Youngs Special London Ale

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

This is my favorite beer of all time on draft. I would die to have it on cask. My only problem with it is that it is made and marketed for America, originally anyway. The rest of the world should be insulted as a true beer lover would realize this is indeed Special.No longer available in these parts. Im sad over this but will pursue it with vigor! I understand you can’t find it in London anymore. An update from SE Pennsylvania!! This is available at Vadalia’s in Landsdale, Pa much to my delight. I’m enjoying one as I write. No reason to actually re-rate the particulars.

first,just by opening the bottle,a malty and rather sweet smell,but by pouring into the glass it smells hoppier not very thick head,slightly jellowish colored dark,a bit troubled orange-gold colour(or almoust orange-bronce) hoppy smell,orange smell,malt smell tasts much hoppier than one could expect by smelling at it.but also some orange-tasts and something spicy refreshingly carbonated. aftertaste first orange-taste,then really hoppy,at the end interesting bitterness really refreshing for a beer of 6.4%vol. first,i drank some of the content of the bottle in the way the brewery describes it,without pouring much sediment in the glass.then i tasted the rest of it with the sediment,then the colour is a little moretroubled,less bright,but nice too the taste is abit yeastier then,but altough hoppy,spicy and orange-like.so,i don’t understand,why the brewery suggests to let the sediment in the bottle.(i like unfiltered beers,but i know,some people don’t do!but here it would be a pity to drink it without the sediment!) i think,that this is a beer,that one shouldn’t drink too cold,then more different flavours are detectable.

Excellent. The strongess of the beer is balanced out by the hoppiness of the beer and the end result is a strong beer that goes down like a much weaker beer. I like the new bottles too. I could see myself getting totally ripped up on this stuff.

Pours amber honey color with medium sized froth. The aroma is fresh, crisp citrus dust. Nectar weight is light to medium with ample residual effers. Flavors are bright, fresh, and crisp with a perfect bitterness on the finish to keep you coming back for more. I have to say, I expected a malty character to accompany this higher ABV, but no. Kinda like a rare and recent sexy photo of Angelina.... without Brad. Well ballanced, alcohol is well hidden, and it’s perfect in it’s genre. Highly recommended.

500 ml. bottle. Bottle conditioned. Pours very clear and copper. Big, 1+ in. creamy off-white head. Sticks around a while - nice, thick layer of foam that stays until the end. Big lacing. Aroma is malty, tiny bit spicy, getting a little of the mossy type aromas of the english (fuggles and EKG) type hops. I swear I wrote that before I read the commercial description here - I’m getting good. ;) Smell reminds me of a Fullers or Bodington’s. Flavor is well balanced, bitter up front and in the finish, sweet and malty in the middle. Although I’m not picking up anything more specific than that, no distinct flavors. Palate is very drinkable. Light, high level of carbonation, and a little dry in the finish. Overall a very good beer. I thought it was an ESB until I logged on here - I guess the 6.4% puts it out of ESB range. This is much better than any nitro english ale I’ve ever had. It grew on me as well. By the end of the bottle I was really enjoying this one, very tasty.

Bottle 500ml. Bottle conditioned (bb.26.05.06). Clear golden coloured body under a dense creamy head, slowly fading. Caramel aroma. Rich roasted malt and sweet orange fruit in a rounded flavour. A bit yeasty both in the initial and end. Light hoppy bitterness is also present in a moderate lingering finish (28.04.2006).

(draft @ The Old Toad - Rochester, NY) Orange amber color with a nice and thick white head. Aroma is light and kind of malty with some caramel. Flavor begins with a heavy malt taste, a malty and smooth middle and a finish that’s slightly metallic and dry. Some fruits at the finish.

nice frothy head, cloudy golden amber, sweet and full bodied initially but finishes dry and weak, flavor is a mix of fruit (plums), pretty good