1. Cask Handpump at the Penny Black, Northwich (JDW) 04/11/2001 Golden coloured and pale. Bitter hop finish. 2. Cask Handpump at the Penny Black, Northwich 19/04/2003 Golden colour slightly strong in alcohol. Sour banana flavours. Some bitterness in a hop finish.

Cask, Maidstone. Another in the increasingly popular Golden style of ales. Typically this has a wheat content - the head foamed up like a soft whip ice cream, and the nose has elements of wheat. The nose is the best part of this rather insipid drink. Lemon, wheat, lily-of-the-valley, rancid bacon fat, raw meat, a butcher's slab, and sweet vomit were among the aromas I picked up. Hugely complex and intriguing nose - though not always pleasant. The colour is of hazy, unpolished brass - and was not inviting. The body and taste is extremely light - somewhat watery, though there is some yellow melon taste. Not impressed.