Bottle at the chriso Pre-GBBF Shindig 2013 - London. Pours clear amber with a slight, white foam head. Basic dry bread and dry caramel in the aroma. Light sweet flavor with simplistic, dried bready malts and lightly bitter, toasted leaves. Light in body with fine carbonation. Bland finish with more basic, dry bread and faint leafy bitterness. Meh.

Bottle from M&S Reading. Amber with a moderate off-white head. Grapefruit and lemon hops are evident up front but are never overpowering. There’s still a surprising amount of maltiness coming through too. Yes, the mouthfeel is a little thin (although I’ve had some at twice the abv that have felt thinner), but somehow that works with the other elements of the beer (in particular the crisp bitterness in the finish) to make it feel refreshing rather than weak. I guess anyone can sling a load of hops and make a low abv beer strongly flavoured. However to make it tasty and yet still retain a great balance is much more tricky- yet Adnams have achieved it here. In short I loved this beer; I’d happily have it again. Wish more pubs would stock tasty low ABV beers like this on cask tor summer afternoons and long evening sessions. Great stuff.

Bottle from everyone’s favourite nuthouse supermarket, Morrisons at Catcliffe, Sheffield. It’s 3:30 in the morning. I’ve just done a 9 hour shift that felt like 12. I’m not supposed to be having a beer, but that’s ok, because this is quite a lot like not having a beer. It’s plenty tasty, mind you, in an Adnams kind of way. And circumstances dictate that I’m really quite liking it...

50cl bottle from Speciaalbier, Leiden. Best Before date end of March 2014 Thin white head. Clear amber pour. Very slight bitterness. Obviously over the best before date.

Small offwhite head. Clear brown still body. Grape and gooseberry aroma with spicy herbal notes. Dryish salty spicy gooseberry taste with resiny notes. Light body. Mild, soft mouthfeel. Dryish salty resiny caramel aftertaste with earthy spicy notes. A bit watery. Nice, drinkable. (0.5l bottle, from Marks and Spencer, London. Called "Adnams Southwold 2.7%.")

Bottle from local supermarket. Low alcohol only 2.7%, there is low tax. Flair has nice hops, and citrus sharpness. Ok but a touch watery.

Bottle at the pre Bamberg tune up in the Sham, as M&S Southwold 2.7% from M&S Cardinal Place, 23/01/14. Dark amber with thin off white spotting/edgework. Nose is straw, light caramel, touch of hops, toasted malt, light orange. Taste comprises light parma violet notes, mineral tones, bitter orange, straw, faint grapefruit. Light bodiment, fine carbonation, a little watery. Ok for a 2.7% offering though.

23rd January 2014
Pre Bamberg bash tasting at Colin’s house with Mr Bois and James. Thanks Colin. Clear amber beer, residual pale cream coloured head. Minerally crisp palate. Thin malt and very light citric hops. Touch of paper. Carbonated sting. Whisper of violets (thanks Colin). Minerally crisp finish. Somehow it works!

Bottle 500ml. @ [ (chriso Pre-GBBF Shindig) by chriso - London ].Clear medium amber orange colour with a small to average, frothy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is light moderate malty, grain, hay, caramel, pale malt, light hoppy, light grass. Flavour is light moderate sweet with a average duration. Body is medium, texture is watery, carbonation is soft. [20130810]