Wells Bombardier (Pasteurised)

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Bedford, England

THOUGHTS: This might have been slightly skunked, but just slightly. Maybe not. Very British and very nice. A great, easy drinking ale. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a clear, dark amber with nice carbonation and a small to average, off-white head that slowly diminished and left good to excellent lacing. The aroma was moderate cookie, grain, caramel and cake; Light to moderate floral, herbal and grassy hops; tea, light fruitiness and light vegetable. The initial flavor was sweet, acidic and lightly bitter; while the finish was sweet and rather sour with an average duration. There was caramel, dark bread, herbal hops, cookie, a little fruit and floral hops. The medium body was oily with fizzy carbonation and lightly astringent finish.

Bottle. Clear brown with a thin white head. Very sweet nose rising up form this one. Some plums, toffee and a bit of coffee when you dig deep. Malty sweetness in the taste, some bittering hops dry and generally unpleasant mouthfeel. It’s okay but I wasn’t pleased with this one.

I have tried this beer in a London pub (cask conditioned) and from Binny’s in Chicago (bottle). I must say that the cask ale is much lighter in texture and flavor, and for me much more enjoyable, although this bottle is very good as well. This was my favorite ale in the UK, in the bottle it has a nice malty flavor, relatively hoppy (for an English ale, that is), and is rather creamy. Very good stuff!

Bottle, Sweden, 1997-02-23 A little bit fruity i.e nice Brownish with medium head Coffe, sweetness and bitterness

50cl dark brown bottle, as shown. Pours a medium, creamy beige head with some retention. Colour is deep, clear mahogany. Nice. Chocolaty malts on the nose, with some fruit notes in the background. Medium to heavier-bodied dark bitter, good mouth feel. Initially slightly sweet and chocolaty, then balanced by a healthy bitterness of roasted malt with a medium bitter finish and dry, lingering hoppy after taste. Overall effect after a while of drinking is that of good coffee. Not the most complex English esb (compare e.g. Fuller’s ESB), but a very good, characteristic brew of its kind. Well balanced, and a smooth, easy quality drink. Enjoy - and disregards poopooh heads like "Gary". They’re dragging this board down. ;=)

They call this shit "the drink of England" on their commercials that’s sad and very wrong. I just disklike pasteurised UK beers like I dislike hemorrohids in the ass. Stale vibez everywhere in this beer. Syrupy sweet malt, with attackiing peppery hops that are dusty and unfloral. No.

500ml bottle from Tesco. Clear bright chestnut, with thin lasting beige head. Bit of pasteurised cardboard, some rich fruit malt on aroma. I mean it’s a decent ESB, but the problem is the pasteurisation that kills so much of the flavour and in particular the mouthfeel. So much empty hardness and hard toffee. Some ok peppery hop on the end. So my problem is, is that it could be good, but it isn’t cos of the pasteurisation. I wonder how much better it can be if it was chill filtered instead.

500ml. Rich amber colour with creamy head, spicy, caramel malt aroma. Palate is medium bodied with good hop balance and pleasant flavours. I kind of hoped for more malt charcter in the mouth though. But a very nice, easy drinking ESB.