Dunham Massey Chocolate Cherry Mild

Brewed by Dunham Massey
Style: Mild Ale
Altrincham, England

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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GBBF, Trade Day, 2008 Cask. Synthetic cherry aroma. Chocolate in flavour. A refreshing and pleasant beer though tastes artificial.

June 2011: Brown 500ml bottle, best before Aug 2011, poured into a UK straight sleeve pint glass. This is bottle conditioned, so the pour is controlled. Even with a slow pour the beer produced a huge light tan coloured foaming head, below sat a dark, clear reddy brown body, no sediment, it remained in the bottle. Belgian Kriek like aroma, but not as pronounced as some, hints of chocolate? Only because the label claimed it was a chocolate cherry mild, which made me search for it with my nose. The taste was a semi-sour cherry mix with a very slight chocolatey feel. Well carbonated, the beer was almost too fizzy and lively, made me burp a couple of times: as I sipped trying to find the flavours within. Herbs and Spices (a mixed bunch) seemed to appear, then be beaten off by the carbonisation and cherry twang the beer had. Certainly different to any Dark Mild I’ve had before: did I like it? Not really, reminded me of Vimto too much! The beer lacked balance and body depth, could have been so, so much better if it had a richer, creamier feel (not that I’m a brewer).

Cask at GBBF 2011. Slightly hazy dark reddish brown Strong sweet almondy cherry aroma. Sweet taste with cherry, almonds, milk chocolate and toffee. Low bitterness. Quite exotic.

Cask (GBBF2011, Wed)
Sweet aroma, fruity with an artificial-feeling cherry. Yet again, like another cherry beer earlier, the cherry makes me think it’s been puked up. Watery palate. OK roast, the cherry is less obvious in the taste. Lots about this doesn’t work for me. Finish has cherry, but nicely subdued. Nearly OK

Cask at GBBF 2011. Pours a dark brown with a off-white head, Good cherry aroma, with a hint of chocolate. The taste is all cherry at first then dark malts and a hint of coffee.

Tasted at Salisbury Winterfest. Dark, classic mild colour with slight red hue. Aroma powerful - more cherryade than cherry - and this imparted more than a hint of cherry to the overall flavour. Not too bitter, quite chocolatey. A reasonable mild underneath, just a little too fruity for me.

Cask at the Market Porter, London. Pours dark brown with a foamy, off-white head. Strong chocolate covered cherry aroma. Nice. Cherry cordials, like. Plenty more cherry in the flavor, but a bit medicinal. Also some chocolate and coffee, which doesn’t necessarily mesh well with the cherry. Light to medium in body with fine carbonation. Cough syrup finish. Interesting. Some odd flavors for sure but still drinkable on the whole.

Bottle. Brown, fruity and with a presence of chocolate. Slightly acidic but still better than I had anticipated

UPDATED: MAY 6, 2012 6th August 2008.
On tap at GBBF. Dark brown with a tan fruit head. Mild cherry nose. Sour marachino cherries on the tongue. Palate feels a bit thin but not watery. Chocolate is very subtle. Very light hop finish. Unusual. Original rating 2.9

6th August 2009
GBBF. Cask. Clear dark brown beer, light semi dry palate. Lovely natural marachino cherry with sweet bu subtle chocolate. A nice liquer beer!

Cask at GBBF 2009 ... Deep brown ... artificial cherry nose ... sweet malt ... ligth cherry ... little almond.

Cask@GBBF 2009. Dark ruby color, steady beige head. Strong aroma of chocolate and cherry (Kirsberry). Some coffee, milk chocolate and cherry. Aftertaste is dry ... coffee beans and light cherry. This is probably something you get when you mix Kirsberry and decent dry stout.