Adnams Southwold Bitter

This 4.1% ABV beer is from Adnams Southwold of Suffolk, but brewed and bottled by Martsons in Burton On Trent. Per the bottle: "Southwold Jack is one of Adnams' oldest & most loyal figureheads, that's why we've chosen him to be the icon for one of our most famous beers. Local legend has it he was once a young soldier from the Wars of the Roses and today he sits on the wall of our brewery guarding us from harm." Jack is also known as Smiter Jack (I do like that). There is a Jack statue in the brewery and also one in a local church, known as a Clock Jack, as he strikes the hours on his bell with his axe.

The beer pours chestnut brown and amber in color, very clear. It is well carbonated. There is nearly an inch of off-white head, thick and creamy. The aroma is caramel, nutty, hazelnut, a bit of a grassy tang, with some bitterness. The taste is caramel, nutty, toasted malt, tea, biscuits, lightly fruity like plum jam, herbal, with a fairly bitter finish. It drinks easy, the carbonation is noticeable, but mild in the mouth, with some creaminess from the head. The aftertaste is primarily bitter, but also reminiscent of the flavors. There is quite a bit going on with this bitter; definitely worth a try.

I liked my revisit in 2015: The beer pours a deep amber in color. There is nearly an inch of foamy head, very light tan. The aroma is malty, caramel, toffee, with plum and lemon. The taste follows the aromas, very malty, with loads of caramel and toffee, followed by lighter fruit notes, coming to a dry and lightly bitter end. The beer drinks very soft and smooth, with extremely light carbonation. This is a nice pub sipper.