2.2 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 9/20
Handpulled cask at JDW Hatch End, Harrow. Dark brown with off-white head. Sweet and uninteresting with some coffee notes. Rather boring really.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
First tasted this in the Evening Star, Brighton in June 1993. Cask, handpump dispense. Ruby black in colour with red highlights and a thin creamy buff head. Fantastic treacle toffee aroma and thick creamy mouthfeel. Good lacing. Dark malt complex gives an overall sweet flavour, with treacle toffee, molasses, brown sugar and syrupy dates in there. Slight nod to the bitter aftertaste then its normal service resumed for the warming, alcoholic sherry like fruity finish. Reminded me of a black version of Broughton’s Old Jock. A superb example of an English strong old ale - superb stuff and highly recommended.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
On draft. Malty with a bit of a soda-like finish but a nice alcoholic punch going on here.
3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
A Sim rate (gravicask at the Hop Farm Fest): Chocolately, malty, caramel and liquorice aroma. Such a dead appearance with just a bit of ambery brown. Flavour not as good as the aroma. Bitter on the tongue but still caramel. Decent enough though.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
sweet treacle and malt aroma. caramel coloured little head. Sweet smooth flavour, hefty hops little chocolate. decent stuff.
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Cask gravity at SIBA BF, Paddock Wood. No real condition, mahogany in colour. Little bit of syrup. Quite a nice dark ale, with choc, caramel flavour. Not much hop. Strong mild
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask at The White Horse, Maplehurst, 12th April 2008. Dark brown with a smoky blackcurrant aroma. The roasted malt taste is nicely balanced by a dark chocolate bitterness. Quite thin palate but clings to the mouth nicely. Decent stuff.
3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
Cask @ Ealing BF 06: A dark ale, dark fruit and dark body but also some cigarette notes in the taste.
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Cask@Catford Beer Festival. Quite malty and sweet. Oaky, with some dark chocolate, some lightly lemony hops to finish.
2.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 10/20
Catford fest. Gravity. Creamy coffee and chocolate aroma. Sweet dark stout which doesn’t deliver the promise of the aroma. Mouthfeel is a bit oily. Lack of condition. A bit too old. Dead. Like a flat cola. Ah! chris_o has joined the fun!
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