2.5 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 9/20
Cask, gravity, at 2nd Wellington BF, Wellington Arms, Bedford. Near black. Earthy malt aroma with slight fruitiness. Oily mouthfeel, dark and heavy with a hint of sour milk. Didn’t like it.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Gravicask (Cambridge Winter Ale Festival 2010)
Loose head, black. Minerally aroma, carries through to the taste. Paracetamol in the taste. Phil gets liquorice, Anna doesn’t.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Cask (gravity dispense). Beer #2 at Cambridge Winter Beer Festival on 21 January 2011. Black in colour. Roasty with some hints of licorice. A pretty solid mild. Smooth and easy-drinking.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask at the Southampton Arms, London on 4th December 2010. Almost jet-black with thin partial head of off-white foam. Mild aroma of fruit, and malty in-mouth with berry fruit, some citric notes and a little background bitterness at rear of mouth. Easy-drinking and refreshing, but not bursting with flavour.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Cask, The Highcross, Leicester. Black with a thin beige foam. Aromas are rich coffee with leather and burnt toast. Nutty with some berries coming through. Some peppery yeast. Flavours are deeply roasted malts with dark chocolate bitterness and liquorice. Gritty and very dry with a long bitter aftertaste. A good dry mild.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask conditioned handpump Saracens Head Daventry. A very dark, almost black beer with an off-white head and lacing. A smoky roasty mild. There is really good smoke in the mouth with a touch of sweetness. The aroma is thinner than I would have liked but it is a decent beer.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
From cask. Pours clear and golden dark brown with a deep orange glare and a tan head. Aroma is dark roasted malty and slight tarish. Dry malty. Heavy to hard roasted. Mild liqourice and slight tarish. Dry and roasted tarish finish.
3.6 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask, JDW, Carlisle. A cracker of a dark beer - I can’t decide if it’s a mild or a weak stout. Lovely dry, rich brew, hops obvious on the nose, good amount of roast in the flavour and a nice strong finish. Impressive stuff.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
The Baron. Beige-draped mahogany with proper Belgian lace. Well toasted grain and blackcurrant aroma. Pleasantly burnt and coffee-laced; hint of beechwood; blackcurrant, blackberry and apple crumble undercurrents, soapy hop streak. Very well put together, almost Bambergesque. Good; a pick of the festival for me, and on a par with The Edge.
2.9 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
3rd Novemeber 2010
Spoons Fest! Clear dark brown beer with a tiny tan head. Light dry palate. Darkish malt with a trace of smoke. A fresh bitter finish that goes on well in to the aftertaste. Dry finish. Dry + Smoky is one of my least favourite combinations but this beer bucks the trend. Alright!
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
cask at standing order ... dark brown ... off tan head ... soft dark roast... light charcoal roast ... dark fruits .... some juicy malts ... but mostly a light charcoal roast
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