Hop Horizons

Beer Information

Shepherd Neame: 1698 Celebration Ale

This ESB is/was brewed by Shepherd Neame in Faversham, Kent, England. It's achieved an overall score of 42.88%. Based on 6 tastings, the average ABV is 6.50%.

1698 Celebration Ale is a 6.5% bottle-conditioned Kentish strong ale, first brewed in 1998 to mark Shepherd Neame's tercentenary. It's thrice-hopped with Target, Challenger and Goldings, giving it considerably more intensity than the brewery's everyday bitters.

It pours a rich copper-bronze under a persistent off-white head. The nose combines caramel, spicy orange and dark fruit with resinous hops, liquorice and a gently vinous suggestion of Marsala.

Toffee and toasted malt lead the flavour, followed by raisins, orange peel and warming alcohol. The hops bring herbs, resin and a firm bitterness that keeps the substantial malt sweetness under control.

Bottle conditioning gives it fine, lively carbonation and lets the beer mature gradually. Fresh bottles feel fruitier and more assertively hopped, while a little age softens the bitterness and deepens the caramel and wine-like qualities.

Rich, warming and impressively balanced, 1698 is one of Shepherd Neame's most characterful beers โ€“ a traditional strong ale with enough bitterness and complexity to reward slow drinking.

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Images of This Beer in the Logbooks

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In Book 12 on page 57 (visualisation):




In Book 21 on page 49 (visualisation):




In Book 23 on page 14 (visualisation):




In Book 29 on page 9 (visualisation):




In Book 156 on page 31 (visualisation):


Beer Listing

Date and Time Container Pub/Place and Where Strength ABV Colour Score Components Score Descriptive word(s) Book No.
1st Dec 2001 at 7:30 pm bottle (home), Liverpool, Merseyside, England 6.50 medium-golden Taste: 70.59%
Head: 66.67%
Aroma: 40%
Ease: 66.67%
Clarity: 100%
38.196% grapes 11
27th Jan 2002 at 10:30 pm bottle (home), Liverpool, Merseyside, England 6.50 medium-golden Taste: 82.35%
Head: 66.67%
Aroma: 0%
Ease: 66.67%
Clarity: 100%
37.464% hoppy 14
12th Jun 2002 at 8:40 pm bottle (home), Liverpool, Merseyside, England 6.50 medium-golden Taste: 82.35%
Head: 66.67%
Aroma: 40%
Ease: 66.67%
Clarity: 100%
48.682% sweet 22
21st Aug 2002 at 9:30 pm bottle (home - yard), Liverpool, Merseyside, England 6.50 medium-golden Taste: 70.59%
Head: 66.67%
Aroma: 40%
Ease: 66.67%
Clarity: 100%
35.328% average 30
19th Dec 2003 at 11:55 pm bottle (home), Liverpool, Merseyside, England 6.50 medium-golden Taste: 70.59%
Head: 66.67%
Aroma: 80%
Ease: 66.67%
Clarity: 100%
43.845% dry 81
2nd Mar 2006 at 9:05 pm bottle (home), Liverpool, Merseyside, England 6.50 medium to dark golden Taste: 88.24%
Head: 88.89%
Aroma: 60%
Ease: 66.67%
Clarity: 100%
53.757% wholesome 154

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Other Beers (etc.) by Shepherd Neame

Apart from 1698 Celebration Ale, Hop Horizons lists 75 others by Shepherd Neame. These are:
19th Hole Ale
4-4-2
Amber Ale
Artesian Dark Ale
Artesian Light Ale
Autumn Blaze
Bear Island East Coast Pale Ale
Best Bitter
Bishop's Finger
Brilliant Ale
Burns Ale
Canterbury Jack (3.5% draught version)
Canterbury Jack (4% bottled version)
Central City Red Racer IPA India Pale Ale
Christmas Ale 2003
Christmas Ale 2006
Christmas Ale 2010
Cinque Ale
Dad's Delight
Double Stout (4% version)
Double Stout (5.2% version)
Dragonfire
Early Bird
East India Pale Ale
Firestone Walker Red Nectar Ale
Fremlin's Bitter
Fuggles
Gentleman Jack
Golden Ale Premium
Goldings
Hatherwood Hop Hunter Session IPA
Hatherwood IPA (for Lidl)
Hatherwood Plunged Orange Pale Ale
Hatherwood Porter (for Lidl)
Hatherwood Red Rye Captain Pale Ale
Hatherwood Shipwreck Lager
Hatherwood Twisted Knots American IPA
Holsten Export
Hop to the Future
Hurlimann Export Bier
India Pale Ale
Kent's Best
Late Red
London Porter (for Sainsbury's)
Mainbrace IPA (for Asda)
Master Brew (in bottle)
Master Brew (on draught)
New Dawn
New World Pale
Orchard View (w/ Sheppy's)
Procession Lager
Rudolph's Reward
Rusty Rivet
Samuel Adams Blonde Ambition
Single Hopped Kentish Ale
Spitfire
Spitfire Gold
Spitfire Lager
Spooks Ale
Summer Ale (for Sainsbury's)
Summer Sizzler
Sun & Planet
Sun Lik Beer
Tapping the Admiral
Tins'Ale
Traditional Kentish Ale (for Sainsbury's)
Up and Under Ale
Whitechapel Porter
Whitstable Bay Black Stout
Whitstable Bay Blonde Premium Lager
Whitstable Bay Organic Ale
Whitstable Bay Pale Ale
Whitstable Bay Red IPA
Winter Hop Ale
ล vyturys Baltijos Red Ale

Cheers!