Elveden Stout

Brewed by Elveden
Style: Stout
Thetford,, England

Serve in English pint

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Bright bottled at Cambridge Fest. My only notes from yesterday were: "Wooden cask. Interesting rancid flavours. Score 2.9" Though it’s interesting to have a beer from a wooden cask, the beer itself needs to have something a bit more going for it. Flavours here are not strongly defined. It’s a refreshing dark beer with some dark fruits and a strong hint of roast, and there’s chocolate, and, yes, there’s oak, and a sort of mouldy old damp wood, but the parts don’t come together in any meaningful manner.

Gravicask (Cambridge Winter Ale Festival 2010)
Liquorice in the aroma right from the start, raisins come in after it sits in the glass a little, but acidity later. Dark, ring head. Retronasals have a brandy/cognac theme, Phil finds that quite noticeable. Good malty body, but a little watery in places, some dry liquorice, acidity and berries, figs and dates. Yup, definitely figs. Finish has molasses and fruity hops, but also plenty of malt loaf and raisins.

Cask, gravity, at Cambridge Beer Festival ’09. Dark brown. Thick malt aroma; tangy sour plastic taste. Mid bitter finish. I love Elveden Forest in the magical Breckland, but I’m sorry to say I tipped their beer.

Bottle: ’Pft’, not promising. A flat dark brown, less than appealing with its minute head which basically dissolves immediately. A strangely Christmastime scent arises from it. Like lightly spiced booze, the fumes from a christmas pudding maybe. Not unpleasant. Bold flavours reminiscent of a dark fruitcake which appear as strangely incompatible with the thinness of the brew. The effect of the whiskey casks is definitely apparent in the finish which is warming and a little heady. I really don’t quite know how to sum it up.

Bottle.Black with a small head,aroma of dark fruit and roast,taste is of chocolate malt and spice.

A Sim rate (cask at Chelmsford BF): Such a bizarre beer. I hate to not give it more than a 6 for flavour because it’s so complex, but I’m just not a fan of the flavours. Smells and tastes just like the harshest, strongest licquorice. It’s like those licquorice wheels I used to love. Doesn’t translate much into a beer though... although interesting. Almost opaque black with a red tinge. Perfumy. Nothing too stouty about it. Too sweet.

Cask conditioned -gravity dispense - Peterborough BF. A black beer with a wispish tan coloured head. The aroma is fruity and a bit woody. The taste is complex and interesting. Fruits, oakiness roasted malts all mix together in what feels like an old recipe revived. Nice beer.

Bottle. Despite coming in a pretty stone bottle, i couldn’t really get into this beer too much. Slight licorice aroma, some light roasted malt. The palate is quite dry, and thin, with some light acidity lingering throughout. Felt a bit thin, and it wasn’t one of those roasty, chocolatey stouts that i like, this was quite light.

Sweet raisin and molasses nose with lots of alcohol. Dark murky brown color, low thin head. Raisin and fig fruityness to the sweet malt body. Also like sour apples in the middle. Woody end. Thick body. Overall this reminds one of cough medicine. Odd, really, and I don’t know what the intent is here.

Dark brown, nearly black, no head. Nose starts with cabbage and slightly alcohol, which is honestly not a good start at all . Jesus - and it doesn’t stop to be offensive. Taste exactly like the stuff pivo brought home for me from the herbalist in Chinatown to heal my sour throat. It was so disgusting that I was healed right away. This on the other side makes me sick, yuck.

I was hoping a stout matured in oak whisky barrels would be an interesting beer. Well it’s certainly distinctive, but I didn’t find it too appealing. The aroma had an acetic, woody edge but this submerged rather than complemented the usual stout character. The flavours were also marred by sour and soggy elements. Might not have been in top condition. A curious amalgam of stout, porter and old ale. Intriguing, but ultimately not too satisfying. Cask (gravity), Cambridge Beer Festival.