3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask (gravity dispense), St Albans Beer Festival, September 2007. A rather unusual beer that is quite difficult to categorise. I suppose Porter is as close as anything. Dark oak colour, with lively condition. Distinct coffee notes, with a backdrop of bread malt. Plenty of spicy hop comes through on the palate, with a developing smoky roast malt character. The alcohol is evident but warming rather than burning. The general feel is sweet, but bitter. It all goes together to produce an curious, but well balanced and appealing amalgam. If I have a quibble the smokiness was perhaps a little ashy. But overall a clear winner.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask@Craft Beer Co, London. Very deep amber colour, small beige head. Aroma is liquorice, caramel, sweet dark ripe fruits and mild sweet maltyness as well. Flavour is caramel malts, liquorice, some mild ashes and mild toffee and sweet maltyness.
2.1 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 8/20
Cask at Craft Beer Co., London. Near black, small head. Caramelly nose. Sweet and chewy with near full body. Treacle followed by sugar and more treacle. Sticky finish with peppery alcohol.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Cask, handpump at Craft Beer Co, Clerkenwell, London, 06.12.11 Pours chestnut with a light beige head. This is nutty and drinks far easier than the abv would suggest it should, malty beer with hops showing this is reasonably straightforward but it is good stuff A7 A4 A7 P3 Ov13 3.4
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask at CP&K. It pours very dark brown, with a decent beige head. The nose is tangy dark dried fruit, chocolate, wood and leather. The taste is toasted malt, caramel, raisin, sultana, cherry, red grape, wood, leather, dryness, chocolate and varnish, with a smooth, somewhat sweet finish. Med body, soft carbonation and good balance. Very tasty and well done.
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask Stillage at the Community Centre, Frodsham 12/05/2007
Very fruity aroma. Dark coloured rich on the palate strong in alcohol and fruity with some dryness and bitterness in a full malt finish.
3.8 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Gravity at Cambridge Beer Festival 2009. Stout-like appearance with no head. Roast coffee and berry fruits in the nose. Lovely mouthfeel. Roasted and smoked malts. Very rich, with berries and an earthy taste. Very nice.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask conditioned at the brewery tap, the Old Tavern Bristol 24/11/07. Near black with a thin tan head. Aroma of coffee, dark fruit and some sweet malt. The flavour had more chocolate and fruit plus some tobacco. The finish had plenty of dryness and a tarry edge. Excellent.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
A Mes rate:
Gravicask at St. Albans Beer Festival. Dark, dark opaque chestnut with a thin off white film. Good aroma of fruit, alcohol, slight malt and chocolate plus some delicate coffee and slight smokey notes. Almost an 8 to be honest. Flavour is even better. Smoky, earthy, nice and meaty, peat, light fruity notes and a lovely liquorice malt finish. Lovely soft and velvet like mouthfeel. Jolly good.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
Cask gravity at St Albans BF 2007. Black with brown edges. Thin pale tan head. Stouty aroma. Quite oily. But hoppy as well. Good integrated alcohol. Bit of rubber. Good, bit minty on end too. Some ashtray. As Chris_o said, it had true ersatz, the whole was the better than the sum of the parts. Good start to the Friday session.
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