Holly Bush
Salopian Brewery in Hadnall, Shropshire, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Winter|
Score
6.80
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Holly Bush prickles with warming strength but delivers a delightfully drinkable strong ale. Packed with festive flavours and clean crisp aroma.
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7/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
January 2018: 500 ml bottle, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 5.5%. Brown colour, slightly hazy. Huge and lasting off-white head. Malty aroma, hints of lightly roasted malts too, some fruity and piney hops. The flavour has also decent malts, but is rather dry. Fairly distinct piney and grapefruity (American?) hops. Decent beer, but the style is not very "British", nor very "Christmassy".
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2024
at 21:27
14/12/2013. HOG'S HEAD, 186 Stafford Street, WOLVERHAMPTON, West Midlands, England (STONEGATE)
Tried
on 28 Jan 2023
at 09:07
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
500ml bottle. Clear, dark amber-ish, chestnut colour with huge, frothy, mostly lasting, moderately lacing, off-white head. Earthy, leafy, fruity hoppy and minimally nutty, malty aroma with a caramel touch, some toffee, notes of redcurrant, strawberry, lingonberry, red berries in general, a leafy touch of corresponding shrubs. Taste is slightly dry, earthy and leafy, fruity hoppy, minimally nutty malty, subtle caramel sweetness, hints of redcurrant, other red berries, fruit parings, cautious citrusy overtones. Very nice composition.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Jul 2019
at 19:54
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
11/2/2019. Bottle from Tuffins Supermarket, Craven Arms. Poured hazy mid-brown with an off-white head. Aroma of toffee, fruit, citrus and hops. Medium sweetness and moderate bitterness. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation. Enjoyed this.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Feb 2019
at 02:42
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle from Tuffins, Craven Arms. Nice head with good duration. Color is dark brown. Aroma and taste are rich caramel, fruits, malt, nuts and hops. Sweet nutty finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Feb 2019
at 02:18
6.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle from Alesbymail. Hazy brown with a lasting off_white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel and light hoppy. Flavor is medium sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and moderate bitter finish. 130218
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Feb 2018
at 18:59
6.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
500ml bottle online from Ales by Mail. Pours dark ruby brown with a beige top. Aroma: toasted malts, caramel, brown sugar. Taste: light sweet, light to moderate bitter, orange, pink grapefruit, light pine. Medium bodied, average carb, dry finish
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Feb 2018
at 22:20
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
50 cL bottle. Pours deep amber. Tan head. Aroma is toasted malt. Light breadish. Mellow. Toasted. Slight fruity. Toasted breadish. Bitter and dry, slight herbal. Fruity finish.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Dec 2017
at 20:28
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Bottle from the Grumpy Goat, Reading. Deep hazy amber with a thick beige head and a rather prickly fizz. Malt, berries and pine aroma. A lot of pine in the flavour, and a spicy hit too. There's a touch of cool mint too, but it's probably just seasonal auto-suggestion that's making me think of snow on Christmas tree branches. Overall though I found it just a little too heavily hopped; just a little too piney for my tastes. I like the malt to show through a bit more at this time of year.
Tried
from Bottle
on 30 Dec 2017
at 14:42
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle from Drink? Hebden Bridge. Deeper amber with a small head. Strong tasting with full-bodied tropical fruit flavours, backed by some caramels, especially in its nose.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Dec 2017
at 13:58