McMullen Original AK

Brewed by McMullen
Style: Bitter
Hertford,, England

Cask @ Coopers Arms, Hitchin. Amber color with a small head. The aroma is malty with some light hopping and fruit / hay. A round fruity flavour with a nice dry and bitter end.

Cask at The Farriers Arms St Albans 28 Sep 06. Dark golden coloured. A pretty white creamy head - lasting 4 minutes leaving rings in the glass. Fruity aroma. A rounded fruity flavour. A bit watery. Subtle bitter finish.

Half pint on handpulled cask at The Farriers Arms in St Albans. Amber coloured body with brilliant clarity and a small creamy head. Moderate malty aroma. Ripe fruit and hints of raisin in flavour. Dry and short bitter ending (28.09.2006).

Cask conditioned at The Farriers Arms, St Albans, Herts. Brown in colour with a white soapy head. Nice easy session bitter to start the day off, nothing sharp or spiky, just a smooth malty, if slightly thin (and I noticed that the pump clip was showing 3.7 ABV, so there may have been a reduction here) bitter, bordering on a light mild. A hint of barleycorn on the finish, a good standard beer.

Cask conditioned - handpump - Nags Head London. A mid brown coloured beer with a puddle of an off white head. The aroma is mlaty with some light hopping. The taste is easy going and balanced. A little caramel makes you reminisce about the days this was a light mild. They should have kept it that way, because as a bitter it’s really dull.

A dark, copper brown coloured beer with a weak white head. A light, fairly non-descript aroma, with some traces of malt and bready yeast. The mouthfeel is weak and watery, the taste is also weak, dry and a touch malty, and again with a yeasty element. Not a good example of the brewery’s beers, in one of their own pubs. (Cask - @ The Nags Head, Covent Garden, London, on a day trip to the German Embassy to sort out the missus’ passport).

Cask@The Nags Head, Covent Garden, London. Nutty brown, creamy steady off-white head. Mildly fruity and malty nose - not very strong. Watery mouthfeel. Light sweetish fruity (raisins) flavor. Simple session mild.

Cask, handpump @ the Nag’s Head, Covent Garden.
Bright, ruddy amber body with a wafer-thin off-white pad. No aroma. Thin in the mouth, watery and lifeless. White-grapes, under-ripe citrus fruits and bread join some cigarette ash to make for and interesting bitter that didn’t quite work. The only pleasantries came from the assertive grassy bitterness on the swallow, before it dies off all oily down the throat. I don’t think my sample was in good shape. Not what I hoped it would be, as I’ve been brewing this recipe at home with completely different results. Poor.