Bath Barnstormer

Bottle (from New Zealand bar), poured a dark brown with a thin bubbly off white head. A sweetish malt aroma, molasses with some pine and ash notes. A full mouthfeel and toasted malt palate, with coffee, chocolate, and increasing hops and bitterness through the swallow. Delicious.

Cask handpull at The Guildhall, Folkestone. Very deep ruby colour with thick lasting beige head. Maybe getting towards the end of the barrel as it took a bit of pumping to get the pint, which killed some of the carbonation in the glass. Very nice dark ale though. Juicy dark fruits, plums, but not sour and good choc flavours. Finish is really quite drying. Extremely drinkable. Lovely finish. Choc and ark fruit aroam. Some sweet blackberry. Brilliant pint. Full and rich with a bit of puckering of the mouth on the finish.

Cask, Clifton, Bristol. Deep dark brown colour with a creamy, muddy white head. Prominent malt, brandy soaked fruit and chocolate aroma. Rich full bodied christmas pudding like flavour Decent hoppy finish. Enjoyable, but expensive at about £3.40 a pint in some knightsbridgesque bar.

Cask, Anne of Cleaves, Melton Mowbray. Dark red/brown with a dense cream head. Aromas are chocolate and roast malts. Bitter with hints of sulphur. Flavours are rich and malty with chocolate and winter fruit. Has raisins and yeast, also. Lots of hops bitterness with a dry finish. Tasty and addicitve.

1. Cask Handpump at the Pot Of Beer, Manchester 09/02/2002 Dark couloured beer that’s slightly rich on the palate. Malty with a lasting bitter finish. 2. Cask Handpump at the New Barrack Tavern, Sheffield 01/05/2004 Mid brown and fruity with a slightly dry crisp lasting malt finish. 3. Cask Stillage at the GBBF, Kensington Olympia 05/08/2005 Mid brown with some alcohol and spice aroma. Fruity slightly dry lasting malt finish.