New Coniston beer!

[chazwicke]

Meridian and I found out yesterday quite by accident that there is another new Coniston beer available. Recently I had the XB which is the Bluebird with American aroma hops added.

We were asking the bartender at the Brickskeller for a recommendation and she said we have this beer called Old Man by Coniston. Right up our alley! Anyway I had had plenty of big beers and big flavored beers such as draft Rodenbach so I can't give tasting notes at all. my palate was pretty well shot at that point. BUT, I will be looking for this at the paint store. Anyone else try it?

[chazwicke]

Here is a photo:

[HogieWan]

YAY!

If you find some at the paint store let me know - I might not be able to get it here - as an avid bluebird fan, would love to try it

[steveh]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Meridian and I found out yesterday quite by accident that there is another new Coniston beer available. Recently I had the XB which is the Bluebird with American aroma hops added.

Um, I sort of hate to mention this to you Chaz, but I just saw that The Map Room is supposed to have the XB on draught soon. Yes, I said draught.

S.

[chazwicke]

:mad:


I actually like regular Bluebird better I think. I'll open another XB maybe tonight. The first one was not really a fair taste as the pollen was affecting me.

Coniston shows up here (Mid Atlantic) on draught occasionally. I have always missed it. But I've had plenty in England.

[fretlessman71]

I saw the Old Man today. I'll have to pick some up when we're done moving. :)

[chazwicke]

I am drinking the XB now and I was right last week when I thought it was inferior to the regular Bluebird. I think the American aroma hops are actually a bit detracting. They impart an earthy, musty dirty sock or wet blanket smell, Then a mild sweetness from the malt. The aroma is not tremendously strong either. The beer also tastes a bit thinner and the hopping is not as apparent in the flavor. There is a thin malty sweetness but is not strong. What have they done to my beer! I attributed the flavors I was picking up last week to my taste being distorted due to a slight sore throat brought on by excessive pollen. I am fine today and still think this is an uninspiring brew. If I had had this as my first sample of Bluebird I may not have tried it again. I think it has less flavor. It is not horrible but not what I was hoping for at all.

Steveh, try it on cask and let us know. I think the cask is directly from Coniston and I think the bottles are contract brewed.

I would also like to see a review of the bottled version from some of you out there. See if you get the same thing I do. I bought my three bottles at Sams in Chicago.

[YamahaXS]

I drank a Bluebird over the weekend, and I must admit that I had had a few other beer prior, so my impressions aren't exactly well honed if you know what I mean.

I would rate this beer as good, but not proportional to the US$$ it costs. The beer has a lot to offer and should be at least tried by any beer nut. I might splurge for it again sometime, especially to compare to say Young's Special London Ale.

Bluebird had flavors and tones that I simply hadn't associated with a bitter before. There were fruit and floral aromas and even a significant fruity-vanilla flavor that I had never tasted before in a beer. Esters???? If I remember correctly, the brew has three stages to its flavor profile: malt sweetness, floral/vanilla, followed by a mild bitterness during swallowing. The mouthfeel was thinnish, and there was very little lingering sensation or flavors. this makes the beer easy to drink quickly...too quickly consider the US pricetag IMO.

cheers!
jeff

[HogieWan]

How much did you pay for the Bluebird? I LOVE the flavor, but the price tag is a bit hefty. I've got a recipe for a clone that I want to try. If its close, I'll be able to have a great bitter for MUCH cheaper

[hops99]

We were asking the bartender at the Brickskeller for a recommendation and she said we have this beer called Old Man by Coniston.

I haven't brought "Old Man" into my store yet, but it's been available from a distributor here in Ohio for at least a couple of months. I'm curious to try it myself.

On a side note, I like the Bluebird but I really dig the Adnams beers. The SSB is terrific, and the Broadside has recently become my favorite "house" beer.

[YamahaXS]

Originally posted by HogieWan
How much did you pay for the Bluebird? I LOVE the flavor, but the price tag is a bit hefty. I've got a recipe for a clone that I want to try. If its close, I'll be able to have a great bitter for MUCH cheaper

$4 0r $5 for 1 bottle. :eek:

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by YamahaXS
I drank a Bluebird over the weekend, and I must admit that I had had a few other beer prior, so my impressions aren't exactly well honed if you know what I mean.

I would rate this beer as good, but not proportional to the US$$ it costs. The beer has a lot to offer and should be at least tried by any beer nut. I might splurge for it again sometime, especially to compare to say Young's Special London Ale.

Bluebird had flavors and tones that I simply hadn't associated with a bitter before. There were fruit and floral aromas and even a significant fruity-vanilla flavor that I had never tasted before in a beer. Esters???? If I remember correctly, the brew has three stages to its flavor profile: malt sweetness, floral/vanilla, followed by a mild bitterness during swallowing. The mouthfeel was thinnish, and there was very little lingering sensation or flavors. this makes the beer easy to drink quickly...too quickly consider the US pricetag IMO.

cheers!
jeff

Was this the Bluebird XB or regular? I really love the regular Bluebird but the XB with the American aroma hops is a bit inferior.

[chazwicke]

Originally posted by hops99
I haven't brought "Old Man" into my store yet, but it's been available from a distributor here in Ohio for at least a couple of months. I'm curious to try it myself.

On a side note, I like the Bluebird but I really dig the Adnams beers. The SSB is terrific, and the Broadside has recently become my favorite "house" beer.

I need to sample the Old Man again. I had had several Rodenbachs before it so my taste buds were out of whack.

I like the Adnams beers too. In fact I may have one in the fridge.......

[YamahaXS]

Originally posted by chazwicke
Was this the Bluebird XB or regular? I really love the regular Bluebird but the XB with the American aroma hops is a bit inferior.

good question... i guess i didn't examine the bottle very closely, though its still in the recycle bin. the pic you posted looks like the bottle i had though.

[ADR]

I ran across the Old Man last year, not a huge fan, but tastes may vary...review notes...

Slightly yellowish chestnut color, murky and chill hazing. Big pillowy head, rocky and over an inch for more than a minute. Minimal lacing. malty aroma, chocolate, but with a grape sense that hints at more than expected hoppiness. Mouthfeel is charged with carbonation and leans on the thin side. Quite standard in the malt department, lightly sugary and somewhat non-descript -- but the beer swings quickly toward a large amount of skeletal dusty and flowery bitterness. Finishes somewhat gassy without the mouthfeel to temper it. For me, this struck a harsh note I wouldn't expect in a Brown and I don't find it as pleasant as Bluebird Bitter.

[chazwicke]

I honestly can't recall the Old Man because of the draft Rodenbachs that preceded it. I am a HUGE fan of regular Bluebird. Especially on cask. The Bluebird XB is, sadly, not as good.

ADR care to post your notes for the regular Bluebird? And have you tasted the XB?

[ADR]

XB Bitter...

Hazy light amber with a big bottle-conditioned head that's a little tough to control in a glass. Not a lot of lace though, mostly dots (much better in the second pour, as it warms). Pleasant mild citrus aroma, not overwhelming but slightly astringent. Mouthfeel is lighter, carbonation plenty ample overall, maybe overdone. Granular senses, pithy with black pepper and asociated spices. Malt is fairly ordinary in impression. Despite the American aroma hops, the beer remains well-balanced and tight. Finishes with a bit of tar resin and some exaggerated fizziness in the aftertaste. Drinkable, but a bit unremarkable, not sure why Coniston needs an entry like this, but its an interesting idea.