Adnams - Broadside

A classic, strong, ruby, mistress of an ale that has the colour and overarching flavour of fruitcake and a sweet aroma. I can certainly believe it when they say that this ale was made to commemorate a battle at sea, I can certainly see myself, tired from a day of frigging the rigging and spit shining the poop deck and whatever it is people did on ships, before collapsing on a bar stool. There would be straw, dogs, chickens and spit at my feet but it wouldn't matter because I had a pint of Broadside.

I put off drinking Adnams for the longest time because, in my youth and inexperience, I saw them as one of those boring 'old man' beers that were watery and weak and tasted a bit like muddy water (like Marstons, not that they have bad beer, I've just always thought of their beer as a tad boring, ((I qualify that as Marstons the brand, not Marstons the company because they own Brakspear,) but of all the big, classic, names in the annals of English beer history, Adnams is definitely one of the more interesting. I think it says a lot about the company when the man who founded it gets bored of living where he does, goes overseas and gets eaten by a crocodile. I get the impression that Adnams isn't afraid to make beer precisely the way they want to make it and if people like it then that's fine, and if they don't... Well, like Captain Hook, may they rot in the intestines of a giant crocodile.

Food Suggestion: It says on the bottle that you should have it with cheese but I had it with a Pieminister Deerstalker pie and it worked rather well. Beer and meat or beer and cheese? Beer and meat and cheese and pastry and get out of my room, I'm having a moment...

Drink this if you like: 1698 by Shepherd Naeme or any form of ruby ale.