Springhead Olivers Army

Brewed by Springhead
Style: Bitter
Retford, England

Serve in English pint

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cask at cloisters ... copper ... bubbly white head ... sweet fruit nose... light smoked toffee malts ... light fruits ... soft and easy

Dark amber with a thin white head, some lacing on the glass. Asweet smell with a nice mix of malt and hops. Smooth and silky. Tastes of malt with a hint of citrus. It is sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

UPDATED: NOV 20, 2010 From tap at the Brew wharf as Spooky juice. Pours clear and golden orange with a diminished off-white head. Roasted and mild hoppy aroma. Favour is light citric to acidic hoppy with a mild underlying roasted malt note. Ends bitter and slight citric. Lasting spiced impression.6-3-6-3-12=3.0

From cask. Pours clear and golden orange with a small white head. Aroma is roasted malty and caramelish. flavour is the ssame. Dark roasted and malty. Caramelish and slight fruity into the finish.6-3-6-3-13=3.1

aROMA IS SWEET, HONEY AND NUTS PLAY A PART, A SERIOUSLY STRANGE MIX OF MALTS. tASTE IS SINTRESTING SIMILAR TO THE AROMA HOWEVER HAS THIS WHISKEY BARREL AGEDNESS TO IT WHICH REMINDS ME OF INNIS AND GUNN. woops on the caps.

UPDATED: OCT 26, 2009 A Mes rate: Cask at Baker St. JDW. Darkish amber looks. Quite sweet with a hoppy finish. Boring, watery and thin. Next!

***RERATE*** Great, a rebadge. I’d have never got this if I’d have known. It was crap at Spoons, this 2nd time at the Market Porter it was even worse. As a result of the rebadging, I’m going with the lower score. Malt upfront, very earthy, fatty, oily and sticky. Too much straw, too sweet. Rough as old boots.

[Cask from The Three Judges] Gold/amber, moderate head. malt loaf, touch of caramel, floral with some citric notes. more bread on palate, floral nuances, dry with some bitterness.

UPDATED: OCT 15, 2010 Cask at The Wellington Arms, Bedford. Dark amber with a small beige head. Some hops in aroma and taste, but overall it’s disappointingly watery. 15.10.10 Same location. Yes, I got the fruity aroma, and a bit of old sack and muesli bar in the taste. Having said that, the ’ruby red’ of the commercial description is now much more like a coppery gold. And I don’t like the new Springhead pumpclips. Rating: 6,3,5,3,12:2.9

Cask handpull at Thomas Ingoldsby, JDW, Canterbury. Weird, I just listened to Elvis Costello’ version before rating this. Reddy brown colour with disappearing bubbly beige. Some yeast, but mainly sweet red fruit malt. Very clean in mouth. More malt and bit of hop on finish, but not huge. Bit watery actually.

UPDATED: FEB 17, 2009 2008-11-11, Cask Conditioned at The Castle, Furnival St., London, as Spooky Juice, 5-4-5-3-10= 27
Hazy amber color. Light caramel aroma, caramel flavor and little residual sweetness, correct bitterness. No flaws, but no thrills either.

2006-06-04, Cask Conditioned at Charlie’s Pub, Copenhagen; end of cask, 6-3-6-3-13=31
Amber color. Malty aroma. Fresh malty taste with some apples. Dry and bitter at the end.

[Cask conditioned at Charlies] Amber coloured. Light fruity aroma and flavour. Rather sweetish. Slightly bland.