Batemans - Rosey Nosey
Dec 4th, 2007 by steve
Purchase Location: Bateman Brewery online shop
( www.bateman.co.uk )
It’s that time of year again, no I don’t just mean Christmas, I mean winter warmer ale season. This year I am sampling the Bateman Breweries ‘Rosey Nosey’. English masters of brewing seasonal ales, Batemans winter warmer suggests that it “Compliments any Turkey”… well, with this in my hand I do look a little more handsome I must admit.
Rosey Nosey is a beautiful deep caramel colour, pouring with a good tanned foamy head and some relaxed carbonation. I’m beginning to understand how to divide the beer taste complexity, and that’s certainly something you’ll need to do with Rosey Nosey. I’ve heard it described as cherry, malt biscuit tasting as well as rasin and fruity. I agree, I can sense the cherry taste, thats true, it’s slightly over cast by the bitter hops taste which dominates the first few swigs of this winter warmer, the mixture of the bitter and cherry sweet comes across as almost almond on the palette. There’s a prevailing taste left in the mouth which is slightly fruity, it’s got the same sharpness as cranberry, this would surely be complimented by a hearty Christmas dinner, but to be honest I find Turkey rather bland and only wish to eat the ugly bird on one day of the year so I will just pour another Rosey Nosey for the time being.
It’s got a rather mild ABV for a winter warmer in my opinion, meaning you could have a few and make it a very Merry Christmas, it’s still strong enough to be just over a recommended session ale, so take it easy after three or four of these.
My rating: 8/10
ABV: 4.9%
For more information visit the Bateman Brewery website.
Thats right, for your chance to win 6x 500ml bottles of Rosey Nosey simply answer three questions and enter our prize draw, it won’t cost you a single penny, this is a BITE team give away, the beer is coming straight out of our supplies.
This offer ends on Wed 19th December 2007, so hurry, click here to enter the competition.
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fixed now dpv, my fault hadn’t published it live.
Walking into one of Watford’s few decent real ale pubs tonight (the Southern Cross) I spotted a Rosey Nosey resplendent with it’s flashing Santa’s nose on the pump clip. Remembering your review Steve I thought I should try it but I have to say it didn’t drink up to its 4.9% abv and I didn’t get anywhere near as many fruity flavours as you did. I didn’t really get any discernable bouquet and it had a bit of a musty taste making me think the barrel may be coming to it’s natural end.
Deciding not to risk another I went for the JW Lees Ruddy Glow at 4.5% which was similarly bland and lacklustre. It was at this point that I wondered if my palate had been somewhat spoiled by the two pints of London Porter I’d had before getting the train home. Nevertheless I pressed on in my search for taste and ordered a pint of 5.5% Roaring Meg from the Springhead Brewery, who I had not heard of before. It poured up lighter than I thought it would, bordering on copper, it had some nice citrus flavours with honey overtones but I really wouldn’t have put it at 5.5%.
Deciding that my taste buds must be completely knackered I had a couple of Guinness on the way home to write this review. I will however return to try the Rosey Nosey again and see if it can live up to your 8/10, at the moment I can’t really go above 6.
Millay, perhaps my fault I should have mentioned - but I acctually bought this in a 500ml bottle and poured it myself, you know I am noticing this more and more often that barrelled vs bottled versions of each Beer I review taste completly different.
I boasted how good Rosey Nosey was to some friends when we saw the pump in the Swan Inn Cheltenham, I had the same experience that it was far less carbonated and a lot flatter and bitter tasting than when I tried it from the bottle. Use BITE to send me a private message include your address and I’ll send you a bottle so you too can see the complete comparrison between servings.
I hope Bateman’s don’t say it compliments turkey because the turkey wouldn’t be able to hear the compliment.But it complements it well enough, a lovely beer particularly on cask.
Cheers Steve, I should probably have realised it wasn’t cask from the purchase location - the brewery’s online shop!!