Thwaites Very Nutty Black

Brewed by Thwaites
Style: Mild Ale
Blackburn, England

Serve in English pint

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Yes it has made it to the far flung corners of the world down here in Watford and it is well worth imbibing if you like dark mild, in fact i’m having one right now and jolly good it is too : )

A very dark brown to black in colour with an off white head. Aroma of malt, coffee and nuts. A flavour to match the aroma with a nice light bitter finish.. --- BeerItsNice

Bottled. Deep rubyish brown, close to black colour with a small beige head. Aroma is liquorice, some caramel malts, mild roasted malts, rather rich on toffee and also shows some mild chocolaty notes. Flavour is chocolate, roasted malts, mild liquorice and some dark fruityness. Also the toffeeish notes show up in the flavour as the beer gets a bit warmer.

Bottle. Black, opaque. Nice looking. Aroma is rocks & stones, coal and licorice, and nicely acidic chocolate. Has bottled carbonation, but is still soft and silky. Flavors are very nice. Acidic fruits including cherry with rich, 60% dark chocolate.

Bottle at home. Pours a very, very deep ruby (looks like Ribena purple when held up to a light), finger of head with decent retention. Aroma is coffee grain, malts, nuttiness, with some grapes and cherries. Taste is different, with nutty malts leading the way and coffee, a touch of charcoal and a definite monkey nut shell thing also there. A little metallic, too (a feature which increases with the sediment). Not very sweet, but not exactly bitter either. A thin medium body, good level of carbonation. This is much more interesting and exciting than I was expecting, and with the subtle joking in the description on the label and presumably ironic ’export strength’ subtitle, this is a beer I’m really quite fond of.

Bottle, Waitrose. Very dark brown. Aroma mixes nice dark sugars and nuts, with light fruitiness. Soft acidity, light dark malts. Hints of raisins.

UPDATED: NOV 17, 2010 June 2009 Bottle conditioned from Morrisons. Thwaites Mild (under various names ) is one of their more notable beers, and when served in good condition it is a very decent beer indeed. Being a dark roasty, low hopped beer, it stands up well to pasteurisation - but this is the beer Thwaites have decided to test as a bottle conditioned ale. Perhaps because it is such a robust little ale, that they feel it can hide the flaws better? Anyway, the extra strength works well, and this is a decent quaffable mild. It is soft and creamy, with interesting chocolate notes and touches of vine here and there. Quite likeable. [3.3]
Nov 2009 Bottle conditioned from Morrisons. Cracking beer - very drinkable. Lovely sweetness. Hmmmm. I could drink a fair bit of this stuff. [3.9]

Bottle from morrisons, had at home. Alround rating: Sweet roasty chocolate malts, good mild malt set up, no hops, but a small tartness balances it all out. Tasty.

Bottle at home ... dark brown ... bubbly tan head ... sweet toffee malts ... little coffee ... quite nutty nose ... big rounded body (for a bottle) very nutty ... nice soft roast ... this isnt half bad ...

A very interesting brew indeed this. After a childhood brought up rebelling against carlsberg and carling, I be came that 17 year old that turned up to a house party with a 12 pack of Guinness and a bottle of Hobgoblin. Did wonders for my social standing as can be imagined. A few years after finishing student life and discovering that low abv = low calories, I came across Thwaites Champion Dark Mild. Looks like Guinness, sort of tastes like Guinness, and could drink a four pack and still feel as sober as a judge, and more importantly still taste beer while the Heineken brigade started laying in to the flaming sambucas or nearest can of Red Stripe? On to a winner here lads... Thwaites Very Nutty Black was a revelation unto itself. This beer demonstrated the beauty of dark milds in the subtlety of character they possess, the mild hinting at flavour which once tasted, well and truly come to the fore. Watered down Guinness? Such naivety... On opening and pouring the bottle of Very Nutty Black, one is not immediately knocked to the floor with the smell of roasted malts and coffee shop aromas, instead it is more refined, unlit cigar and liquorice gently wafting, with an ever so slight trace of alcohol. On taste, the roasted elements become more prominent, but by no means overpowering. There is a warm richness to the taste, again that astringent sweetness but tingling bitterness leading to a very subtle hoppy bitterness that tingles the sides of the tongue. Nutty? Perhaps on the aftertaste, but not particularly prominent to my tastebuds...but I am perfectly OK with that. Overall, Very Nutty Black is an excellent, if slightly strong example of the style. The carbonation lends a rockyness to the body of the beer, which yelps add a extra spark to the typically light mouth feel of mild. You have to really savour the taste of very nutty black to find the hidden charms of this brew, and once this tasting skill is honed, you can start to really appreciate dark miles for what they really are, the understated suave character in the party. Good gulping!