Lagerboy Speaks – Greene King St Edmund’s Ale

Suffolk behemoths Greene King are primarily known for their IPA, ubiquitous in the south of England but rarely seen up here. But they have plenty of other beers in their portfolio, many obtained via aggressive takeovers of rival brewers. Because of this they are now the largest solely British-owned producer in the UK. To my knowledge (and correct me if I’m wrong), they don’t currently produce a lager – but when Lagerboy was wandering around his local bottle shop he spied what looked very much like one – Greene King St Edmund’s Ale.

There’s also a (potentially) interesting subplot to this particular beer when drunk in pubs – the buyer can choose how to have it poured. At 6-7°C, the ‘unique beer engine reflects regional tastes. Drinkers can opt for a ‘northern head’ – tight and creamy or a ‘southern head’ – a crowning glory of loose bubbles.’ The MD of Greene King described the thinking behind it – “St Edmund’s has the flavour and provenance of a cask beer and the dispense kit offers the theatre and choice you get from a brand like Guinness.” Theatre and choice.

Anyhow, the one Lagerboy had was in a bottle, and although technically a ‘blonde ale specially brewed to be served cooler’, it sounds pretty much like a lager to me – the bottle is certainly adorned with a rather lagery-looking label. At 4.2% the tasting note thereon describes it as a ‘golden beer with a fresh crisp finish’. Well, without the flash dispenser the bottled variation had no head whatsoever, with streamers of rising bubbles making the whole thing look like a pint of Strongbow. A very green, gassy taste, it smells like lager and tastes like one of those pinchingly bitter lagers where you have sweetness and battery acid at the same time.