Bombardier English Premium Bitter

No, this review has nothing to do with Saddam's 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' - this review is based purely on solid facts.....

One of the regular guest beers in my local pub, is BOMBARDIER...does that make sense? A regular guest? Or even spelling bombadier with an R?

Anyway, as I said, quite often my local pub has Bombardier on tap and when it does, I always order a pint...unless I order something else, of course.

So, considering I've drank this beer so often, it's about time I wrote a review about it......

• THE BREWERY •

The Charles Wells brewery was founded in 1876 and is now the largest independently owned, family run brewery in the country, and the UK's fifth largest brewery. Over five generations the Wells family have been involved with the brewery, and present members are still involved in the day-to-day running of the company.
All Charles Wells beer is still made with water drawn from the well sunk some 90 years ago, these include some nice ales in the form of Bombardier, Eagle, Banana Bread Beer and the cleverly named Fargo, as well as seasonal offerings.
On the downside, they are also one of the biggest brewers of 'imported' beers which are brewed under license. This makes them guilty...erm...responsible, for such homages to the adjunct world as: Kirin, Red Stripe and Corona Extra.

• THE STYLE •

Bitter usually has a medium to low alcohol content. The beer is most often amber in colour, with a reddish tinge. The dominating flavour of this beer is hop bitterness and the hop aroma is usually medium to high, and it should be dry. It's quite similar in style to pale ale - traditionally, pale ales were bottled, while bitters were in casks or kegs. Bitters are generally available in three strengths: ordinary, special and extra special bitter (ESB).

----------------------------INTERLUDE---​--------------------

A horse and a chicken are playing in a meadow. The horse falls into a mud hole and is sinking. He calls to the chicken to go and get the farmer to help pull him out to safety. The farmer drives his Mercedes back to the mud hole and ties some rope around the bumper. He then throws the other end of the rope to the horse, and drives the car forward and pulls the horse free.
A few days later, the chicken and horse were playing in the meadow again and the chicken fell into the mud hole. The chicken yelled to the horse to go and get some help from the farmer. The horse said, "I think I can get you out." So he stretched over the width of the hole and said, "Grab for my 'thingy' and pull yourself up."
The chicken did and pulled himself to safety.

The moral of the story:

If you are hung like a horse, you don't need a Mercedes to pick up chicks.

----------------------------------------​--------------------

Back to the beer.....

THEY SAY:
"Robust in flavour and distinctive copper colour derived from using the finest barley, malt and famous Challenger and Golding Hops. A well balanced beer, the aroma is hoppy and faintly fruity; good, dry finish."

• THE POUR •

The beer pours clear, to a deep copper, mahogany colour topped by a decent-sized, foamy head which soon shrinks to leave a thin, but lingering, beige tracery. There is a good malty aroma, with suggestions of toffee, and a pleasant earthiness with a hint of fruit. The sweet caramel aroma is very reminiscent of a Scottish heavy.

• THE TASTE •

The mouthfeel is smooth, with a bit more carbonation than I would normally expect from a bitter, although it's certainly not over-gassy. It has a good malt flavour - but not too sweet - with hints of caramel and toffee. There's a nutty quality to it with a healthy dose of vine fruit and a good balance of hop bitterness. The finish has a sharp, acidic bite with some spicy hops and very dry aftertaste.

• THE VERDICT •

At 4.3% ABV, this is a good cask ale which never disappoints. It's mellow yet complex, very smooth and ridiculously easy to drink. I know it sounds like a contradiction, but it's quite bitter for a 'bitter', but beautifully balanced, never-the-less.
It's low alcohol content makes this an excellent session ale and it's a great beer to accompany traditional pub food as well.

It's also available in a nice-looking, embossed bottle, which is slightly stronger at 5.5%, and is easy to find at most supermarkets for £1.60-ish.

Would I drink it again? - Oh yes. Well, it does go down a bomb. Thanks for reading,
Sláinte

©proxam2003