Coniston Bluebird Bitter Premium XB (Bottle)

Coniston Bluebird Bitter Premium XB (Bottle)

Bottle conditioned - contract brewed by Hepworth for Coniston.

Stronger version of Bluebird.

For cask version, see Coniston (Premium) XB.

English Pale Ale with American aroma hops.
Bluebird XB combines two of the great themes of ale brewing to produce something distinctive and new. The fine tradition of English Pale Ale is about quaffing, refreshment and complexity of flavour without alcoholic strength

Then throw in a new wave of American hop variety Mount Hood with robust citrus aromas.
... Not too much mind or we might have an American Pale Ale on our hands?

Bluebird XB
familiar ... but different
3.2
178 reviews
Coniston, England

Community reviews

2.8 Bottle from Cumbrian supermarket. Golden with a big foamy white head. Nine of the "American aroma hops" really evident. Taste sweet malt and a touch of fruit.
3.5 Orange gold with lots of fine carbonation. Lasting frothy head. Biscuity malts like a good bitter if a tad sweet. Hops very citrusy New Worldy as advertised. Interesting.
2.2 I was expecting a bit more hop influence on this, it just tasted as a rather bland golden, nothing to get excited about
3.3 Let uklar dybgylden med et kortvarigt hvidt skum. Duft af malt og blomster med mandarin i en flot balance. Smagen er fyldig med fint balanceret sødme og en markant men velafstemt bitterhed, der holder længe.
3.2 Bottle from Brdr. Schmidt. Clear golden with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, fruity and light hoppy - flowers. Flavor is medium sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and moderate bitter finish. 010116
3.3 Bottle. Creamy White good mostly lasting head. Dark yellow colour. Moderate malty and hoppy aroma. Moderate bitter flavor. Average moderate bitter finish. Some citrus notes. Oily palate.
3.3 Bottle. Nice head with good duration. Color is golden. Aroma and taste are hops, fruits, flowers and malt. Nice semi bitter finish.
3.1 Bottle from Det Gode Brygg, Sandnes. Pours clear dark golden with a big creamy white head. Aroma of caramel malts, weak citrus hops. Taste is moderate sweet caramel, very weak dry citrus finish.
2.9 Flaske fra Det gode brygg, delt med Ovesen på Holmens juleverksted: klar gylden med ok skum, litt film og kniplinger. Sitron- og blomsterpreget aroma og smak. Behagelig karbonert, slank. Lett blomsteraktig bitterhet i avslutningen.
2.9 Bottle shared with JMD at HNB 03.12.15. Clear golden. White head and lacing. Strong aroma of bottles lemon juice. Also in taste, with some malt. Aftertaste better balanced, with malt, flowers, lemon juice and grapefruit.
2.9 Bottle, 4.4%. clear amber with medium off-white head. Aroma is malt, fruit, caramel, biscuit, hop and a little grass. Flavour is malt, caramel, biscuit, medium sweet, hop, little grass and a little bitter.
2.7 Lukt: Syrlig fruktig duft, noe malt og eik. Utseende: Fin gyllen honning farge. Skum/kullsyre: Tykt dekkende skum. Smak: Fruktig med en liten bitter avslutning. Hvor: Kjøpt@Det Gode Brygg, Sandnes, Nydt@Hjemme. Medium: Flaske@500ml, ABV@4,4%, Når@12.09.2015
3.4 Tallahassee, Fl, - ABC Fine Wine & Spirits - Betton - 500 ml bottle. Slightly murky dark gold pour, very brief off-white head. Aroma has some light spicy accents - perhaps allspice, a touch of mint, light fruitiness. Flavor has a nice subtle bitterness to it with some light peach undertones, some faint saffron spiciness, light spearmint in the back end. Mouthfeel has a nice pleasant smoothness to it.
3.7 Smoldering yeasty aroma with leather, sweat, moderate fruit, some caramelized sugars -- very nice. Good UK pint bottle, bad label. Foggy blonde. Tangy, lemony tea flavors -- tannins, yeasty, lightly sweet, modestly bitter. Clean drinking, tasty. Slightly sticky body, pleasant green tea aftertaste. ABC Liquors, Betton.
3.1 Coniston Bluebird Premium XB has a fairly thick, spongy, off-white head, a cloudy, orange-amber appearance, racing bubble streams, lots of large and tiny tan sediment throughout, and minimal lacing left behind. The aroma is of water, turned fruit, and cellar mold, and the flavor it the same, with the fruits being mango, red preaches, and apricot. White bread is present, but bitterness is quite low, really. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Coniston Bluebird Premium XB finishes semi-dry and easily gulp-able. RJT
3.6 500ml bottle from Black Bull, Coniston - Golden clear body, loose white head. Relatively fresh citrus aroma, sweeter than the handpull version. Flavour has a decent light dose of sweet malt, with plenty of fresh hop flavour and light bitterness. Very drinkable session bitter.
3.4 Bottle. Nose is perfume, malt, cereal, slight tropical note from the American hops. Taste is cereal, malt, slight orange, floral, herbal hops, doughy, hint of peach with a gentle mineral herbal hop finish. It’s quite a nice bitter, and very drinkable.
3.2 Bouteille de 500ml. Bbf 20 02 14. Achetée à Portland. Un liquide dorée foncée, je suis surpris. Un nez simple de malt Maris Otter et Cristal. Une bouche quelque peu sucrée. Une finale sur la poussière et sur le sucre doux. Ordinaire.
3.5 Nice beer slightly let down on appearance tastes caramel and citrus with a long finish nice in a bottle even better on tap.
3.2 500ml bottle from Beers of Europe. Pours clear golden, thin short-lived white head. Aromas of citrus and minerals. Taste is light sweet, cooked oranges, sugar. Thin finish.
3.5 Pours copper with a short lasting head. Aroma of oranges and lemons. Very very smooth, citrusy start with a smooth bitter finish. Very drinkable.
2.6 Bottled. Golden colour, small white head, which lasts for quite a good while. Aroma is citrus, some parfume, mild wood and some herbs as well. Flavour is smooth fruity and floral notes along with some earthy and dusty notes.
2.6 "After an initial pleasant blast of citrus fruit hops, this beer falls a little flat. Not literally as the feel is thin but prickly, but even within style the flavor is a bit boring. For 4.50...never again."
3.5 Bière blonde presqu’orangée, au nez sucré et fruité, ainsi que légèrement houblonné ; en bouche, breuvage relativement désaltérant, sec et fruité comme annoncé. Les malts, les houblons, et même la levure semblent jouer du coude pour occuper l’avant-plan en terme de saveurs primaires. Une pale ale solide, qui tente peut-être un peu trop de plaire à tout le monde sans vraiment contenter personne, mais qui demeure très efficace, agréable et plutôt originale.
3.2 bottle. Golden-orange colour, bubbly head quickly disappeared. Grassy-lemon aroma. Lightly hoppy taste, very easy drinking. Nice bitter.
3.2 Bottle. Golden pour with a thick white head. Nose is like oats soaked in lemon soup. A touch of sugar puff. Cereal tastes in the mouth, too. A grassy, gentle hoppiness, some oaty, doughy flavours. It’s all very gentle and pleasant. And refreshing.
3.5 Bottled. Overall very asty for me. I like this beer style. I bought this beer for early Christmas today. The malty aroma and taste plus the aromatic hops make a good combination. The bitter hoppy finish with some hazelnut taste make it a delicious experience.
3.2 Bottle. Pours golden color, white head. Aroma is floral, malty, hoppy. Taste is medium bitter, hoppy, lemon, bit sourish. Short medium bitter finish.
4.0 Got this one at Blue Max in Burnsville MN. Tastes citrus like with a tart crisp clean finish. Very good.
3.7 Where and how: Bottle 500 ml Virginia Beach Aroma medium intense. Aromatic, crisp. Herbal, floral. Clean.7+ Appearance: Top: medium plus with some lace, rings on glass. Base: amber gold, hazy. Palate : good, softer with lighter carbonation. Medium bodied. Average finish. Taste: sweet malt base. Biscuit. Clean in character with mild herbal , citrusy hop side. Other notes Nice, lighter, crisp refreshing bitter.