3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
More a stout than a porter. Chocolate nose, very bitter finish. Coats the tongue. I wasn’t as impressed as others seem to be - maybe I had a bad one.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Sampled from cask (gravity dispense) at 6th Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival 2005.
A very dark brown beer with a fine light brown head. Sweet and full in the aroma, coffee and little chocolate. Nice and complex. Sweet malty flavor with a sour edge. Notes of fruit, coffee and hop. Dry end. Good one!
4.4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Cask conditioned and all the better for it. This is the sort of thing that makes winter worthwhile. Out come all the old dark beers. Strong and warming. Mmmmm. This is truly a beauty.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Very dark mahogany colour. Almost black and nearly opaque. Tarry, oily appearance - looks like creosote. Very distinct espresso coffee and dark chocolate aroma with vinous and woody undertones. Some coffee in the flavour, but it’s more licorice accented than anything else. Bitter finish. Earthy, woody and tarry. Rich and full bodied. Excellent stuff. Bright bottled from cask (gravity dispense) at Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival.
3.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask on gravity at Chelmsford Winter BeerEx. Black with cream white head. Lots of flavour from roast malt bitter chocolate stightly sour. A good porter.
4.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
UPDATED: AUG 23, 2010 Cask conditioned - Out Of The Vaults Leicester. A black beer with a lovely near white soapy head. There is smokiness and licquorice in the aroma, and an exceptional roasted taste. There is bitter dark chocolate in the taste also and again some smokiness. A massive tasting very well brewed beer which is a bit challenging and hence not at all moreish or quenching, just very tasty.Score 4.1
Subsequent ratings scored 3.9, 4.4 and 4.2 Average unaltered
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Cask (Huddersfield BF 2004): Clouded reddish brown appearance. Strong charred fruitcake aroma. Creamy, charred treacle flavor, sweet and fruity, mildly dry bitterness in the finish.
4.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
Bright bottled at Chappel Fest. Wow! I know strong dark beers tend to get big responses, but this one deserves praise. Mouthfeel is soft, yeilding, seductive, vaginal, lingering, explorative, twisting, expressive, just plain ol’ yummy. Flavours are smokey, licorice, chocolate, coffee - all fresh, balanced, in harmony. Fruit notes. Bitter notes. Sweetness. It’s all here in one exquisite package. O yes. Beer of the month!
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