Bazens Black Pig Mild

Brewed by Star (prev Bazens)
Style: Mild Ale
Salford, England

Serve in English pint, Shaker

[cask at Reading Beer Festival] Pale for a mild, looks more like a dark best bitter. Tastes like it too - fruity, with a dusty bitter afteratste. Disappointing.

Cask, ’The Joy of Six’ Merchantfest ’08, Rugby. Again, was given this blind and declared it a stout between 4-5% ABV. Striking pitch/tan looks, with lace. Pungent bonfire snout. Charcoal smokiness, coffee granules, roast and chocolate nudging towards stout all the way, but light and sessionable. Really tasty, BOTFSF.....

Cask (Gallows Bird, Espoo, Real Ale Festival 2004) sip - "from the pipe" Dark reddy brown, thin head. Quite bitter as milds go, also pretty burnt. Not a bad mild at all.

Cask @ Piglet BF. Mahogany with a nice beige head. Noted as nice because it was the first beer of the evening to have a head at all. Roasted malt, yeast, coffee and a sprinkle of cocoa in the nose. Flavour is sweet roasted malt, dark fruits and coffee. Pleasant and sessionable.

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 4     Light Brown(1)->Pitch Black(5) : 5     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3   Off-White(1)->Dark Brown(5) : 2   Lasting: 3   Lacing : 2   Nitro : XX
Aroma:
Intensity : 3  
Yeast : 1   Bread : XX   Apple : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Ink : XX   Tar : XX   Olives : XX   DMS : XX
Malt : 4   Biscuity : 2   Burnt Toast : 3   Caramel : xx   Nuts : 4   Pumpernickel : XX   Cereals : 3   Coffee : 3   Dark Chocolate : XX   Vanilla : XX   Grapes : XX   Blackberries : 2   Cherries : XX
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 1   Leafy : 2   Floral : XX   Lemon/Lime : XX   Grapefruit : XX Orange : XX   Herbal : XX   Pine/Spruce/Resin : XX
Notes :   Earth : 2   Wood : XX   Mint : XX   Smoke : XX   Soy : XX   Bourbon : XX   Anise : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 3   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Sourness : 1   Lactic : XX   Bitterness : 1   Complex : XX   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 3   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 2   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : 1   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : XX   Mineral : 2   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: Very dark mild, but as sweet as any.

Cask @ Volunteer Arms, GBBF 2007. Pours a dark brown color with a small off-white head. Sweet roasted malty and grainy aroma. Sweet roasted malty and grainy chocolate flavor. Sweet roasted malty finish with some hints of chocolate in the aftertaste.

Cask @ GBBF 2007, London. Medium to dark amber brown color with a small, fizzy, good lacing, mostly lasting, beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, chocolate, light smoke. Flavor is light to moderate sweet and moderateto heavy bitter (smoke / burnt peat bitter) with a long duration. Body is light to medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat.

Cask@GBBF2007. Dark amber colour, mediumsized brown head. Aroma is strong roasted chocolate and berryish hops. Flavour is roasted malts, some leather and much wood. Refreshing and pleasant.