Another beer in the range from Marks & Spencer's, a Southwold Dark Ale brewed for them by Adnams in Soffolk. This time they've produced an apparently limited edition barley wine thats been brewed every October since 1880 (7.2% 330mls £2.19).Sound familiar?
From the description it sounds like it a rebottled/rebranded Adnams Tally-Ho, a beer thats usually 7% on cask but 7.2% when bottled conditioned, although this M&S version does not appear to be conditioned.
On pouring there was very little head and that soon went to the smallest of rings around the glass, colour is a dark red-brown. Aroma - Rich fruits, dark burnt caramel, slightly medicinal. Taste has some lingering coffee bitterness, prunes, toffee, heavy malts. Notable hop bitterness also, within its medium body, but punchy alcohol thats upfront not a warming sensation you can get with older barley wines. Overall its not a bad evening sipper. I'm nowhere near an expert in these things but from what I've read this could be one that perhaps could benefit from time in a cellar and tried again at a later date. I'm going to buy another couple of bottles and do that, why not?
Your photos are looking really really good, I get the feeling that your blog visits will increase due to google image searches now...
ReplyDeleteI really like Tally-Ho - it's a sipping savouring type of beer and goes fantastic with strong cheddar:
http://www.theormskirkbaron.com/2010/12/my-open-it-beer-adnams-tally-ho.html
Thanks for that, quite pleased with them although sometimes the glasses get alot of reflection, need to work on that.
ReplyDeletei've always actually had a fair few links through google images, if you name, title and tag them well they get good number of hits.