Cask at William IV. Dark brown with beige bubbly head. Aroma is very roasty malt, some sweetness and bit of booze. Can smell the wine barrel too. Taste is similar, very roasty, smooth and boozy. Bit of chocolate and coffee. Very nice!

Cask at King William IV, London. Pours black-red with a faint, off-white head. Restrained barrel character comes through in the nose. Theres some light roasty cocoa, burnt wood and earth. Flavor is medium to big sweet with chocolate, light char, wood, alcohol, some scorched earth. Full bodied, chewy, with fine carbonation. Medium sweet finish with charred wood, modest warmth, maple, burnt cocoa, bitter earth. Lasting cocoa and scorched earth. Very well balanced with lots of great nuance.

Cask at Brodies. It pours black, with a decent beige head. The nose is milk chocolate, roasted malt, gruyere cheese, red wine, grape and wood. The taste is roasted malt, charcoal, meat, sweet caramel, warming alcohol, plum, prune, blackcurrant, red grape, milk chocolate and nutty cheese (gruyere, jarlsberg etc.), with a dry-roasted finish. Full body, soft carbonation and slightly syrupy mouth-feel. Complex and well balanced. A very well made beer. £1 for a half pint of this is ludicrously good value!

6th April 2012
At the Brewpub. Opaque black beer, little pale tan head. Smooth palate, a little soft and a little dry. Nice barreling - it’s rounded off the base beer nicely leaving mellow but rich and slightly creamy dark malts with mild wood. The red wine is well blended providing rich, but subtle, red berry fruits. A little aniseed at the end. Really nicely joined up and I think the finest thing Brodies have done to date. Gorgeous.

cask at brodies ... dark black ... thin tan head ... dark malts ... big chocolate roast ... hints of red wine ...dark heav roast ... sweet malts ... big toffee chocolate ... lightest red wine ... wonderfully silky complex roast ... cracking ...