I have reviewed a few of Young's ales but this may be my last given the news last fall of their merger with Charles Wells and the closure of the captial's Ram brewery after 469 years. I understand their range is now being brewed at the Wells' brewery in Bedford. I trust this bottle is actually a relic of London Brewing past as this one carries a best before date of a month ago. The cold of the cellar stash has done its job, holding the ale's form well. Like Knut - I snabbed what I could after I heard of the ancient brewery's demise.
So what of the brew? As cheery as pint as there is. Orange amber ale under a frothy off-white head. Soft water with a medium-light body with some texture to it, a chewy feel. Grainy but also with a good bit of summer fruit: apricot, apple, pear. Some twig and green herb hop but at 4.3%, a level of lightish ale that requires a pretty subtle hand. A nice micro-burst of tangerine peel in the finish. As good a session beer as might have been. I wonder if the new stuff matches it?
Comments
Stonch - March 8, 2007 4:49 AM
The general concensus has been that, so far, the "Young's" beers brewed up in Bedford have not matched those from down in Wandsworth terribly well. This may change, of course. In October, the first batch of Winter Warmer released onto the market was diabolical, but the second that started to appear in December was much better.
Knut Albert - March 8, 2007 5:27 AM
I agree, the St George's Ale is a splendid beer. I tried it only recently, as I have always favoured their cask ales when in England.
There are two major probløems with the closing down of the Young's brewery - maintaining quality of the beers and deciding which beers to remove from the portfolio. Some of their best beers are probably gone, and even in the Young's pubs, handpups for the seasonal Young's ales have been replaced with Bombardier.
Stonch - March 9, 2007 10:56 AM
From memory, the beers discontinued by Youngs when they merged with Wells were Dirty Dick's, Kew Brew, Golden Zest and Young's Pilsner.
Alan - March 9, 2007 11:32 AM
Of those the only one I have had was Dirty Dick's and I was not a fan.