Black Sheep Riggwelter (Bottle)

Brewed by Black Sheep
Style: English Strong Ale
Ripon, England

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Marketed as the Holy Grail Ale Black Knights Reserve. Pours a deep brown with some ruby notes in the coloring and a creamy, light tan head. Aroma has a strong toasted brown malt presence, very light banana notes with some very light grassy hops finish to the nose. Flavor starts off with a smooth toasted malt note with some light nuttiness, mild banana middle and finishes with dry, bitter roasted presence. The beer has a nice creamy feeling with a pretty good amount of mouth feel. Overall an okay brew but nothing special to write home to my wife about.

Very dark brown crystal clear with some red elements. Cap is thick and nipple shaped , has very good retention. Lots of banana, caramel, milk chocolate, and mild hops show up in the aroma. After a minute all aroma seems to vanish. First sip seemed watery but then coffee and malty wood, with the some bitter hops starts showing up. Taste is so clean not a single trace of the beer lingers. Hops are very noticeable but I can’t seem to nail down what they taste like. Ok beer to have but I’ll most likely never purchase again

Clear dark chestnut with a small rocky head. Aroma was malty and roasty with a little bubblegum and a little raisin. Flavor was full bodied but odd flavored. Nutty earthy malt tones mix with some dry dusty yeast tones, accompanied by that odd banana tone from the nose, as well as a bit of dark raisin, and roast. Not terribly fond of this one.

UPDATED: FEB 6, 2012 [16/11/2007 - 500ml bottle from Asda, High Wycombe] Very very bitter indeed; in fact the bitterness put me off initially. However, then I finished it and really really wanted another, yet I couldn’t explain why. It’s dangerously drinkable for a beer of this strength. [18/1/2012 - re-rate, 500ml bottle from Maureen & Dave - cheers!] This was one of my very early rates, so I was glad to be given the opportunity to re-rate it (especially given the disparity between my low original rating and the site average). It pours a chestnut brown with a moderate creamy head and fizz clinging to the sides of the glass. As the appearance suggests, it is a little too fizzy in the mouth for the style. There’s a vinous hint in the initial taste, followed by a little chocolate, but the whole thing is pervaded by the bitter metallic taste of over-enthusiastic pasteurisation. A little dryness in the finish, but also a bit sticky. Still didn’t like it, and this time I really didn’t want another one.

Bottle @ Costa Real w Ramenen. Malty and herbal, slight hops. Food Pairing: Lamb chops.

500 ml bottle; best before 01/2005 Dark brown with hint of copper and a 1" thick pale yellow rocky head. Aroma of molasses, licorice, with good dark malt and some earthy, musty hop aroma. Flavour is quite simple. Sweet, with hints of licorice. Becomes quite treacly and it followed by a fairly harsh bitterness. Not very well-balanced. Just not a brewery that I enjoy.

Sturdy and powerful drop. Deed deep black with a tar taste. A little too sweet. Would prefer a Tooheys Black.

12 Feb 06 - LIght sweet smokey malt aroma. Clear medium brown colour, reasonable head and suds lacing. Roasted malt and some fruit flavours. Fizzy finish with a roast malt aftertaste.

The colour is deep copper. The foam is yellowish, firm but quite small. The smell is fresh with a burned touch of malt (Goldings?) The carbon dioxide is balanced and medium strong. This beer got a full-bodied burned flavour with a bitterness that disappears quickly. The aftertaste is a little bit sourish and bitter with a burned taste that somewhat resembles of a dry stout. A nice session ale if you want something dryer and more robust than a pale ale, but not as dark and dry as a stout. It is OK, but not one of my favourites.

Black/brown, clear, with a good sized tan head. Weak nose, with a bit of a charred note, some diacetyl seemingly, a touch of tamari sauce. Quite bitter in flavor, with buttery toast notes, a hint of malt sweetness.