Adnams Lighthouse

Oh this gets top marks for beauty: a light amber, toffee coloured ale with a perfect creamy head, but will it taste as good as it looks?

It has a very hoppy aroma and smelling predominantly sour and metallic, it doesn't really smell very appetising but on to the taste...

The blend of malt and hops makes this a crisp, dry and refreshing ale; I was surprised that I didn't pick up any metallic taste with it featuring so much in the aroma.  It's quite fizzy and a little oily in the mouth with a subtle citrus bitterness in the aftertaste.

With just enough malts scraping through to make it quite an enjoyable bitter but, at a paltry 3.4% ABV, it wouldn't be one I would necessarily recommend to bitter lovers, however, I think it would be a perfect crisp, refreshing and thirst quenching drink on a summer's day more suited to pale ale fans.

Brewed by Adnams, Suffolk

3.4% ABV

My rating:

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Adnams Broadside

Adnams Broadside is the first beer listed in World Bottled Beers by Adrian Tierney-Jones, and you can find out more about this bottle-shaped book here in my beer books section.

This ale is my kind of colour: a deep ruby red with a reasonably tight beige head.  It smells mouthwateringly malty along with the kind of aroma you get when you first open a dark fruit cake.  I didn't smell it for long as I couldn't wait to take a sip!

The taste is predominantly fruity and bitter chocolate but more flavours are apparent as you drink it.  It's quite fizzy and I could taste some spiciness and liquorice, which is very reminiscent of dandelion and burdock, followed by a metallic copper coin bitter aftertaste.  It's a strong one at 6.3% so just aswell the metallic taste is there so you don't mistake it for dandelion and burdock pop.

It definitely tingled my tastebuds and I can see why it is such a popular beer.  I think it would have been a 5 pint rating for me if the metallic taste had been toned down a notch or two; I'm not averse to metallic bitterness but I don't want to feel like I am licking all the copper coins in my purse.

I wouldn't mind another pint of Broadside, perhaps on a chilly winter's evening beside the fire to accompany a slice of fruit cake.

Brewed by Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk

6.3% ABV

My rating:

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Adnams Innovation IPA

A lovely deep golden IPA with a frothy off-white head that lasts right to the end, leaving impressive lacing.  The aroma is amazing with a very strong smell of tropical fruits and a slight hint of lemon citrus.

I was expecting a very bitter lemon taste but was surprised to find it wasn't as lemony as I imagined.  It has a definite citrus taste but more of a bitter grapefruit with a sprinkle of biscuity sweetness that takes the edge off the bitterness.

The bubbles are quite harsh at first but it becomes very easy to drink and for me, not being a great fan of lemony citrus, it is one of the more pleasant IPAs I have tried.  The effervescent fizziness and mouthwatering tropical fruit aromas would make this a lovely summer drink.  Perfect to glug on a sunny day in the garden with a good book.

Brewed by Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk

6.7% ABV

My rating:

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Adnams Dry Hopped Lager

A light straw yellow lager with an almost non-existent head.  It has a lovely fruity pineapple aroma and lots of hops.  It tastes so light and refreshing and it's definitely on the dry side - I almost felt as if it needed a squirt of lime to give it a bit of sweetness and some flavour.

It is different from standard lagers, although it feels quite thin and watery in consistency. It has a slightly sour and bitter taste but is so crisp that it's definitely well labelled as 'DRY'.   Despite the lava lamp appearance, it is surprisingly lightly carbonated and would be a perfect thirst quencher on a sunny day, should we ever get one in the North East of England.

Brewed by Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk
4.2% ABV

My rating:

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Adnams Mosaic Pale Ale

This pale ale has a deep golden yellow appearance with a thick frothy white head.  A little darker than most pale ales it has stunning aromas of pineapple, mango, tropical fruit and a slight hint of grapefruit.

I'm not a great fan of fruity flavoured pale ale but this Mosaic Pale is really unusual, it is crisp and dry with a tropical fruit burst aftertaste.  There is barely any bitterness although it seemed to acquire a bit more of a citrus flavour as I was drinking it.  Softly carbonated, it's very refreshing and surprisingly nice.  A good summer ale, and I have seen mini kegs of Mosaic Pale on offer on Amazon so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for a summer barbecue or a relaxing day of reading in the sun (or shade, in my case).

Brewed by Adnams, Southwold, Suffolk
4.1% ABV

My rating:

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Adnams Southwold Bitter

This is a lovely dark copper ale with a hint of delicious ruby red.  There is a light, loose frothy head that disappears quite quickly although does leave a thin layer to give a bit of lacing on the glass.

It smells very malty with a slightly sweet fruity aroma, reminiscent of a thick buttered slice of malt loaf.  The aroma is very subtle so it doesn't influence the taste experience.

Southwold is actually a really nice bitter; there is no hint at all of copper coins and it has the perfect amount of maltiness for me.  It has a very smooth appearance but is filled with citrus metallic bubbles that race over your tongue to remind you that it's a bitter.

A classic bitter without any citrus or metallic overkill, ensuring that it will be a repeat purchase on my beery shopping list so Ale Be Seeing You Again!

Brewed by Adnams, Suffolk

4.1% ABV

My rating:

Find out more at Adnams Brewery