1.5 AROMA 2/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 6/20
Bland, forbidding Christmas ale with little character or seasonal speciality.
2.7 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
Cask. The Marquis of Wellington, Leicester. Medium cream head, excellent lacing. Dark orange clear body. Caramel, biscuit, some hops. Quite sweet. Creamy, with a dry finish. Probably one of the best beers that Everards make, with only Original possibly better.
2.5 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 10/20
Cask at the Black Horse, Leicester. Not very festive, this is an ordinary bitter which is slightly watery but otherwise inoffensive. I fail to understand why so many British Christmas beers are so insipid compared to, say, Goose Island.
2.9 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask-conditioned at the Wenlock, London 20/12/08. Amber coloured with a slight, off-white head. Aroma of biscuit malt, slightly stale, with some fruit. Flavour was better, with plenty of sweet red fruits and a decent bitter finish. Ok.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask (handpump) @ Wellington, Birmingham B2, UK. Clear medium amber color with a small, virtually none, virtually none lacing, fully diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, light hoppy. Flavor is light to moderate sweet and moderate bitter with a average duration. Body is medium to light, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft to flat. (100108)
2.6 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
Browny, not much smell really, bit hoppy, average but ok. Thanks all the same but not my cup of tea.
4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Nut brown colour. Very rich, silky texture. Flavour is fruity with hints of floral hop. Sweet, smooth finish.
2.9 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Small coarse white head. Slightly hazy amber body. Wooden tea aroma, a bit musty. Soft dry tea taste with earthy wooden notes. Light, almost watery. Delicate, harmonic. No aftertaste. Very mild, but nice. (0.5pt cask at the King’s Head.)
2.5 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
Cask at ’Spoons, Milton keynes. Dark gold with a white head. Odd nettly aroma. Nutty, biscuity malt taste. Also a sort of raspberry sweetness. Not sure what this has to do with Christmas. Very little bitterness. Nothing to write home about.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
(Cask at Carpenter’s Arms, Marble Arch, London, 2 Dec 2007) Mahogany colour with brief, white head. Malty nose with dark fruit, raisins and toffee. Malty taste with notes of dark fruit, toffee, solid malt foundation and hints of dusty hops in the finish. Malty and chewy winter beer.
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