Batemans Dark Lord (Cask)

Formerly brewed at Batemans
Style: Porter
Skegness, England

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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Striaght from the Cask at the Erewash Beer fest in Sandiacre on Sat 20th Nov 2005. A dark red-ish black colour. Almost a stout but not quite. Very malty, very nice.

A Mes rate: Cask at some JDW or other. I don’t care what the rest of you said here are my notes. I was not pished I promise. Is this really this good? F**k it yup its great! Nose is that of hazelnut ice cream with just a lick of the alcohol showing through. Appearance is semi translucent muddy mahogany. Shame the head is long since gone. Flavour is vanilla and caramel to start then hops and bags of hazelnut to finish. The initial hit is very sweet but not overly sugary if you get me. Malty. I am sure some will wonder what all this fuss is about but for me this is great stuff. They should have called it Hazelnut Ice Cream Beer. Finish is just fantastic.

Cask Stillage at Ye Olde Dolphin, Derby 24/02/2006 Black with a fruit and cream aroma. Slightly rich on the palate with fruit and liquorice flavours. Smooth bitter and slightly dry roast malt finish.

Cask Conditioned at Batemans Visitor Center, Wainfleet, Lincs. Jet black with malty head. Packed full of licorice and blackcurrant flavours. Much preferable on cask than pasteurised as the flavour profile is full and interesting. A very decent porter finishing off with dry coffee notes.

Tried this in The Esquire House, Glasgow in May 2006. Cask, handpump dispense. Dull black in colour with ruby tints and a thick creamy off white head. Dark berry fruit and roast grain in the long intense aroma. Dark malts give a complex range of flavours with bramble, black cherry and rasberry which also vie with roast coffee, treacle toffee and dry liquorice. Prickle of hop resins and hazelnuts in the short aftertaste. Molasses and dates appear in the dry but sweet finish. An excellent old ale in style I thought and one of my favourites from the Batemans portfolio. Highly recommended.

[Cask conditioned] Dark brown coloured. Fruity and roasty aroma. The flavour is full of chocolate and coffee beans.

[Cask at Charlie’s Bar, Copenhagen] A black beer with a small brown head. It has practically no aroma, but the flavor is of motoroil, roasted malt, coffee, and hops that gives it a very dry end. A nice beer.

Inky black colour. Aroma of dried fruit, burnt malt and a hint of chocolate. The chocolate comes through on the palate too, along with more berry fruit and spice. Dry finish, but without the sour edge that a really traditional porter might have. The mouthfeel is a bit thin. Pretty good though. In tip top condition at Bateman’s Visitor Centre. Cask (handpump). The cask version is far better than the pasteurised bottle, so I have omitted my score for that.

[cask at JDW] Aroma is roasted caramel, dark fruit, citric notes. medium bodied, dry finish.

Aroma seems a little bland, though light coffee and liquirce come through later. Taste is similar a bit of bitterness, but altogether a bit tasteless and overly bitter.