“Young’s Special London Ale is the UK’s No.1 bottle conditioned ale. It is an unpasteurised, living beer, matured in the bottle for a fuller, more complex, multi-dimensional, fresher taste. Without artificial carbonation, the only fizz is the natural effervescence created by fermentation.”
Glassware: English pint.
Appearance: Relatively clear amber colour with a healthy two finger head forming on top. It slowly retracts and dispenses a fine lace as it subsides.
Aroma: Big malty notes erupting out of the glass. Oodles of caramel, toffee, bread crusts, hay and toast. Solid hop bill as well, it almost results in an English IPA with its zesty orange citrus, floral notes and soft spicy characters. Some dried stonefruit coming through as it settles. Surprisingly good, really good actually.
Flavour: Delicious malt profile that provides sweet caramel, toast and honey. Like the aroma there is a sturdy hop presence bringing stonefruit, marmalade, apricot and earthy spice. It hits a slight dryness midway then surges in to a long, sweet and kind of spicy finish with a hint of grassy hop in the tail.
Mouth feel: Texture is drying but also smooth as silk. Moderate co2 with medium body. Very well hidden ABV (6.4%).
Overall: We are really surprised by this. Here we are thinking this would be a straight forward traditional ESB but it’s far from it, she’s crammed full of malt sweetness and spiked with a big hop profile. Teetering on the edge between an ESB and an English IPA. Impressive.