Brakspear O Be Joyful

Brewed by Brakspear (Refresh UK - Marstons plc)
Style: English Strong Ale
Witney, England

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

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Cask conditioned @ The Dog and Duck, Emmbrook. Fairly so-so beer. A bit malty some sweet caramel and sulphur. No freshness or spicy fruits to cut through this.

Cask somewhere. Darkish reddish brown with thin off white head. Dark fruits, licorice, roasted malts, little tarry, sour bitter finish. Not overly impressed

[on draught in The Rising Sun, Reading] Rich, very earthy, a hint of fruit but an unpleasant bitter metallic aftertaste. I’ve never been a fan of Brakspear beers, despite having spent many of my beer-drinking years in their catchment area. Their move from Henley to the Wychwood brewery in Witney doesn’t seem to have helped, and this seasonal special has done nothing to improve my opinion of the brand in general.

(Cask at Market Porter, Borough, London, 23 Nov) Chestnut brown colour with a brief off-white head. Fruity nose with dried fruit and a nice aroma of earthy hops. Fruity taste with notes of dried fruit, followed by sweetish malt, nuts, caramel and ends with a dash of earthy hops. Quite complex and nice.

Cask Handpump at the Hollow Tree, Stretton 23/12/2002 Mid brown coloured and slgihtly rich on the palate with a fruity aroma. Some bitterness in a malt finish.

Amber/brown in colour. Aromas are earhty and malty with sulphur and a decent hoppiness. Flavours are light malts with salt and sulphur. Has some fruitiness and is fairly hoppy. Slightly sour on the finish. A bit dull overall.

Darkish brown beer with a dry aroma and a roughish bitter flavour. Overall a good strong dry beer.

Cask. Dark amber with a white creamy head. Slight malty aroma. Some sweet notes with roast malt and a medium bitterness. I don’t think the flavours meld together as they should do.

Coppery colour, not crystal clear. It’s certainly quite fruity, but I can’t say I got all that rich Christmas pudding stuff. Lots of malt too and rather sweet. OK, but I found it a bit dull and, whilst I was fine with a half, I might have found too much more heavy going. Not rich enough for a Christmas sipping beer, not fresh enough for an easy drink. Not sure I’d classify it as a brown ale. Cask (handpump) at the Devereux, Temple.

Draft. Weak, but good aroma; sweet, floral and fruity. Clear, red-brown coloured with a lasting thin white head. Taste is good; sweet, bit malty, floral and fruity. More bitter in the end. Pleasant brew.