Shepherd Neame 1698 Celebration Ale

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

500 ml translucent capped bottle. Poured a clear old red copper or ruby-brown coloured ale with a generous one finger slight beige creamy foamy head that had a very long retention and tons of micro bubbles. Active carbonation. Good lacing. The aroma is slight toasted malts, caramel and grassy hops. The flavour is toasted malts, caramel, biscuits, spicy, with notes of licorice, caramelized fruits, pears and dried fruits, nuts. The mouthfeel is crispy and very smooth. This medium bodied ale has a dry fruity and bitter finish. A very nice balanced ale.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Old Neame got this one right! Pale ale the right way. Taste pale, looks pale, sort of like those old hair tonic bottles in the barber shops of the 50s. I was ready for Old English 800 and got one of if not THE best pale ale I have experienced. Was not easy to find, and I only bought one of em. Shame on me. This works, would love to have tried the bigger one!

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

Draught at Bishops Arms, Lund, Sweden. Pours out in a clear amber colour, almost no foam. Butterscotch in the aroma. Fudge, diacetyl and grassy hops in the flavour. Full but rather lifeless body. Long and dense finish of metal, butterscotch, grass and leaves.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Clear, amber, off-white head that runs away. Flinty/metallic hop aroma. Fleshy/stinky note, some lemon/ginger/allspice. Caught a faint whiff of pickled onion. Floral hop, dried ginger powder. Pungeant note, which reminds me of pinot noir... gamey, forest floor.... Slight toffee note, some pistachio nut, leather, dried fruit. Quite light.... there is a slight alcohol heat that thins out the mouthfeel. Wine-like, in many respects. An interesting combination... Seems strangely chaotic....could only really drink one I think.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Keg at The Bishop’s Arms, Göteborg. Deep golden to amber colour. Nice hoppy aroma with notes of toffee and sherry. Rich malty flavour with notes of toffee, caramel and some oak, but a little too sweet for my taste.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Nice rich top, foam does last for a while. Color is nicely copperish clear. Smells a bit too sour, but at the same time grainy and malty. So aroma is not bad. First taste is too soft and watery and it does not get better later. It should be more interesting due to it's quite high ABV, but it's my opinion. It is not definitely a bad beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 8

Bottled. Copper colour, foamy beige head, lacing. Fruitish aroma with weak bready hints. Also weak caramelly hints and very weak hints of alcohol. Flavour of sweet malt along with some breadish and roasted notes. Also some hoppy notes. Very smooth flavour and palate.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle. Very nice bottled beer. Amber coloured with a creamy, permanent white head (0.5 cm). Quite highly carbonated. Malty, spicey aroma. Nice well balanced taste, hops, malts and caramel with noticable alcohol finish. Nice foamy medium mouthfeel.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Amberish clear color. Smally, fizzy head. Malty, nutty and caramel taste. Not too hoppy, which would make this a much better ale.

Aroma: 0 | Appearance: 0 | Mouthfeel: 0 | Flavor: 0 | Overall: 0