Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle from Marks & Spencer, Piccadilly Garden, Manchester. Almost black with a thick off-white bubbly-frothy head. It's quite active out of the bottle, so needed to settle otherwise it was just a mouthful of froth! Its various malts create a somewhat gritty and somewhat oatmeal flavoured stout, roasted malts are evident but light, and it's not a fuller-bodied as expected. Aroma is a better stated roasted malt.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle at home in Hackney - picked up at the supermarket. Pours clear, deep brown with a tight, frothy mocha head. Nice aroma, moderate dry roast, hints of coffee. Light sweet flavour with dry, ashy bitterness, baking cocoa, scorched earth. Medium bodied with fine carbonation and velvety texture. Dry finish, subtly chalky, with more bitter cocoa, touches of coffee, lingering ashy roast. Solid.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Dry stout made for M&S at Austell. Thanks to Jeremy! Irregularly lacing, pale yellowish beige, moussy head, very dark mahogany brown robe, bordering on black, misty. Aroma of liquorice (effectively used here apparently), toasted hazelnuts, brown bread, butterscotch candy, old nutmeg, iron, coffee grounds, dried fig, some cardboard. Dried fruity onset, vague sweetness, soft sourish touch; soft carbonation, supple and bit oily mouthfeel, not as thin as expected from a stout below 5% ABV so in all, quite well-bodied indeed. Very nutty main flavour, toasted bitterish edges, cold black coffee roastedness in the end, eventually covered in the unmistakable liquorice flavour, which in the very end becomes quite strong. You'll have to love liquorice for this one, but for what it is, it is well-made and pleasant enough.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Very dark brown with thin head. Aroma and flavour have some chocolatey notes, roasted malts and a touch of smoke. Very complex and full flavoured.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 5

It looked good in the tankard with a long-lasting head. The flavour was a riot of malt that only improved as the beer warmed up. I served it too cold to start with! There was a lot of flavour for a beer that was just over 4%abv. The mouth feel was good and light as you would expect from the low abv. A very interesting and enjoyable stout.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle from Marks & Sparks, Rickmansworth, Herts. A black coloured pour with a medium beige head on top. Roasty, malty, chocolate aroma. Tastes roasty, malty, chocolate. A little light for a stout but still decent enough.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Tried in a bottle from M&S. Almost black colour with a tan head. Aroma is rich and roasted malt, light chocolate. Taste is light sweet to roasted bitter. Rich full body.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Bottle. Dark brown color, good creamy foam. Aroma: caramel, dried fruits, slightly esters, licorice. Taste: sweetish, liquorice, caramel, dried fruits, a little smoke and wood.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle. Black body with a thin tan head. Faint lacing. Aroma of brown sugar and caramel. Flavour of coffee and crème brûlée. Thin body with a watery texture. Soft fizz. Thin but flavoursome.

Morning coffe