3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottled, 330ml, 1996 vintage. Dark brown, ruby with no head, clear. Huge port like notes, winey, grapey with plenty of nasal alcohol, this sample was 8.5% ABV. Caramel and toffee background, rich, heady and thick on the palate. Drank in celebration of Birmingham City’s promotion, decent stuff.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
1998 bottle at Lucky Baldwin’s.
Pours a mostly still muddy dark brown with a minimal head.
Smells of oxidation, toffee and burnt brown sugar.
Very English style in the malt profile here with lots of burnt caramel, toffee, molasses. Definitely some oxidation, but not too bad given the 11 years age and 7% abv. Dried fruits and and some more toffee in the flavor.
All in all, a decent aged English style barleywine. Not all that complex though, and the oxidation is starting to come through. I’d love a cask pull of this though, that could be good.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
(Half Pint from Gravity at the Fat Cat, Norwich) Very dark brown with a small off white head. Nut smell with some sweet fruit. Initial taste was a well balanced dark malt - sweet with lots of roastyness and a drying hop finish. Fruit and caramel - a heavy beer. Very nice, but best served in small doses I suspect.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask at the bree maree. Alround rating: Sweet honey malt, blackcurrent and creme brulee mix together interestingly to make for an interesting drink. Bitter sweet stuff, very nice, old school style english ale.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask at the Ribs of Beef, Norwich, "Post-Xmas Crawl Part 2", 28th Dec 08. Very dark ruby brown with a caramel, dark fruit & red wine aroma. Smooth, full palate and it feels strong. The correct weight for a winter warmer. Nice.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask (handpump) @ Wellington, Birmingham B2, UK. Clear medium to dark red brown color with a small, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, light beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, toasted, roasted, caramel, cold coffee, dark fruits ala, raisin / plum, light light licorice. Flavor is moderate to light heavy sweet and bitter with a long to average duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat. (100108)
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask @ The Florence, Herne Hill. Ruby colour with no head. Aroma is alcohol / plums / dark fruits / caramel. Taste is warming / alcohol / fruits / toffee. Nice complex Barley Wine, very enjoyable.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask at the White Horse, Parson’s Green.
Lovely ruby beer, dried fruit like prunes or raisins. Sweet, warming alcohol. Quite nice, but some bitterness would not have hurt.
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