Marstons Late Hopped

Brewed by Marstons (Marstons plc)
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Burton-on-Trent, England

One of Marstons better bottled beers, great summer drinking. Poured a marmalade colour with a thin white head. The floral nose is deliciously zesty, with some limey hop characters. Light bodied and quenching. Has that wonderful Marstons green apple crispness. Here it’s coupled with a citric hop tang and a lingering bitterness. In bottled form, this comes up much better than some of the brewer’s better ales. (Bottle)

Burnt amber without head. Hoppy aroma (duh), Lots of flavour which is not complex but is immediately, nicely bitter. This one works because it has a strong simple "beer" taste.

Quite a degree of floral hops, especially in the aroma. Not a trace of hops bitterness, though. Not bad, though.

I respect Marstons, though I wouldn’t say that there are many differences between their session bitters. This is sold together with Pedigree, Single Malt and Double Drop. Maybe the hoppiest of them. Clear bottle, copper colour, thin head, malty and fruity aroma, hoppy, malty and ironish taste. Dry finish.

Slightly spiced aroma with a very hoppy flavour. Overall very average.

There are two enjoyable aspects of reviewing beers. Being the first is great and then there is being the tenth which gives rise to the percentile. Ok now to the beer. This is a good amber with the promised nose of hops, The head is thin but still presentable all the way down. The flavour is good but not brilliant. This is the sort of beer that you would expect to see in an English pub, which fom my perspective is not a bad thing, but it isn't a 'wow' beer either.

Bottle 04/10/2004 Golden amber coloured and hoppy. Some dryness in a bitter lasting finish.

Quite good, but nothing distinctive, tastes like most English bitter, slight bread burnt malts, resiny hops, bittersweet, kind of syrrupy, bitter hop finish, pretty nice.