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Young'sSpecial London AleABV 6.4% • Vol 500 ml • bottle • UK • Expensive • Flavour 8 |
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This is a bottle-conditioned strong brew from the well-known Wandsworth brewery. In the glass it is golden in colour, produces a fairly generous bubbly head and has a gently hoppy nose with touches of red fruit. The dregs in the bottle (if you haven't added them to the pint) are suitably yeasty, showing a fair amount of sediment. In the mouth it is initially smooth, even creamy, but much more obviously hoppy, with sharp, spicy flowery hops present in abundance. There are also more fruit notes, though the beer itself is dry - the hoppiness imparts a lime or lemon zestiness to the brew. The strength comes across towards the finish in the form of light syrupy malt with hints of alcohol warmth, leaving a dry, bitter yet slightly cloying aftertaste. A top-notch strong pale ale. OBBD reviewer: Sparks |
Review updated 09/04/2001
Attractive amber bown in colour. Head is white and subsides but not completely. Aroma is faintly hoppy but on the whole is very subdued. Carbonation is high and this is noticeable in the first sip which brings forth a strongly hoppy taste with peppery, spicy Goldings very evident against a fairly firm body. Some alcohol and esters also present. In the middle the beer becomes rather tart and citric (grapefruit) and bitterness is very much the dominant feature. Beer continues in this vein to a hoppy and tart finish which is short but very bitter.
Conclusion: This is the bottle conditioned version of Young's Special and I think a little stronger. I could find little evidence at all though of a sediment. Also I think it wise to disregard the label advice to 'serve chilled'. Cooled, yes; chilled, no. If you are of the ilk that prefers their bottled beers on the strong side, this will suit you. I think this could do with a little more time in the bottle which would round off the flavours a little more. At present they are really individual components rather than a balanced whole. The attractive hoppiness though is a big plus - no stinting on the hops. Other brewers take note. Let's get the hops back into British beer!!
In terms of style, I would call this an IPA even if the brewery doesn't. I am going to lay a couple of bottles down for a year or so and then we shall see. Nonetheless well worth a try. (Flavour: 7)
Peter Alexander
I have recently drunk one that has been aging in my cellar for almost a year. It had improved greatly, as suggested in the review above. I too am now goingto lay some down for a while...
Ian Williams
Tasteless. I cannot see how it has won awards in the past.
geoff
Geoff either has no tastebuds or is an avid disciple of Fuller's. This beer has one of the most complex flavour characteristics of all English IPAs
Mark J
Really enjoyed this one and would have it again. A super flavour that I could have tasted all night, superb!
Antony
The spiciness is its most obvious feature. Aroma subdued but the hops can be detected right on the tip of the tongue. Begs for another sip. Probably a bit overcarbonated. That's a lot of foam! Overall outstanding.
Veronica
Another rave review here! Plenty of body and a good mouthfeel to ground the wonderful zingy and very fruitful hop buzz. Mine was quite young and so was slightly fizzy with no sediment. I am in agreement with Peter that the malt base and the hop zip are a little too far apart - but this should balance out as the bottle ages.
Silk Tork
I didn't think much of the beer when I first tried it a couple of years ago but recently I had one which was ten months beyond the 'best before date'. Absolutely stunning now!! Lots of butterscotch..... glad I have a few more ageing in the cellar!
Christoph
I have revisited this product and it is still not to my taste. A malty brew, devoid of hop character. Most craft brewers could produce a better beer.
geoff
I'm afraid I agree with Geoff on this one - I love a good pint of Young's cask ale and have twice tried this bottled beer with high hopes - but apart from tasting high in alcohol, I've not discerned much flavour. Does it really change that radically in character if you lay it down for a year plus?
Andrew N
The taste is really complex. It starts out sweet, gets a bit rough and them turns bitter, the whole while while remaining creamy and spicy. A very nice brew, indeed.
James Wood
This is THE ONLY bottled beer I've tried in the USA that matches the character of true "cask conditioned ale." However, Young's is slightly more carbonated than the Adnams Bitter I enjoyed nightly in the Maid's Head pub (Norwich, England - founded 1287).
denverdba@hotmail.com
YYYUUUUKKKKKKKK how can anyone drink this and enjoy it.Unless I have got the cask cleaning liquid this is undrinkable and best avoided.
Wurzal
Normally I love one bottle of this for relaxing after packing the kids off to bed, but I made the mistake of asking for it for each round when out with work friends ordering ordinary beer/lager for a "leaving drinks".
1 bottle = "Happiness",
2 bottles = "Walking on a cushion of air",
3 bottles = "Is the world different somehow",
4 bottles = "Why am I always half-a-second behind the rest of the world?",
5 bottles = "I'm going to regret this in 3 hours time".
Ronnie
Maybe its one of the tests of a good bear if it splits the pack(there are many ways I could have put this: pearls and...etc) but I think its a gem!
Alan J
Superb real ale. Rated very highly by our members (R)real (A)ale (T)tasting (S)society
R A T S (D.Keith)
I've tried another 5 of these in the last year, to see if my comments above need revising, including 2 bottles which I laid down for a year to see if it made a difference. It didn't. None of the bottles I've had produced anything like the head in the picture, and the comment someone made above that this is low in aroma is too true. May I direct those who prefer a bottle conditioned ale with bags of taste and hop character to RCH Double Header?
Andrew N
This beer has recently (Nov '04) undergone a new packaging and bottle overhaul and (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) a recipe change. It seems all the more likely due to Fullers also revamping their ESB. Like the new blue livery too, very similar to the new ESB, eh hem! It definately tastes very different than before and for the better in my opinion. Now an absolute gem of a beer vastly improving on what was already a classic before. 10.
jk
I can confirm that the Bottle has undergone some change, but I'm not convinced that this is directly designed to match Fullers ESB. I actually preferred the original receipe, but I accept as an avid fan of hops, I'm probably in the minority. That said Youngs is a crackin' Brewery & I just can't fanthom why this beer hasn't scored higer than 8. Young's isn't a world leader, but the're not far off!
Simon Parkin
500 ml bottle, now available in Norway (Vinmonopolet). Deep amber coloured, slightly hazy, large and lingering head. Pleasant aroma of fruity hops on a moderately malty background, hints of toffee and leather. Flavour is fairly malty with some caramel and a dominant hoppy bitterness, too bitter in the finish. A bit overdone on the hops in my book, but obviously a well-above-average beer. 7.5/10
Sigmund
Personally, I think this is a rather fine ale. It has lots of depth and character. It does have complexity, but it is perhaps too subtle for those of a less discerning palate!
John
My first bottle of the new packaged Special London Ale consumed last month (with BB date of 04/10/06) poured semi-thick, good lingering head, bursting with flavours balancing b/w juicy pale malts, fruity and floral hops upfront and crisp, dryish hoppy and intensifying zesty bitterness towards the end. I didn't keep any note of the old version so can't fairly compare, but this one is not as complex aromatic as the previous bottles I had, and the new version seems to have much less sediment in it. I like to know why. But this beer is still brilliant to me. Andrew N's comment above in favour of RCH Double Header perhaps is misplaced here. I myself love Double Header (esp. the cask-conditioned version) but it's within a different beer style, maybe Pale Ale, so I think they are both nice but unsuitably contrasted with each other. But it's just my opinion of course.
Yau
I have Belgian friends who bring their own beer to UK when they travel here because the English do not know about proper beer. I served them this great ale and they were so impressed that the bought a dozen to take back to Belgium.
Larry
Quote, "...This is THE ONLY bottled beer I've tried in the USA that matches the character of true "cask conditioned ale..."
It's an excellent beer but try also Fuller's 1845. Also bottle-conditioned and also as good as a cask-conditoned ale. Readily available in the USA.
Richard English
Great drop. Really morish but lively 'n' all. This is a 9/10 for me.
Damo
Aroma of socks, dry taste, keeps a thin head, lots of hops, very little sediment. Bottle purchased from the ram Brewery shop. I'm with Sparks on this one.
Lester
I love this beer. When you see it in the shops it tends to be fairly fresh but I got some bottles last week that were about seven weeks away from their best before date and they were better than ever. A hoppier aroma and a more powerful flavour. In fact, the best BCB I’ve had for ages. Old or new, this is a fantastic beer.
Gary
Thanks to the comments above recommending aging the beer, I shall get some for laying down. My initial reaction was one of some disappointment: not quite up to the Fullers and Young beers I have always enjoyed in the past but now this has been explained. Some time ago I did pick up a dozen ESB bottles which were stunning. At the time they were on special as they were past their expiry date but they were perfect. I kept a few for another year but by then they had definitely passed their peak. Like maturing good wines (my oldest is 1929 Port), finding the exact best time for bottle matured beers is something of a gamble.
Herb Mostert South Africa
Sorry Herb, but Fullers ESB isn't bottle conditioned - therefore it can only get worse with age...
http://stonch.blogspot.com - STONCH'S BEER BLOG
Stonch
Too much "horse blanket" for me, but perhaps mine had not been stored well.
Danny
Great beer this one. It carries its 6.4% ABV very well with a firm back bone of rich malt, and a gentle lift from the drying hops. Very drinkable. 7.5/10
Travis Webb
Unfortunately I must update my previous comment on this beer. I have had problems with new stock in the shops, and it is definitely NO GOOD when it is no longer new but there are still a few months to go before its best before date. I bought some at the end of Jan 08 from Sainsburys. They were marked up on the shoulder of the bottle as 30/04/08, 30/05/08 and 30/06/08 so I thought I would try them. Unfortunately they were all past their best. They were cloudy and tasted like bottom of the barrel stuff in the pub when it’s been in there too long and it’s time to put a new cask on. The only thing I can think of is that my previous complimentary remarks referred to the beer when it was brewed at Young’s Wandsworth and the dates were on the label. I now retract everything I wrote. The beer is now Wells and Young’s and the dates are on the shoulder of the bottle and the quality is no longer there. I should not have to tip beer down the sink when the brewery claim it still has five months left and I’m seriously considering not bothering with it again.
Gary
Gary: what did Wells and Youngs say when you complained to them - as you surely would have?
Richard English
Message for Gary: Really disappointed to read your note. Please could you contact me on youngs.ales@wellsandyoungs.co.uk so we can talk more about this?
Emily
Fab beer I just heard Youngs has discontinued it!!
nige
I am delighted to see that Emily from Youngs has been proactive enough to try to deal with this apparent problem. That's just as it should be; in any organisation things can go wrong despite the very best efforts - it's the way these things are dealt with that sorts the barley from the rice.
Richard English
Update from Gary having not been here a while. I'd previously had a problem with a new batch of SLA which I reported and they admitted there had been a problem with the brew. They sent me some more which was much appreciated. I did not report the next problem which was the beer going off before its BB date as it has happened to me too many times before although usually with beer that makes a brief appearance in the shops and is never seen again. Emily I suggest you keep a batch of each brew in store and get those who enjoy a good drink to sample it periodically to see if it is going off. I’m still buying the latest brews, and it’s a lot better than W*********n W***e S****d which I stay away from no matter how new it is.
Gary
8? and 1845 is 7.5? No. Both are good, drink them regularly--but must say 1845 is better balanced.
Although I drank quite a bit of Youngs when I lived in London, it somehow seems better these days--perhaps because I've been surviving on bottled varieties of imported UK ales. I always preferred Fuller's...and Young's imports seemed lacking quality...but our batch of Young's this summer in California is good...must do a taste test tonight to confirm. 7.5
Petey
I agree that 1845 is a marginally better beer. That's not to say that Young's SLA is poor - it is very good. But 1845 has the edge on complexity and, at 7.5, I reckon it's underscored. 8.5 or 9 at least.
Richard English
Just to reassure you, we do taste the Young's bottle conditioned ale range every Friday. We track the beers throughout the ageing process and try bottles from the beginning and ends of each bottling run. I hope you are enjoying SLA once again? Kind regards, Emily
Emily
Emily - I have read the rumours that Wells and Young are going to bottle-condition more of their ales. Is this true and, if so, what sort of timescale are we speaking of?
Richard English
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