4.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Cask Conditioned. Dark amber with chunky big head. Big fruity malt aromas followed by a smooth apple, blackberry flavour with sweetish malts and a chaser of dry bitter hops. A real winning beer as good as it gets.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Cask conditioned - handpump - Malt Shovel Northampton. A ruby coloured beer with a whitish head and lacing. The aroma is rich fruity malts. The taste is malty and full of berry fruits. Good alcohol presence and a decent full body.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask Handpump at the Beer House, Manchester 19/06/2001
Dark coloured and fruity. Strong in alcohol. Has the feel of an old ale.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Hazy dark tawny colour. Spicy fruit aroma with yeast, woodiness and a hint of burnt caramel. Also woody and a little bitter on the palate, with a big hop presence too. No sweetness at all and some lactic, sour edges on the finish. Warming alcoholic afterburn. This was very close to its BBE date, so it may be that it develops that woodiness over time. Comes over a bit like a hybrid between a strong ale, a porter and a hopped up old ale. Very interesting. It won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I liked it a lot. 500ml bottle (bottle conditioned) from orchard-hive-and-vine.co.uk
4.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
Wow! This is scrumptious! Brobdingnagian head. Yeasty nose very like a Belgian. Smooth, persuasive, luscious, fruity body rather like an Abbey Dubbel. Flawless hop bite in the finish to clean away the sweetness. Yum! This is a winter seasonal in the cask, but is available all year round bottle conditioned. It is a Winter Warmer with a little Belgian twist and and extra slap of hops. Very soft, and ever so easily consumed. A beer gone quickly - thoroughly enjoyed - and left wanting another just to fully savour all the flavours. I really enjoyed that, and now I'm wondering if 4.4 is a high enough score. O, yes, did I enjoy that! This little brewery with its tap at the Queens Head in Herefordshire, uses only local ingredients and was founded in 1987 by husband and wife team Gaye and Steve Dunn. A rare and enchanting beer.
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