3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask @ The Pakenham Arms. The appearance is deep brown with a tiny frothy off-white head. The nose is coca cola, roast coffee, fresh seawater, pumpernickel bread. Despite the awful-sounding combination, it actually smells nice. The taste is light soy sauce, dark fruits, bitter chocolate, pork scratchings and coffee. Some vanilla on the light sweet finish. Light body, soft carbonation. Overall, pretty good. Strange, but it works.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask at the Grape and Grain, Crystal Palace. Dark brown pour with a reddish tint, beige head. Coffee, caramel, cinnamon and toffee aromas. Light smoke flavours with caramel, coffee and some light chocolate notes. Dry, roast taste. Dry finish.
3.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask conditioned handpump Coach & Horses Wellingborough. A dark brown coloured beer with a ruby hue and a tiny off-white puddle of head. A sweet mild with caramel notes but also some roasty malts. A dry smoky aroma. Thin in the mouth. Old fashioned but OK.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Cask at the Cleveland Arms. Black-brown pour with a foamy, light tan head. Nice roasted malt aroma with hints of dark fruits. Light to medium sweet flavor, lovely roasted malts, rich and smooth coffee, mild fruits, perhaps berries, some creamy candies. Light to medium in body with fine carbonation. Smooth, tasty finish, mild roast malts, some brown sugar, slight cocoa. Just a really solid beer.
3.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask (handpull) Alexandra Arms, Derby.
Sometimes, good beer finds you. I’m in a shitty mood, feeling unwell, ought to be anywhere but here today. But I find myself in the Alex, more out of repetition than expectation. And a pint of inky liqorice, souring enough, was the salve I needed.
Fergus says they haven’t brewed this for ten years. I hope they don’t leave it so long next time around.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
On cask (gravity dispense) at London Drinker Beer Festival on 9 March 2011. Not seen this for many a long year. Very dark ruby colour. Thin beige head. Lots of chocolate. Some roasty malt. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel. A very decent and satisfying mild. I wonder whether this has been made to the original recipe or tweaked about a bit? Certainly seemed to have more to it than I remember in the old version, but that was years ago.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
(cask @ Ship Centurion, Whitstable , Kent) . Dark fruit, chocolate and jamish . Very easy and light , which is the point of the style. A nice sinister looking deep brown ale, with crimson vibez. Plesant all in all.
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