4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
Cask, The Interval Cafe, Sheffield. Deep brown but not quite black. Burnt chocolate, coffee and prune aroma. Slick texture, oily with an underlying brightness from the hops. Sweet, but not overwhelming. Liquorice and walnut come out on the long alcohol infused finish.
2.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
Cask @ Troon Beer Festival. Almost black colour with a reasonable head. Roasted liquorice aroma. Smooth creamy liquorice flavour. Bitter aftertaste. Reasonable stout.
4.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Cask @ 12th Ayrshire Real Ale Festival, Troon 2011. Dark brown - ruby red colour, beige head. Nose is deep roasted malts, coffee, bit of lemon and fres soap, citrus. Flavour is deep roasted malts, coffee, liquorice, little vanilla, hoppy, citrus. Packed with flavour at only 6.7%. This is a real gem that can challenge most imperial stouts in flavour, but definitely can top them in drinkability. Superb.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
First tasted this at the Paisley Beer Festival. Handpull dispense. Ruby black in colour with an open thin white head which disappeared quickly. Beautiful intense aroma of syrupy raisins coffee and chocolate notes. Dark malt complex gives a huge sweet malt base with strong damson flavours. Slight prickle of hops in the aftertaste but sweetness prevails in the finish with black treacle. A cracking old ale this and highly recommended.
2.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 11/20
[Gravity cask at Chippenham Beer Festival] Brownish-black with a small off-white head. Smells of raspberry leaves and blackcurrant. Raspberry leaf continues into the flavour, with roasted malt, a bit of chocolate and some pepper in the finish. Very dry. Not convinced on this one.
2.9 AROMA 3/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask, gravity, at Pig ’n’ Falcon, St Neots, Cambridgeshire. Very dark brown. Unpleasant aroma of toilet paper and cheap cleaner. Taste is much better. Dark fruit, maybe blackcurrant. Sharp bitter finish.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
The Harlequin, Sheffield- 34th and final new beer on the Beer For Every Year Crawl- not a feat I will be attempting again in a hurry. Very deep ruby, clingy beige collar. Orange peel, coal and leaves aroma. Slick, full and burnt; big coal and coffee roast underscored with unexpected herbal and orange-accented hop. ’Dangweous’ say my notes. Indeed.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
6th August 2008. On tap at GBBF. Sweet subtle fruit - strawberry and a hint of blueberry, well blended with toffeeish malt. Finish is dry toffee malt. Very good falvour profile, no bitterness.
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