USB - Uber Special Bitter

From a 500ml bottle on 26/1/2013. Pours a very cloudy light amber with a small head. Has a very slight aroma of fruit, spice and toffee malt. The flavour features a bit more toffee malt, a bit of caramel, some sweet citrus and dark fruit, a touch of spice, and finishes with a medium bitterness. The palate is a touch watery. Okay, but I was expecting more.

Pours copper/ruby with a very small but lasting head.Nose is very heavy on the malt, with caramel, golden syrup and figs to be found. Very rich. Nutty and bready notes follow later. Resinous hops are noticeable but struggle to keep up with the malt. Very nice!Flavours are similarly rich with loads of nutty notes, darker malt (even some prominent roasted barley) and some of the caramel mentioned earlier. Hops really take a back seat here. Finishes with an assertive roasty and hoppy bitterness. Some alcohol is just noticeable.The body could be a bit richer, with such complex flavours it sometimes becomes watery.Seems to be a mish-mash of the ESB and English strong ale stryles, with a healthy dose of roasted barley chucked in for good measure.

[1/10] 500 ml bottle, 14C. Pours very dark brown with a small creamy beige head. Complex fruit, nut and earth aroma. Tastes barely sweet. No Porto characteristics. Smooth and nutty. Firm finish. Everything’s well integrated. Balanced and nuanced. [4.1][4/11] This one (and last couple I’ve had) is overcarbonated. Fixed by a swirl or three and letting it sit, but a shame. Otherwise lovely deep malts and nice balance the same. Very fine. [4][3/15] 1/2 an inch of beer, 5 of head. Pear-flavoured travel sweets and boot polish. Undrinkable. Sigh. 2 1 3 1 5 = 1.2 After some thought, can’t leave it sitting at 4 after that, so averaging last two scores.