Adnams Southwold Spindrift

Adnams Southwold Spindrift

Style: Golden Ale

Alcohol Content: 5%

From: Southwold, Suffolk, England, UK

                                                                Purchased from: Tesco

Adnams PLC is a British regional brewery company founded in 1872 in Southwold, Suffolk, England, by George and Ernest Adnams. The company produces cask ale and pasteurized bottled beers. Annual production is around 85,000 barrels. The Sole Bay Brewery in Southwold was purchased in 1872 by George and Ernest Adnams. The company was incorporated in 1890, and has remained independent since then, producing a range of beers for distribution mainly in East Anglia. The Adnams family was joined in 1902 by Pierse Loftus and his brother Jack, and Adnams still has members of each family on the board, with Jonathan Adnams as chairman and Simon Loftus as a non-executive director.

In 1993, Adnams Extra won the Champion Beer of Britain, an award presented by the Campaign for Real Ale at the annual Great British Beer Festival. Adnams remains committed to brewing cask ale and operating non-themed pubs.Cask ale is available in all its 70 pubs, and it supplies more than 1000 other outlets direct. New fermenting vessels were installed in 2001-3 to cope with demand, and the brew house was completely re-equipped in 2006-7, making it one of the most energy efficient in Europe.At the beginning of 2004, Adnams purchased land in neighboring village of Reydon to expand its business with a new distribution center designed by architect Jeremy Blake, which was nominated for the 2007 RICS East of England Award for Sustainability. Adnams was awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the sustainable development category in 2005.

For his review we will be delving into the world of Spindrift. One of the unique characters about this beer, is that it comes in a dark blue bottle. It is certainly the only beer that I'm aware of that comes packaged like this (let me know if anyone knows any more). The Spindrift is also heavily themed to show of the East Anglia Swash. So lets dive right into the sea and pull out a review!

I Can See the Sea Dad!

Colour: Very pale brown colour very similar to good quality Czech lagers such as Staropramen or Kozel. On the pour you get a small white head which stays for about two minutes and then leaves the joint. You are left its a small amount of foam to enjoy. The delicate foam reminds me a lot of the wash off the sea on a Weymouth beach in summer. Ah I reliving my youth just by looking at the beer.

Aroma: On your first sniff you will be blasted with sensuous pineapple and kiwi notes. It really invites you into this beer but unfortunately these fresh fruity smells die away after some exposure to the atmosphere. Smelling the beer again you will pick up sweet hop and hobnob biscuit notes. This beer has many delicate layers to it, that subtly interplay to give you a beautiful aroma sensation.

Body: I'm starting to think that every beer I seem to review is light and refreshing, so I'm going to try an expand my vocabulary. When you have your first sip you will notice that this beer is quite robust. It's actually a little bit heavier than it looks. The mouth feel is not clingy but you will notice that takes a little longer than say a lager to leave you.

Taste: This beer is mildly sweet on the tongue with a refreshing crisp finish which cuts though the sweetness leaving your thirst quenched. Whilst drinking this beer I could taste hints of white grape or kiwi mixed with cashew nuts. Odd mix I hear you cry, but it really works an the flavors compliment each other very well. You are also left with a slightly mineral notes at the end which really help cleanse you palate. I first tried this beer a couple of years ago in a a cocktail bar in Richmond called B@1. After drinking far to many Tennessee Iced Teas, I elected for a beer. Thinking I would be served some standard lager, I was extremely pleased to be offered a Spindrift. It was a great break from the overly sweet drinks. If you are new to craft beer, give this drink a go and you will be sailing the seven seas in no time.

Message In The Bottle?

Follow me on Twitter for the latest news on reviews @BeefsBrewery