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Adnams
 scrapes in
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 sublime
Adnams, Broadside (England) 
(RP) Ruby red beer with spicy hops, pear drop fruit and hop resins on the aroma, burnt fruit, a hint of chocolate, chewy grain and peppery hops in the mouth, followed by a long, bittersweet finish with tangy hops, rich dark malt, ripe fruit and a light chocolate note. ?18.99 for 12 from Adnams Cellar and Kitchen and online. Around ?1.80 per bottle from other retailers. 6.3% ABV, 50cl, ?18.99 (x 12), Waitrose.  |  |
Adnams, East Green (England)
(RP) This is Adnams' carbon neutral beer, brewed with Maris Otter pale malt and Boadicea low-pesticide hops grown in Suffolk. It's straw-coloured with a hint of sulphur on the nose, with rich fruit - peaches and lychees - hop resins and biscuit malt. The palate is bittersweet with fruit dominating but balanced by juicy malt and tangy hops. Hop bitterness builds in the finish but ripe fruit and sweet malt continue to offer a good balance. ?12.89 for eight bottles from Adnams Cellar and Kitchen and online. Around ?1.80 a bottle from other suppliers. 4.3% ABV, 50cl, ?12.89 (x 8), The Co-operative, Morrisons, Sainsbury's. |  |
Adnams, Explorer (England)
(RP) Straw colour with a big grapefruit, peppery hop and nutty malt aroma. Tart citrus fruit, biscuit malt and peppery hops fill the mouth. Some fruity sweetness in the finish balances bitter hops and sappy malt. Very refreshing. ?13.50 for eight bottles from Adnams Cellar and Kitchen and online. 5.5% ABV, 50cl, ?13.50 (x 8), brewery website. |  |
Adnams, Gunhill (England)
(RP) Deep copper colour with a big malt loaf aroma with peppery hops. Rich nutty malt in the mouth is balanced in the mouth by bitter hop resins and sultana fruit. The bittersweet finish is dominated by spicy hops, rich malt and burnt fruit. ?18.99 for 12 from Adnams Cellar and Kitchen, and online. 4.0% ABV, 50cl, ?18.99 (x 12), Adnams Cellar & Kitchen. |  |
Adnams, Lighthouse (England)
(RP) Bronze colour with a grassy hop nose, pear drop fruit and cracker wheat grain. Fruit builds in the mouth but is balanced by chewy malt and bitter hop resins. The finish is dry and quenching with spicy hops, ripe fruit and rich juicy malt. ?18.99 for a case of 12, Adnams Cellar and Kitchen and Online.
3.4% ABV, 50cl, ?18.99 (x 12), Adnams Cellar & Kitchen.  |  |
Adnams, Solebay (England)
(RP) Solebay comes in a 750ml bottle with a cork and cradle, inside an attractive silver tin: both bottle and tin have dates of key moments in the history of Southwold and the brewery. The beer has a gold/pale bronze colour and big hint of butterscotch on the aroma, with powerful hop resins and cracker-wheat malt. Rich juicy malt coats the tongue but is balanced by toffee/butterscotch notes and spicy hops. The long and complex finish is bittersweet to start but hop bitterness grows, balancing the rich grain and butterscotch; the beer is warming and finally dry. Malt: high. Hops: medium. Fruit: low. Limited edition. 10.0% ABV, 75cl, ?9.99, Adnams Cellar & Kitchen, brewery website. |  |
Adnams, SSB Suffolk Strong Bitter (England)
(RP) Pale copper colour with bitter oranges, spicy hops and digestive biscuit malt on the nose. Bitter peppery hops, tart fruit and chewy malt fill the mouth, while bitter hops dominate the finish but are balanced by orange fruit and juicy malt. ?18.25 for 12 from Adnams Cellar and Kitchen and online. Around ?1.80 per bottle from other retailers. 4.5% ABV, 50cl, ?18.25 (x 12), Asda, Booth's, Waitrose. |  |
Adnams, William Godell Celebratory Ale (England)
(RP) Adnams has broken out from the straitjacket of Bitter and Broadside with a raft of additional beers, made possible by its new flexible German-built brewhouse. This new and exhilarating ale celebrates William Godell, known as the 'Father of Southwold', the brewery?s home base in Suffolk. An image of Godell features on the label of the bottle-conditioned beer, complete with a red seal. The 750ml bottle has a cork and cradle closure to underscore the image of antiquity.
The ale is based on a recipe from the early 16th century and uses oats and wheat alongside conventional malting barley. The hop marks a departure from Adnams? devotion to Fuggles and Goldings: the beer uses the much-acclaimed New Zealand variety Nelson Sauvign, so called because it creates a gooseberry character similar to the one found in wines from that country that use the Sauvignon grape.
The beer has a massive gooseberry aroma backed by a cinnamon stick spiciness, peppery hops and mellow grain. The tart gooseberry fruit dominates the mouth but sweeter fruits develop, balanced by tangy hops and biscuit malt. The finish is dry, bitter, hoppy, fruity and wonderfully refreshing. It?s only January, but William Godell will take some beating to win Beer of the Year.
The beer is available from Adnams Kitchen & Cellar in Southwold, 01502 727 222.
Malt: high. Hops: high. Fruit: high.
4.5% ABV, 75cl, ?24.99 for six, Adnams Cellar & Kitchen. |  |
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