Fifth Sense is an amber ale of 4.3% ABV. Its most impressive feature is the head: a thick layer of foam that's still largely in place towards the end of the pint. Everything else about it is muted: a mildly toffee-like crystal malt sweetness dominates, finished off by an almost pilsneresque green herbal bitterness. The fairly busy fizz enhances its lagerish qualities.I finished it quite quickly, more out of boredom than anything else. It's fairly quaffable, though the toffee does get a bit sickly before the end.
On to the next one then: 1849. Not such a good head on this, but lower carbonation which more than makes up for the aesthetics. It's 4.5% ABV and a dark red colour. And once again the sweetness is what it's all about. I get a massive hit of brown sugar up front untroubled by any hop character at all. Caramel follows, plus just the slightest hint of the strawberry taste I get from some of the better Irish reds at the finish. The middle, however, is unpleasantly watery. The mix of heavy sugar and a thin lack of flavour does not make for enjoyable drinking.Another beer that's best downed with no more said about it, I think.
