Youngs Special London Ale

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

Bottled: Nice deep orange golden, with a dissipating off-white head. Leafy, lemony, resiny aroma with a malt touch & hint of yeast. Flavor is parallel to aroma. Thick malt backbone, light hint of caramel background. Resiny hops, bitterness is present with a later hoppy lemony bite. Decent flavors. Late strong woody bitterness. Bit of late alcohol warmth.

Bottle. Amber hazy body with low carbonation and a lasting off-white foamy head. Nice malty/hoppy aroma with flowery and coriander notes. Lovely sharp hoppy taste (obviously Fuggle/Golding hops) that ends with a long bitter aftertaste. Superb Ale!

Pours lovely white, creamy head, nice copper colour, english hop aroma is fantastic, sweet maltiness and alcoholic warmth, then a very bitter finish, far more bitter than I expected, IPA level bitterness, nice once the palate adjusts to it, had some at 10 and 6 degrees, I enjoyed it more at 6, a little crisper and the finish was just right, the warm alcohol flavour was a little too pronounced at 10, overall a great beer

Bottle. Poured nice with a small amount of lace. Aroma was - I keep wanting to say apples. hmmm...nice maltiness. Can definitely taste/feel/smell alcohol. So far, with the first couple sips, an excellent ale. As I continue to drink whilst eating pizza, I’m enjoying the fruity aroma and the wonderful hoppiness after swallowing. Somebody mentioned the taste/aroma of rum - I can detect that as the beer warms in my glass. I’m really enjoying this! Ok, I’m done with my pizza and really just enjoying the brew. As it warms, I’m overwhelmed by the "alcoholiciness" of it. Aroma is getting a little more citrusy, also. Still an excellent brew. Ok, I’m done commenting now - off to finish my brew. HIGHLY recommended.

Tall, creamy and off white the head rests above a clear, medium amber-orange hued beer. Big aromas of bread and cookie combine with a slightly milder toffee element. A strong orange marmalade hop aroma rides above softer woodsy elements. Slightly sour-citric and doughy yeast undertones round out the experience along with flinty edges. Soft pale malts begin the flavor alongside a distinct pear like acidity and a light, leafy bitterness. Rather doughy through the middle with a sharply acidic and firmly bitter finish. Lingering orange rind flavor. Medium weight with a slick texture and prickling carbonation. Like a few other bottle-conditioned English Strong Ales I’ve had, there is a pervasive sour element to this beer that I’m not terrible fond of.

Original rating (6/3/7/4/13=3.3): Pint bottle, snifter. Average, creamy, frothy, white head is quickly diminishing. Toasted grain, cookie, toffee malt (H); flower, perfume and orange hops (M); hint of ginger in the aroma. Moderately sweet, lightly acidic flavor becomes a moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter finish. Medium-full body, creamy texture, lively carbonation. The bottom line is: aroma is really underpowered but the flavor is nice...still not enough oomph or subtlety.

Olala! Extremly dry and bitter finish. Quite pale color. Hops dominate in this tasty pale ale. Could easily be mistaken as an IPA.

Starts of very well with a nice aroma of pineapple and grassy hop, a good flavour of caramel, again resinous hops, but in the mid-palate it drops to an alcoholic, almost wodka-like beverage. Finishes better, but again a bit too boozy and harsh for my taste.

Musty, tangy orange-grapefruit hops up the nose. Clear honeyish body billowing with fragrant suds. Silky malt and kick-in-the-tongue hoppy bitterness. Caramel, orange peel, booze. Lovely.