7.5

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

Loose off white head left a spotty top on a copper coloured body.
Malt, toffee & syrup aroma.
Medium to full bodied, smooth & soft with a cloying back.
Toffee, malt, berries & jam tastes with a bitter lightly hopped finish.
Excellent ESB.

7.8

Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7.5

Cask at Hops, Crewe. Pours a dark chestnut with a small frothy off-white head. The aroma has raisins, stewed apples and a hint of toffee. In the mouth it is sweet and fruity with the alcoholic strength to the fore. Flavours are dried apricots, sherry, malts and toasted bread. Some spicy hints later, leading to a dry finish. This is quite nice, though it doesn’t have the expected Union set “depth” to it.

7.8

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

A dark reddish brown beer, a head is medium and beige. Aroma has sweet dried frutiness, apricot marmelad, hint of breadyness. Taste has dried fruitness, apricot, some bitterness, hint of dry roastiness in the end. Medium bodied. Pretty complex, dry enough, I like this.

7.8

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

3rd December 2025
Cask at Pigs Ear. Clear deep amber brown beer, small bubbly pale tan head. Smooth palate, mildly dry, decent fine carbonation. Nice condition. Smooth malts, toffee caramel and a little cream, not particularly sweet. Good ripe fruits, well integrated, mild pear. A spicy and semi dry finish. Rather good.

7.3

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

Gravity Cask at day 2 of the 41st Pigs Ear Beer Festival, 03/12/2025.
Chestnut brown topped with a beige cap that thins to a swirl.
Nose is toffee, biscuit, fruit cake mix.
Taste comprises dates, toffee, brown bread, prunes, toasted brown sugar.
Medium bodied, soft carbonation, drying close.
Tidy cask offering.

8.3

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

Pigs Ear 2025. Gravity. Smooth and rounded. Notes of ripening fruit, berries, faint toffee, toasted brown bread. Really drinkable.

7.1

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 8

Cask handpull at New Inn Canterbury. Clear dark brown colour no head. Some treacle on the flavour. Its very malty with a dusty hop finish. Rich fruits. Settles down a bit. Not great carbonation. Some pepper on tje finish. As I say very malty. A true winter warmer of a beer. Gives you rosy cheeks

7.6

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

Cask@Dark Beer Fest 2025, The Hope, Carshalton (27/11/2025) - toasted and sweet malty with notes of caramel and toffee, dried fruit shredded, medium body, warming malty finish.

8

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

Cask. Thornbridge. Clear dark amber. Slim dense light tan foam. Nose has sweet nutty malts. Vine fruit. Some light burnt caramel. Taste is semi sweet with lots of leafy bitterness. Very smooth overall drinking under the ABV considerably. Bitter light dry finish. Good tasty cask.

7

Cask at the Cardinals Hat, Thirnbridge tap takeover.