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Batemans
 scrapes in
 decent
 good
 excellent
 sublime
Batemans, Combined Harvest Multigrain (England) 
For me this is one of the stars of the range I've tasted from Bateman's. As well as barley, this beer is brewed from wheat, rye and oats, and perhaps that adds to its fine complexity. The colour is a deep, glowing bronze/gold, with a tight, white head. There's a lot of toast and a spectrum of malted, puffed wheat grainy aromas on the nose. On the palate it is smooth and full with an immediate sensation of extreme sweetness, that is quickly overtaken by a dry, hoppy acidity and slightly bitter, burnt flavour that adds lots of contrast. It is quite a dense, chewy mouthful of beer, with a crisp fruity acidity in the long finish. I thought this was lovely, and almost worth that extra half star. 4.7% ABV, 50cl, �1.19, Aldi, Booth's.  |  |
Batemans, Summer Swallow (England)
Nice, deep golden/amber colour. Head quite short-lived. Quite soft, hoppy nose with a touch of burnt toast. Really very nice as it strikes the palate; quite broad and creamy, with a dry, nettle and hop bitterness and undertow of hedgerow fruit. Stays quite fat in the mouth through to a long finish, with hints of caramel sweetness. Light enough to be a good session beer, but some good personality too at a very fair price. 4.2% ABV, 50cl, �1.19, Aldi, Booth's. |  |
Batemans, XXXB Classic Bitter (England)
This beer from Batemans has won numerous awards for its cask version, and I have to say I really enjoyed it from bottle too. It has quite a deep bronze colour and tight, off-white head. On the nose it is quite malty and toasty, with a honeyed sense of limpid richness, and soft, elegant fruit. On the palate it is smooth and full, with a nice interplay between grassy hops and a lemony crispness, and plenty of malty, smooth and svelte character kicking in. It is long and flavourful, with a dry finish. A really nice beer, and worth four stars at Aldi's low price. 4.8% ABV, 50cl, �1.19, Aldi, Luvians. |  |
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