20/01/2011. NATIONAL WINTER ALES FESTIVAL, 371 Oldham Rd, Miles Platting, MANCHESTER, Greater Manchester, England

7.4

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

Bottle thanks to allmyvinyl. Appearance - deep brown to black with a red chink around the bottom. Nose - sliced smoked ham, smoke and tar. Taste - tar again and an edge of the ham and smoke. Palate - medium bodied and smoky dryness on the finish. Overall - maybe a bit more ABV or body for the level of smoke.

7.6

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

Bottle at James's. Pours deep ruby, nose is smoked ham, roasted, chocolate, taste is sweet toffee, liquorice, smoky, roasted, a little funk.

7.4

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

Bottle from the brewery online shop. Pours clear dark brown with a thin tan head. Aromas of tar, smoke, leather, ham. Taste is liquorice, light smoke, more leather and prunes. Dry finish.

8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Cask at Bacchus in Newcastle. Clear ruby maroon color, big beige head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of burntvends. Taste is meaty chewy burnt roast. Nice finisher.

6

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

Bottle courtesy of my dad, cheers dad! consumed at home Sunday 15th July 2012 Hazy dark brown, quite flat with barely a bubble in sight. Soft in mouth bit fruity and a little smokey. Maybe there is a little sausageyness, its fine but not a patch on the other beer of theirs that I had a few days back called Bainbridge Blonde, now that was a very good beer. A6 A3 T6 P3 Ov12 3.0

7

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

Brown 500ml bottle is classed as a ’Smoked Porter’ by the brewery and according to the label is bottle conditioned and uses smoked malt from Bamberg. Best before the end of March 2010, drank before the end of Feb 2010. Poured carefully into a UK pint sleeve. Exceedingly black, a true ’Jet Black’ body, a thin tanned head sat on top. Sadly the head refused to stay, no lacing, no head after two sips. The smell given off was of roasted malts and burnt Peat Bogs. The taste was very simular to the aromas, with an added bitter and dryness from the hop content whos smell had been masked by the malts and peat Bog. My wife brought this back from a weekend away in York, bless her. This beer cried out for some Smoked Ham and Pickles, I ended the tasting with some rich German Cambozala and dry crackers, that did the trick! Different and well made, a true craft beer, hope I bump into it again one day. Pity about the head, I do expect a British beer to keep a head, just one of ’my things’.

7.1

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

Bottle from Beer and Spirits, Knaresborough
Appearance Dark chestnut brown....off white thin head...almost no lacing
Aroma Smoked malt...roasted malt....smokiness not too heavy...yeasty...bit of earthy hop...slight solvent...quite complex.
Taste Roasted malt..smoky...burnt malts..bit of bready yeast..bit of earthy hop....some light phenolioc notes..bit of spice...savoury notes....woody smoke...very drinkable for the abv
Palate Bit over-carbonates (perhaps better as its smoked)...bit of phenolic tang on the palate...finish - some bitter roast malt then smokiness comes thorough...dry smoked wood....cleans reasonably well....medium carb....thin body
Overall - A good smoked beer - smokiness mainly comes through in the finish (I have not tasted a Rauchbier, but a bit a whiff of an empty bottle was much more smoky than this)

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5

Cask at NWAF, 2011. Copper coloured pour with a white head. Meaty, smoky nose. Bit of chocolate and dark fruit aroma. Smokin’ flavours of dark fruits and roasted chestnuts. Smoky, dry finish. Nice.