Bombadier

Charles Wells
Bedford, England
Imported by: Lionstone International for SBS-Imports
Seattle, WA

Available: WA, OR, CA, AZ, ID, MT, OH, CO

The Eagle Brewery was founded in 1876 in Bedford, England by merchant seaman Charles Wells, whose family has managed the brewery for five generations. Bombadier was created in 1977 to celebrate the company receiving the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement.

Alcohol (wt.): 4.4
Alcohol (vol.): 5.5
Color: 16
Bitterness: 33
Gravity: 1052

“Premium” usually means the package, not the beer, yet in this case, both are classy. The color is surprisingly deep and stout-like, with bright reddish highlights below a tight tan top. A jazzy nose of high floral notes and low earthy tones leads a syncopated palate. With lively carbonation, it is fresh and full-bodied, yet delicately balanced, with a long, memorable aftertaste. The dry fruitiness is soul satisfying with foods. We enjoyed it with creamy kumomoto oyster bisque served with dense five-grain organic bread.
- Charles Finkel

Very deep, amber-garnet. Hint of sweet fruitiness in aroma. Hop aroma absent. Wonderful hint of toffee-caramel, reminiscent of traditional English ales. If not served too cold, true English ale character emerges: a balance of hop character, malt, toffee, and fruitiness, with no single attribute dominating. Well brewed and balanced. I’d pay money for this.
- Charlie Papazian

This is a stronger bottled version of one of Britain’s best-selling draft cask-conditioned bitters. It’s brewed in the historic town of Bedford, with John Bunyan and Glenn Miller connections (Miller recorded concerts in Bedford during WW2). Brewed from pale and crystal malts, and Challenger and Goldings hops, it has 34 units of bitterness, a biscuity malt and hop resins aroma, with tart fruit notes developing in the mouth, and a long, dry and bitter finish, balanced by more rich blackcurrant fruit and juicy malt.
- Roger Protz

Charles Finkel
Founder of Merchant du Vin and the Pike Brewing Co., Charles Finkel is a pioneer in the marketing of craft beers in America.

Charlie Papazian
Author of the New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, founder of the Great American Beer Festival and a Beer Examiner at www.examiner.com, Papazian is a leading voice in beer and brewing.

Roger Protz
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.

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