3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
UPDATED: JAN 14, 2009 Damn this is a good brewery. First cask of this had an infection that came through only on the nose and you could still tell it was a good beer. Second is exactly what I was hoping for - enticing aroma of smoked cheese and hops, a wonderful rich yet medium bodied mouthfeel with smoke, chocolate, hint of fruit and a bittersweet
finish. Great condition. Smoke and hops to finish. Excellent balance.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask-conditioned at the Seven Stars, Bristol 7/03/2011. Near black with a slight, off-white head. Peaty aroma with some decent chocolate notes. Flavour had some sweetish fruit, plenty more chocolate and an ashy edge, with a lingering dry finish. Very good.
3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 13/20
Cask at the Shovel, Lye. Pours a very dark brown with a medium head. Aroma was smoked peat and roasted fruity malt underneath. Taste was mild smoked peat to start and a smoked peat blackcurrant finish. A bit thin, perhaps not the best condition.
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Gravity cask at the Bricklayer’s Arms BF, 2011. Pours a semi-clear, ruby brown with a soft, off-white head. Nose holds some understated smoked malts and some definite sugar. Flavor is nice and sweet with dark malts, medium roast, with great but not too intense smokiness and some mild, earthy bitterness. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Finishes sweet and smokey, some light wood, charcoal, dark sugar and faint hops, perhaps citrus. Awesome beer.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask gravity, 2nd Hinckley Beer Fest. Mahogany with an off white skim and ruby glints. Soft charcoal dusty cocoa aroma with burnt toast and bramble fruit. Silky and insinuating; lovely balance of cocoa softness underpinned with tanging US hoppage, blackberry, orange, thyme. Smoke for dessert, but not of the carbonised kind I was expecting. I expected. A minor wow moment.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask, Hinckley Fest 09. Black with a small beige head. Aromas are very vinous with chocolate and citrus. Smoky peat notes. Flavours are earthy and lightly woody wit chocolate sweet malts. Quite bitter on the finish with decent smokiness. Good.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask@2nd Hinckley Beer Festival, 2009. Almost pitch black beer with a lightly malty and lightly smoked aroma. The flavour is gently bitter and smoked. Overall a nice lightly bitter and smoked porter.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask, at Yarborough Hunt in Brigg. Deep ruby red with lasting creamy off white head and fine gentle condition. Initial roast malt with a background phenolic smokiness in the nose, quite dry and roasted in the mouth with more muted smokiness, plus a touch of nuttiness as it warms, finish is moderately dry and bitter with a touch of sweet toffee and some more retronasal phenol.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
A Mes rate. Gravicask at Pigs Ear. Dark mahogany colour with a thin rim of beige bubbles. Smoky malt with some slight mineral notes and plenty of fruit. Slightly smoky finish. Rather dull. I was hoping for much better but looking at the other rates maybe this wasn’t on top form.
3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Cask gravity at Pigs Ear 2008. Deep ruby colour. Yeah its got some smoked notes. Its ok, nothing too exciting. No real condition, some smokey choc.
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