William Worthington Red Shield
European Beer Bloggers Conference 2011
ABV: 4.2%
Origin: Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England
Website: www.molsoncoors.co.uk
Legendary former Bass brewer Steve Wellington, who still presides over the microbrewery at what is now the Coors Visitor Centre in Burton though is set to retire this summer, developed this bottle conditioned “blond Burton ale” as a contemporary, more easy drinking, sister to historic pale ale White Shield. While some of the extensions currently planned around the venerable White Shield brand sound less than convincing (Summer Shield, Autumn Shield, Winter Shield and Spring Shield, apparently), this tasty and very modern brew lives up to its Worthington shield pretty well.
The colour names are rather the wrong way round as the Red is a lighter beer than the White, a warm gold colour with a thick, creamy, pink-tinged white head. A notably hoppy, creamy and very delicate aroma betrays a fruity hop mix of Centennial, Cascade and Bramling Cross. The palate is also creamy but delicate and floral, with fruity hop flavours first and a developing peppery bitterness. That lovely creamy malt persists into the finish which is resinous but not overbearing, the hops finally lingering in a gentle signature with a touch of citrus and glucose. Tasty, refreshing and top quality, though whether it proves as enduring as its stablemate remains to be seen.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/worthington-red-shield/108242/
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