Dent Ramsbottom Strong Ale

Brewed by Dent
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Sedbergh, England

Serve in English pint

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A Sim rate (cask at the Bricklayer’s Arms Putney): Almost unpleasant in its dusty, musky character. Mes says it’s like an old ale, but I reckon it’s dust and wood and that’s it! Again, the flavour is almost unpleasant but is saved in a small degree by a slight tinge of mango. Not great. Woodchips and blah. It might seriously be.. a ram’s bottom.

From BA: Feb 2008 with an update at the back from Feb 2012: Brown 500ml bottle, unable to read the best before date, hope it was OK. Poured into a Corsendonk tulip glass twice, because I can. Lovely dark brown colour, mahogany wood brown, no head, just a collar almost straight away. I like to have a head on my beers though. The aroma is all about the malts used in the brew, rich toasted almost burnt smell, warming is another way of putting it. The taste doesn’t live up to the richness of the aromas, still flavoursome and very malty none the less, hops also appear within taste, a sweetness comes into the beer as it warms too. Maltiness apart, there is very little to this beer and you would never guess it had 4.5% within. Was expecting more from this, not as good as I’d hoped, average at best. Update 17th Feb 2012: Had a pint (Cask) last night and really enjoyed it. Those malt flavours I mentioned in the original review were still in major control but the overall tasting was a lot more balanced and if I’d been scoring the beer on last nights findings it would have been higher in every box apart from the smell score which would have stayed at 4.

UPDATED: FEB 27, 2012 Cask handpull, Whitefriars, Coventry, 25/02/12. Almost stouty mahogany in the gloom with a tuft of cream suds. Sourish, berry-accented, yeasty aroma. More berries, cocoa dusted plum, stone fruit yeastiness on the palate. Pleasant malty bitter, if a little dull.

First tasted this in the Fox & Hounds, Houston in November 1997. Cask, handpump dispense. Dark mahogany in colour with a thick creamy buff white head. Soft mocha and caramel in the long sweet aroma. Thin but creamy mouthfeel and good lacing. Mixed malts give a chewy moist maltloaf base with maple syrup and dates present. Spicy hop resins give a short bitter aftertaste. Finish is heavy on the malt with caramel and raisin fruit present. A superb session ESB style ale and worth seeking out.

500ml bottle - at ChrisO’s - thanks!
6 Definitely an old aroma, a bit of sweet walnut.
3 Mid brown, brief head
6 Sherry definitely there. Tastes older and stronger than it is.
3 Smooth palate, carbonation low. A little nutty, but in a stale way.
12 Mixed feelings about this, would like to have again, a bit younger.

Bottle. Toffee malt aroma with a hint of spicy hops. Clear chestnut color with small head. Sweet creamy toffee malt flavor with a light peppery finish. Medium body. Not bad.

Bottle 500ml.

[ Vintage 2005 ]. Clear medium amber color with a small, frothy - fizzy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, cardboard. Flavor is moderate sweet and light light bitter with a average duration. Body is medium to light, texture is watery to oily, carbonation is soft. [20100730]

50 cL bottle, 2006 vintage. Pours clear and golden brown with a fully gone head. Aroma is caramal and oxidised. Dry malty, breadish too. Ends oxidised and dry malty.

Bottled. Golden colour, not much head. Aroma is fruits, some mild oxidized notes, earth and mild vanilla. Flavour is fruity, mildly oxidized as well as slightly bready.

Bottle bought at the george and dragon dent. Brown with a hint of red with a decent off white head. Sweet aroma of malt. Taste of malt and something else not quite sure what, slightly bitter.

Bottled. Deep red beer, with a thin off white head. Clean, yet dry and fruity taste, loads of juicy fruit in the mouthfeel and a dash of cherries somewhere in the mix.