Youngs Special London Ale

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: English Strong Ale
Bedford, England

Brown bottle, 500 ml, best before 13 APR 07, enjoyed on February 13 2006; eye: caramel, nice beige head made of bubbles of different sizes but head falls rapidly leaving a ring around the glass, light effervescence, clear, lacing spots; nose: Canadian rye whisky, caramel, lightly grainy hops, grapefruit, lightly fruity; mouth: in that order, fizzy, a wall of hops hit, grapefruit, quite dry, good astringence, a nice grainy hops support the different savours, nice finale in hops-grapefruit entetwined by caramel, its alcoholic side comes out as the beer warms up, average carbonation; overall: quite enjoyable FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 500 ml, meilleure avant 13 avril 07, savouré le 13 février 2007; oeil : caramel, belle mousse beige formée de bulles de différentes tailles et qui tombe assez rapidement laissant un anneau autour du verre, légère effervescence, claire, taches de dentelle; nez : rye (whisky), caramel, houblon légèrement granuleux, pamplemousse, légèrement fruité; bouche : pétillante, mur de houblon frappe, pamplemousse, assez sèche, bonne astringence, bon malt granuleux qui soutient le tout, belle finale en houblon-pamplemousse enfirouapé d’un peu de caramel, son caractère alcoolique devient plus présent à mesure que la bière se réchauffe, légèrement sucrée, assez amère, corps moyen, texture granuleuse et un peu alcoolique, carbonatation moyenne; en résumé : bien aimé

Bottle.50cl. Good strong bitter hop but the flavor is a bit harsh must be the goldings,average carbonation, bitter, medium body.

Bottle. Slightly haze, amber color, medium head. Earthy malt aroma with some grassy hops and a touch of alcohol. Medium bodied, soft mouthfeel. Malty and alcohol-laden flavor wich is balanced by a tangible bitterness. Good one, perhaps the abv should have been somewhat lower.

I can’t believe these beers are retired! Good thing I went to Florida and was able to find them. This strong hop beer is the counterpoint to the typically dry american ales. It’s a malted brew with a wet hop taste and a pleasant caramel finish. Youngs does good again.

Bottle, 6.4%. Nice aroma, sweet and spicy hops with a hint of sour rag. Almost clear copper colour. Big, stable white head. The flavour has some of the same characteristics as the aroma. Good bitterness. Caramel finish.

Pours hazy medium amber with a small fizzy white head. Aroma is or cookies, perfume and red wine, with a hint of solvent character. Flavor is well balanced but has a bit of medicinal flavor. Light to medium body, watery and softly carbonated. Not so great.

Pours a lovely red-orange amber with a nice head and good lacing. The aroma is fruit - both citrus and orchard - with a bit of caramel; the flavor is beautifully balanced with gently (not barleywine) sweet caramel notes folded over ESB fruitiness and interesting white-wine notes, leading into an impressive hop finish.

I might call this one an ESB rather than a English strong ale, but whatever one calls it, I’m sorry I didn’t try it sooner. Now, it’s basically too late.

Bottle, Best Before 08 SEP 06; Nose is pears, bananas, and caramel malt; copper colored with a medium straw-colored head; flavor of caramel malt and fruity hops with a slight bitterness.Mouthfeel is of the bubbles buzzing your tongue.