Gale's HSB
Fuller's Brewery in London, Greater London, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Regular|
Score
6.54
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Horndean Special Bitter (HSB) was first brewed in 1959 to meet a growing demand for a higher strength bitter. Sales growth was slow throughout the sixties when BBB and the cask milds were the predominant Gales beers. However, following the creation of CAMRA and the greater public interest in cask conditioned beer, HSB sales grew throughout the seventies and eighties and became Gales major brand. Production moved to Fullers in early 2006.
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5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Clear dark amber with tiny off white head. Sweet aroma with toasted malt, caramel and fruity notes. Sweet flavour with toasted malt, caramel and fruity notes.
Tried
on 13 Sep 2008
at 20:39
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
From cask at Charlies. Pours deep amber to brown with a lacing light tan head. Light toffee and roasted malt aroma. Flavour holds a slight acidic roasted malt flavour with a light toffee sweet base. Growing liqourice note in addition. Lingering bitter and light roasted acidic into the finish. Nice one.7-4-7-4-14=3.6
Århus2008. 50 cL bottle, bbd june 2002, Cockneys vintage session. Pours slight cloudy brown with a lacing white head. Dense plum-fruity aroma. Light paint note too. Flavour is mild fruity and slight malty towards dry malty. Light acidic roasted note into the finish. Wineous fruity into the far finish.7-4-7-3-14=3.5
Århus2008. 50 cL bottle, bbd june 2002, Cockneys vintage session. Pours slight cloudy brown with a lacing white head. Dense plum-fruity aroma. Light paint note too. Flavour is mild fruity and slight malty towards dry malty. Light acidic roasted note into the finish. Wineous fruity into the far finish.7-4-7-3-14=3.5
Tried
from Cask
on 25 Apr 2008
at 10:43
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Half pint, cask at The Bear in Oxford. Deep mahogany in body colour under a thin, white head. Smell of dark, earthy malts. Well-blended flavours of dark and dried fruits, especially raisin emerges before a pleasant dry bitter ending. Medium bodied (17.03.2008)
Tried
from Cask
on 01 Apr 2008
at 00:26
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
[i] Cask at The Head of the River, Oxford, 14-09-07 [/i] Suprised that I hadn’t rated this one before. Copper in colour with nice thin white head, toffee aromas, quite sweet in the taste with caramel and some nuttiness present along with nice strong fruitiness and alcohol always present. Got to say that I rather enjoyed this beer.
Tried
from Cask
on 17 Sep 2007
at 06:53
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Casked. Dark reddish amber colour with small off-white head. Aroma is freshly cut pinewood along with hints of some grassyness and caramel. Flavour is caramel malts, wood along with some slightly nutty notes.
Tried
from Cask
on 25 Jul 2007
at 01:17
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6
Cask at the Old Fish Market, Bristol. Reddish-brown with a short-lived tan head. Fruit and caramel predominate in both the aroma and flavour, with some hops in the finish. Not a bad pint, but I’m sure this Fullers’ version lacks the depth of the Hampshire original.
Tried
from Cask
on 02 May 2007
at 12:48
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask at C4, Odense: Clear amber with white creamy head. Malty caramel taste with a smooth body/texture. Pleasant bitter lasting end. Nice!
Tried
from Cask
on 06 Apr 2007
at 11:15
6.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Thin offwhite head; dark reddish brown body. Light nutty aroma. Light sweetish soft nutty malt taste with notes of wild berries. Faintly dry aftertaste. Quite nice. (0.5pt on cask.)
Tried
from Cask
on 03 Dec 2006
at 16:53
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Cask at South Hill Park, Bracknell: a shining chestnut brown colour with an off-white head; a faint aroma of hops; taste is nutty and buttery with a bitter aftertaste.
Tried
from Cask
on 10 Nov 2006
at 08:11
5.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Cask @ White Horse, Parsons Green. Amber colour with an off-white head. Fruity malty aroma with some hints of raisins. Fruity malty flavor with some hoppy hints. Long fruity finish.
Tried
from Cask
on 04 Oct 2006
at 06:57