Cask Pint at Wibbas Down (JDW), Wimbledon, London in Apr 2009 - Opaque Black in colour. Very Malty; very vanilla, roast/burnt malts, very milky chocolatey, caramel, toffee, coffee. Hoppy; earthy hops. Full bodied. Very strong flavours; the vanilla & burnt malts taste is rather overwhelming. Sweet vanilla & chocolate roast malty with bitter hoppy edge. Bitterness much more dominant towards the finish. Very dry roast finish. (2009-04)

April 2009
Opauqe black beer. Sweet vanilla nose. Airy beer - very light and soft and very low carbonation. Some sourness and a touch of smoke make for an interesting contrast to the vanilla sweetness. The chocolate is subtle but definitely there. Touches of red fruit at the back of the tongue before a smoky bitter dry finish. Quite a complex beer!

A Sim rate (cask at Wetherspoon fest): It’s either a 7 or 8 for aroma, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Vanilla, which I love, but it’s almost artificial vanilla. Cream. Chocolate. Pipe tobacco or a nice cigar. Flavour is vanilla and cream again. It’s the vanilla essence in the fresh whipped cream my dad makes. Almost artificial again & that’s why it’s not rated higher. The body is slightly lacking for a stout, but overall a very good beer.

Handpulled cask at JDW Hatch End, Harrow. Dark brown with a tan head. Sweet and cadbury chocolatey to a point of extremity. Rather sickly for my tastes.

Cask (handpump) @ JDW, Edinbourgh Airport Landside, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Clear dark brown color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly diminishing, beige head. Aroma is heavy malty, chocolate, dusty, vanilla, cheap artificial vanilla. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate harsh cheap vanilla bitter with a long duration. I was not able to drink this, it is way over powered and very very artificial ;o(( Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft to flat. [20090413]

Cask, Highcross, Leicester. Black with a beige head. Aromas are coffee and chocolate malts with hints of leather. Smoky with lots of chocolate milkshake. Flavours are rich coffee with some gritty grain. Tar and lactose with earthy notes. Lightly herbal with a dry, bitter roast finish. Underlying chocolate sweetness comes through with a peppery, dark chocolate bitterness aftertaste. Great.

Cask in the new crown. Alround rating: Chocolate and lots of vanilla indeed! Sweet and chocolaty, a far bigger body than expected from a 5% beer. Like it has a nice taste, but its not very drinkable.

Cask, JDW, Hoylake Lights. Deep dark brown with a decent tan head. Big sweet bubblegum and creamy vanilla aroma. Flavour was similarly sweet with chocolate predominating alongside roasted coffee and some subdued hop bitterness. An enjoyable and tasty stout.

Hinckley Spoons. Inky pitch with a thick tan cap. Lush toffee, vanilla, fudge and chocolate escaping, freshly melted like Young’s. Sweet brazen milk chocolate to begin with, balancing into punchy burnt toast and back-of-the-tongue bitter bittering hops you don’t see coming. Cadbury’s and charcoal. I’m a fool for it. Slick clinging condition with virtually zero carbonation. Empty glass completely opaque with beige. Uncomplicated, too sweet. Beer of the fest so far for me...

Cask conditioned handpump JDW Northampton A black beer with a nice tan head. The aroma is milky with some sweet chocolate. Bitter chocolate and licorice in the mouth. A bit of roast and lots of bitterness. Pretty good.