Dark Star Over the Moon

A Mes rate: A gravity cask pour by me from The Butcher Shop. Very light coloured for a mild with a definite reddy amber hue. Plenty of hops in the nose and flavour with just an undercurrent of malt and a dusty bitter finish. Not what I would call a mild personally but jolly tasty it was and I enjoyed every drop.

Cask at the Maltings, York. Gorgeous dark brown with ruby highlights, half inch tan head that lasted. Aroma slight all around, with noticeable caramel and floral hops, some nuttiness. First sip was intense with a bit of off-flavor character, but this rounded out nicely. Malt-centric, with toffee and caramel, as well as some floral notes and maybe a tinge of orange peel and light stone fruits. Finish is moderate-to-strong bitterness with a lasting and complex after that edges toward a chocolate character. Palate is smooth but slightly watery.

Cask at St. Urhos, Helsinki. Strong nutty aroma with a bit of flowers. Dark red, with a thick beige head. Very strong in taste with a good bitterness.

Half pint gravity feed at the Luton Beer Festival, brown with a yellow bubbly head. A brilliantly strong blackberry fruit aroma. Fruity with some caramel malt in the mouth, and smooth. So good!!

[Cask from Blackfriars] Deep, reddish brown with a moderate, tight head. Aroma of toffee, berrys and fresh figs, notes of rosehips, a background flutter of citrus fruit and some floral nuances. Very full bodied for the ABV. with more malt flavours on the palate leading to a dry, fruity finish. Very complex and full bodied for the strength, great stuff.

Outstanding! Aroma is lychee, orange peel, parma violets, hint of pink grapefruit, all of which should not be here. Taste has a decent malt base ontop of which all the citrusy goodness from the aroma hits you. The best cask ale iv probably ever had, and i cellared the fucker!

We enjoyed our last evening in Ipswich at the splendid pub Dove Street Inn (one of the best real ale pubs we have seen in England - great range of interesting and well kept ales, good food and friendly staff and guests).
Ruby in colour topped by only a small layer of foam. Nice lacing. Inviting hoppy to the nose. well balanced flavour of roasted malt and caramel. A good touch of hop bitterness in the aftertaste (23.09.2006).

Cask at The Dove Street Inn Ipswich 23 Sep 06. Deep red coloured. A small white head. A strong fruity and hoppy aroma. Rich fruity flavour leading to a loooong finish with some dry bitterness little by little. A top beer. Definitely my best mild so far.