3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
500mL bottle purchased from LCBO in Toronto iwth a best before date of March 2009. Pours a cloudy light brown. Lots of sediment at the bottom which I shake up, and causes a neat two-colour head at the end of the pour. Lots of floaties. Very interesting colour. Aroma is a bit lacking, but slightly hoppy. Flavour is a little thin and tinny, with a bit of ESB bitterness, but not a lot. I’m not enjoying this one as much as either of the LCBO’s English bitter releases from last season.
2.4 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 9/20
UPDATED: FEB 20, 2008 Purchased today at Sam’s Wines, Downers Grove; "Best by 02/28/05." Okay, Sam’s definitely has a problem keeping their shelves updated. But it was in the bargain tent at a dollar off, and I just couldn’t resist.
Pours a big load of tannish-brown foam into a pint glass. Very cloudy, coppery beer beneath it. Smell shows a lot of malt that has aged out and is a bit medicinal, but that’s to be expected. And yet, there’s still some fine English hop bitterness to be found here. A bit of iodide, true, but also some prune and raisin. I knew this might have problems going in, but it’s still pretty drinkable.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Dark Crimson with a pillowy enthusiastic white head. Aroma features rich toffee malt, complex fruit, strawberry, ripe plum, an over all effect like that of sniffing a roses chocolate box. On the palate there is chewy sweet malt, a profound fruit medley of strawberry, peaches and apricot leading to a firm bitter finish.
2.7 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Cask at Charlies. Hazzlenut brown and with a little off-white head. Light fruity aroma. Flavour is light acidic with a nutty note and a light caramel. Ends slight acidic and light bitter.
2.9 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Cask @ Charlie’s bar. I can’t believe how smoky this place really is. I had no enjoyment at all with this beer, and that is a petty. Really think they should make this place smoke free, so we can actually taste the beers that are being served. Small creamy beige head that mostly diminished. Fair display of lacework. Somewhat cloudy amber color. Aroma was killed by cigarette smoke, what I could pick up was light fruit, hint of toasted malt, light floral and citrus notes as well. Over the palate the hops becomes a bit more evident. Light to medium bodied with a soft carbonation and light dry texture. Light bitter and sweet flavor in fairly good balance. Light dry and bitter finish.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Pretty good label and bottle. Goldings, slightly cigarette-y aroma. Peaty malt, yeasty, a little metallic, generally gave a pretty dry impression. Copper color. Medium body. Sticky bitter aftertaste. Pretty good.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Appearance: Copper, low head very light haze (bottle conditioned)
Aroma: Malt and biscuits, crystal malt (120L?) toffee caramel, cream soda and orange peellight hint of licorice. Grassy/hay hop aroma.
Flavour: Full rich and malty with deep toasty notes. Nutty and bittersweet. Lots of grassy English hops. Light breadiness - pretzels.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a mineral dry character.
Overall: Wow! Light, flavourful with a thick malty backbone, strong toasted bread crusts (Munich Malt?). Earthy hoppiness and a mineral dry finish with a long delicate bittersweet hang. Yummy!
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
500ml bottle (Kolme Kaisaa, Helsinki)<bt>
Mid orange, alas poured with a bit of yeast so was quite hazy. Slightly sour fruity aroma, maybe wild strawberry. Alas a bit yeasty, but a good full bodied bitter taste. There’s a bit too much sour taste, maybe from the yeast? Finish is dense, some bitterness from burnt malt, almost like an espresso. Not as good as the old Eldridge Pope beer of the same name.
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