2.8 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
Wallington Festival. Not as exciting or pleasant as I had hoped. A malty beer that doesn’t quite lift itself off the ground. The hops either don’t fully integrate with the malt or get far enough away to provide an interesting balance - instead the hops lurk around in a rather dull and dumb way at the end, unsure what to do and where to go.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Cask handpump at the Swan in the Rushes, Loughborough. Quite dark amber coloured with a creamy white head and very good lacing. Flavour is fruity, malty, caramel with some hops. Full bodied. Very good stuff.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
At 2005 Bedford Beer Festival where it was my own personal favourite among the English ales. Mid amber, with a small white head. A delicious, malty creamy flavour with plenty of caramel and an intensely bitter finish.
2.7 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Cask conditioned @ Ship Inn, Wokingham. Malty nutty beer. Balanced and drinkable but lacking chracter.
3 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask at Charlie’s Bar, Copenhagen.
Thin light tan head on a hazy dark amber body. Weak aroma with little hop and fruit. Fruity, nutty and slightly sugary flavor. Suprisingly sweet for a bitter! Nice and easy.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask conditioned @Pub Höyry
Nut brown with small tanned head. Flowery hoppy nose. Typical pale ale/bitter real ale: flowery English hops with some chocolaty and roasted notes. Good session beer but nothing so special.
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Draught. Dark brown with a white head. Biscuity, caramel. Very nutty. Rich fruit flavours, perhaps plum? Not bad, not outstanding though.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 12/20
Hand pulled at the Old Joint Stock, Birmingham. Purple, slight head and lacing. Nice maltiness with a berry/Autumn twang, though it does lose itself on the finish. Sweetness and malt become interminably mingled. Some nice raisin flavours in a fruity/bread taste. A nice pint, but not outstanding.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Cask@The Mawson Arms (Fullers Brewery), Chiswick, London. Quite liked it. Has the typical smooth Fullers mouthfeel. Got some nice flavours out of this. HOney, toffe/caramel, nuts, slightly toasted malt, wholemeal bread. Light lemony finish, with a good amount of bitterness. Also a bit salty, pretty good on cask
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