Thornbridge Bracia (Pedro Ximénez Aged)

Brewed by Thornbridge
Style: Traditional Ale
Bakewell, England

Serve in Dimpled mug, English pint, Stein, Yard

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Crazy awesome that this was on at Craft, Pimlico when I was in town. Massive, fruity, dessert wine-ish old ale. Sludgy near-black pour with a thin and ominous-looking head. Big figgy pudding nose with vinous qualities melding nicely with the peat, leather, dried fruit and booze. Mouthfeel a bit heavy, but what are you gonna do with a beer like this? Taste is righteous, though, with the wine characteristics making this anything but a standard warmer. Killer in small doses.

Tap at Craft Brixton - 28/09/12. Dark Mahogony brown with a dirty mocha head. Some lacing followed. Nose comprised Xmas cake, dates, prunes, dried fruits, sherry, cloves and spices. Tastes similar to nose, Xmas pudding/cake, molasses, licquorice, dried fruits, wood, light smoke tones, and a little sweet booze. Fuller end of medium bodied with a fruity finish. The alcohol is very well disguised. Excellent.

Cask at Craft Beer Co Brixton. It pours very dark brown, with a medium beige head. The nose is vinous, raisin, blackberry, blueberry, sweet sherry, jammy fruits, roasted malt, liquorice and some medicinal notes. The taste is roasted malt, medicinal, rich sweet fruitiness, blackberry, blueberry, sherry/port aspect, wood, warming alcohol, light tanginess, meatiness, coffee, charcoal and earth, with a very long, dry, toasty finish. Full body, fine carbonation and slightly oily mouth-feel. Complex and flavoursome stuff.

Cask at Craft Beer Co, Brixton, London. A dark brown coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Boozy, malty, dark fruit aroma. Tastes similar, malty, dark fruit, sweet and port like, very rich and really moreish despite it’s strength. Very nice indeed.

Cask in Craft Brixton. Colour is opaque very dark brown, off white cream head. Nose is rich, malty, ovaltine, milk chocolate, wood barrel. Taste is again rich, smooth, white wine vinous, malty, some sweet wine Sauternes character and obviously sherry, a lot of white grape, then light milky chocolate. Develops a lot on the tongue. Finish is grapes white wine vinous and a sherry alcoholic kick.

Cask at Holyrood 9A. Aromas of dark raisin and plums, touch of vanilla and spicy alcohol. Flavours of spice, slightly salty, almost marmitey, with big soft fruity things going on. Really soft, smooth and warming as well.So gorgeous.

UPDATED: JUN 2, 2012
Cask (handpump) @ The Holyrood 9A, 9a Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, Scotland EH8 8AE.

Clear dark brown colour with a small to average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, berry, chocolate, raisin, plum - prune, wood, alcohol. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration, honey. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. [20120421]
8-3-8-4-16

Handbottle.

Clear medium to dark dark amber colour with a small to average, fizzy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, riped fruit, wood, dried fruit, alcohol. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration, riped fruit, caramel, alcohol. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat. [20120419]
8-2-8-3-16

Handbottle @ [ London Overground pub crawl ]. Southampton Arms, 139 Highgate Road, London, Greater London, England NW5 1LE.

Clear dark brown colour with a small to average, frothy - fizzy, fair lacing, mostly lasting, beige to off-white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, chocolate, raisin, plum, wood, peat. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and heavy bitter with a long duration, peat, soya, dark malt, wood, raisin - dark dried berry, sticly prunes. Body is medium to full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat, finish feel is light alcoholic. [20120114]
8-2-7-4-15

Cask @ Holyrood 9A 300412
Dark black, rich tan head, good lacing to end of glass. Great appearance for abv
Aroma - soft rich malts, very mellow, smooth, soft sherry, quite vinous
Taste - soft rich dark malts, fruity malts, port, soft sherry, complex, fairly vinous, sweet juicy dark malts, dark honey, great flavour, so so good, so smooth and rich, alcohol is noticeable but it works for this beer.
Palate - soft carb, full body, very smooth, rich fruity sherry malts. Finish as main flavour with warming alcohol, a little dry.
Overall - A stunning beer - glad I tried even if the cask had been on a while. Best Thornbridge beer I’ve had so far.

On cask at The Holyrood 9A. Pours a very dark brown colour with a fair light tan head. A lovely aroma of roasty malt, blackberries, dark chocolate, burnt toast and alcohol. Similar flavours with a coconut and dark chocolate finish. Mild carbonation and an oily mouth-feel. A lingering oaky, vinous character also. Delicious!

Bottle at Papsø’s - Thanks. Clear amber/red - white head. Sweetness, wooden, tannins, berries, dried fruits, ryebread, fruits, nutty, roasted, barley notes, more like a barrel aged barley wine - smooth body and finish.