Cask at the Old White Swan in York. Poured caramel with a white head. Very faint malt aroma, maybe light spices. Bit watery body with malt and some spices. A little oily. Inoffensive, but not great. Served too cold, which didn’t help.

Cask@ The Falcon, Clapham Junction. Malty nose with spices. Caramel colour. Light body. Taste is malty with some sweetness and hops. Lightly spiced with toffee present - pleasant. More a refershing drink than a winter warmer.

Cask at White Lion, Covent Garden, London. Another dreadful illuminated pumpclip. Orange amber colour with a white head. Served a bit too cold. Faint malt aroma. Creamy and oily mouthfeel. Some malt in the taste but hoppiness is the main impression.

Cask at Horniman at Hays in London. Pours a murky copper amber with an off white head. Aroma of malt grains, yeast, and fruity ale esters. Medium to light bodied with a typical thinner british texture. Initial flavor of wet grains, caramel, and dark bread. The countering spicy and herbal bitterness is more aggressive than all the bitters I sampled on this trip. Finish reminds me of a strong sun tea, with a lingering leafy bitterness.

Cask handpump at The Goose, Selly Oak, Birmingham. Brown with a good head. Not much scent, just some hop. Watery, bitter and slightly dry at the end. In the mouth, it can only be described as bland: just a hint of hop and a slight sweetness, but nothing else there.