Exmoor Beast (Cask)

Brewed by Exmoor
Style: Porter
Taunton, England

Serve in English pint, Stem glass

Deep-brown, almost black. Really sweet buttery toffee malts, some slight roasty finish to give it some balance.I think theres too much butter toffee and raisins in there, really not my kind of beer.

Cask @ JDW Elgin
Very dark brown..ruby edges...thick creamy off white head....very good lacing
Aroma - rich dark caramel malts...liquorice...some spicy hops
Taste - rich dark caramel...bit of roast malt...liquorice...dark fruits...dark toffee..bitter hops in the background...slight salty notes...little savoury..alcohol quite well hidden..complex and tasty
Palate - soft carb....medium body...rich malts...smooth. Finish - rich malts..bit of warming alcohol..dark smooth toffee..clean finish
Overall - This is more of an old ale to me and a very good one too!

First tasted this in the Ale house, Paisley in October 1992. Cask, handpump dispense. Dark ruby black in colour with mahogany tints and a thick creamy off white head. Strong smooth aroma of molasses, christmas pudding and dates. Rich creamy mouthfeel and good lacing. Dark malts give a rich maltloaf base with a complex range of flavours. Syrupy figs, raisins and black plums with treacle toffee and Italian cream sweets. Very little hop presence noted in the short earthy aftertaste. Sweet malt returns in the powerful finish with warming alchoholic notes of port, winegums and thick treacle sponge. Reminded me of Sarah Hughs ruby red mild in some respects. More like a strong ale in style rather than a porter though? An excellent pint to sup by the log fire on cold winters. Highly recommended and worth seeking out.

Cask, handpump @ The Powder Monkey, Devon, Exmouth.
Pours a radiant, fiery blackened brown with a tight, compact tannish crown that is lasting. No legs, it leaves a film of brown upon the glass like sticky syrup. Good lot of fruitcake, fresh baked on the nose with some earthiness, a hint of yeast, cocoa, kelp and peat and just a touch of rust to tickle the nostril. Firm body, bigger than expected, and smooth and silky in mouthfeel. Biscuity malts and chocolate icecream fill out the mouth, lighter touches of vanilla, stewed plums, sherry and bitter, burnt raisins add complexity. Light weedy, dank and earthy peak on the swallow shows some odd hop tones, the swallow long and malty with the alcohol making a late appearance. Unlike the bottled version this seems so well balanced and in fine tune, the flavours and aromas are absorbing. A very nice strong ale, though I’d be stretched to call it a Porter. Nice stuff!!

[Cask at the Belle Vue, High Wycombe] Deep brown, slight off-white head. Fruity at first, alcohol is evident, chocolate comes through in the finish. Quite syrupy, too sweet by the end.

Cask real Ale at Urhos. Large beige head large bubbles. Dark reddish colour. Mild malty nose with some sweetness.Slightly sweet fullfilled taste. Slight sourness.Well balanced. Slightly syropey taste. Low hoppiness.

(Cask at St Urho’s Pub Porter and Stout Days 2011) The beer poured deep brown and clear. Its head was medium sized, long lasting and light brown. Aroma had vanilla, roastedness, whisky and liquorice. Palate was medium bodied. Flavours were roastedness, mildly vanilla, chocolate, whisky and bitterness. Aftertaste was roasty, A really good beer.

Cask at the Union Rooms (JDW), Plymouth. Deep mahogany brown with a red tint and a loose cream head; aroma of rich malts and purple fruit; however it disappointingly thin in the mouth with weak fruit flavours - cherries and blackberries - then burnt sugar; before a caramel finish.

Cask @ Society Room, JDW. Dark ruby-red colour, medium tan head. Aroma of roasted malts, dark fruits, bit of licorice. Flavour is roasted malts, light coffee, sulphur, sour fruits. Ok stuff, and evidently better than the bottled version.