OHanlons Royal Oak

Robe rousse aux reflets cuivrés surmontée d’une mousse blanche épaisse en dentelle qui persiste. Arômes légers de caramel et de métal. Saveurs de bois, de houblon amérisant, de vanille et de caramel. Aqueuse.

Poured a nice dark amber color. Aromas of caramel, fruit, and spice. Flavor is medium sweet with a nice hop bite.

From a 1pt. 9oz. short narrow neck brown bottle with a blurb and history lesson, along with serving and pouring instructions, on the back of label and I too, have a best before date of 02.28.05, but the pale ale held up well. Made a good appearance, the cap popped when I opened it, poured an hazy orange and gold hued copper with a large billowing foamy head that slowly settled into a thin rocky, foamy lacing, good carbonation. Had a big, sweet berry fruity and earthy nose with a little dry yeast and molasses in the background. A crisp, carbonated textured, smooth light bodied mouth feel, good drinkability. Nice berry fruity, with a subtle banana, taste, a buttery, syrupy molasses maltiness, a dry earthy hop bitterness, a balanced bitterness with the sweet malts, and a dry earthy and malty finish, well done. I really enjoyed this English Pale Ale, balanced and tasty. When I saw the best before date, I was expecting the worst, but this ale held up well, recommended for anyone liking pale ales and ESB’s, English or American. In Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide, this listed as a pale ale.

Royal Oak Traditional Bitter, 500ml bottle brought home from St Albans Beer Festival, Sept.05. Bottle conditioned (bb. 28.04.06). Deep amber with slowly fading beige head that left nice lacing on the glass. Rich malty and floral aromas. Fruity and malty body with a touch of caramel and yeast. Medium bitter ending.

Pours amber honey with a huge white froth that slowly dissipates into fragments. Just enough residual effers to keep it from going flat. Nose is dry hops without the citrus but with some celery and cuccumber. A little barn-yardish. Medium nectar. Slightly bitter and very dry with a woodsy tropshire. Also on the list is tobacco, malt, green citrus rind, and celery. Finish is dry and bitter.

cloudy copper with off white head. subdued malt aroma that is somewhat fruity. medium bodied, rather bitter.

Bottle as picture. Poured into a half pinter. First beer I’ve had that blew out straight head. nO liquid to be had and spilled over. jaysus its a gusher when added to the glass. That happened again and again with each new pour. Head is massive Frothy and creme thick like. Amber clad colour. Well balance look with yeasties coming through at the end. Sweet floral nose with mild warm fruits. Taste is slight bitter malt, dry, floral and somewhat fruity...not juicy fruity, but decent, enjoyable fruity. Very well balance and enjoyable. I could sit down for 6 of these if they werent so damned expensive.

Draught - real ale - at Bishops Arms (Avenyn) in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Red and brown color with a small brown head. Faint fruity scent and a fruity taste.