3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask conditioned @ The Hole in the Wall, Southsea. Hmm Cherry ale sounds unusual I think I’ll give it a try. On pouring a standard bitter appearance, thats odd I would have expected a bit of vibrant cherry colour in this. Mild toffeish fruit and dusty hops but no cherry. Well balanced and drinkable with moderate bitter finish with again no sign of cherry. The barman confirmed this was the cherry ale but despite that I found it a fairly pleasant bitter with no discernible cherry characteristics.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
Tasted Southampton Beer Festival 2006.
Rasin aroma with slight cherry flavour but more rasin in the body. Fairly brief flavour with a malty aftertaste.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask Handpump at the Bhurtpore Inn, Aston 11/07/2006
Cherry fruit aroma. Golden coloured hoppy and fruity cherry flavoured. Crisp and slightly creamy on the palate with some bitterness in a malt finish.
2.9 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Casked. Amber colour, mediumsized white creamy head. Aroma of flowery hops and cherry. Flavour is hops and fruits, not much cherry at all. Aftertaste is dominated by hops and hay.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask handpump at the Swan in the Rushes, Loughborough. Amber coloured with slim white head. Light fruity taste. Average.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask conditioned at the Square and Compass, Worth Matravers, Dorset 20-06-06. Sat outside this classic CAMRA National inventory pub on a lovely early summers day. This beer appeared a very pale amber in colour, had a little fruitiness to it. Whilst extremely pleasant I really struggled to detect much in the way of a cherry character. Later in the week I spoke to a Hopback Brewery Rep who help to distribute Downton beers and was that this is going down a storm. I stopped at both Hopback and Downton’s on the way home (both are on the same trading estate) to pick up some bottles etc: I spoke to the very friendly young chap who baiscally operates a one man operation at Downton who confirmed the popularity of this beer, but admitted that there isn’t a great deal of cherry in this, said they had tried to do raspberry wheat beers before and they hadn’t been particularly popular. Still a very good beer and I can see why people like it, as it is very refreshing and moreish.
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