Hogs Back Advent Ale

Brewed by Hogs Back
Style: Mild Ale
Farnham, England

Serve in English pint

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Cask (handpump) @ Market Porter, 9 Stoney Street, Southwark, London, Greater London, England SE1 9AA.

Clear dark to medium red brown colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, berry, light spicy, sour milk notes. Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet, light light acidic and light to moderate bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily and sticky, carbonation is soft to flat. [20120115]

(Bottle) Very deep red-brown. Thin, persisting, cream-brown head. Very light carbonation. Aroma is woody, nutty, whisky, some dark, vinous fruit, but mainly dry, woody, terpenoid, licorice and some choc. Taste initially tangy hops and sweet milk choc, with a bit of iron/metal, followed by dry licorice bite, good bitter balance, finishing dry. Bit too dry for me, but drinkable. Not a big aftertaste, just hints of dark malt and choc. Bit astringent, mid-light body, slight creaminess, but mostly watery.

Cask at The Crosse Keys, JDW, London. Pours dark, amber-brown with a frothy, off-white cap. The aroma holds toasted sugars, sweet malts and caramel. Flavor is medium sweet with a creamy, toffee and caramel character. There is some toast, grapes and other ripe fruits, dough, jam. Light to medium bodied with fine carbonation. Sweet, slightly sticky finish with mostly toasted caramel and doughy bread. Not a great beer by any means, but there are some fun aspects to it.

Bottle Conditioned, 500ml from Notcutts Garden Centre, Oxford. Deep chestnut with a ring of head. Sweet malted biscuits came to mind, the one’s with the tractor picture on them, then a wine like fruitiness, grapes, hints of yeasty spice, some roasty notes. Maybe a little underpowered for a Christmas Ale but reasonably tasty.

Cask (Standing Order JDW, Southampton) - Brown with red tinges. Fruity aroma with raisins and Christmas pudding. Nutty and fruity taste with biscuit mix, raisins and a hint of spice.

Cask at Baker Street Wetherspoons, London. Deep red/brown pour with thin beige head. Sweet, fruity, port aroma. Malty, hoppy, roasty, dark fruit taste. Quite pleasant in an English ale sort of way.

A slightly sour edge is the main fault with what is otherwise a very nice beer, with a roasted malt flavour and sweet hints.

Cask at Imperial Arms Farnborough. A deep reddish colour with a thin head. Plenty of malt in the aroma, and a very smooth taste, with a hint of chocolate. A very good beer.

[Cask at the Hope Tap (JDW), Reading.] Dark tawny brown with a thin creamy tan head; aroma of malted milk and toasted grain; very milk-like in consistency, texture and flavour, slightly sour at first but developing rich toasted flavours, and a warming toffee finish. An excellent mild.

A Mes rate: Gravicask at Pigs Ear.
Semi translucent mahogany with a bubbly rim. I had a bubbly rim the other night but that’s another story. Almost port / wine like aroma with some light sweetness. Nice fruity and roasty malt flavour just not enough going on to keep me entertained, apart from the bubbly rim of course...