker that could use a little something more.