7

Bottle from the brewery. The version is gyle 2938 and 11.8%. Jet black colour with a thick tan head. Aroma has treacle, hints of liquorice with whisky and coffee. Taste boozy sweet. Full sticky body.

7.6

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

Bottle from the brewery online shop. Pours black with a thin tan head. Aromas of wood and whisky, chocolate and port. Taste is liquorice, dark sugars, boozy finish.

7.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 8

18/5/2019. Bottle from CentrAle, Newcastle and shared at the Warsaw GP beer share. Pours very dark brown with an average sized beige head. Aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, dark fruit, toffee, fruit cake, light spice and alcohol. Moderate sweetness, medium bitterness and light tartness. Full body, slick texture, above average carbonation. Boozy finish. Bit too fizzy, otherwise very good.

6.6

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

Bottle, 500 ml, from Bierland. Shared with Max, Miro B and kajser27. Black with beige head. Some roastiness, chocolate, alcohol, some vanilla, sweetish, quite thin, medium bodied.

6.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle courtesy of Peter Fowler, cheers Peter Consumed down Lynn and Barry's, Thursday 21st February 2019, we were invited for tea. Quite fizzy in the mouth, surprised by the busy carbonation which to be fair soon settled. Pours black in colour with a filmy head. I get some heat, there is a touch of booziness, it's not got much finesse, no real depth of flavour, no creamy edge, ok apart from the distinct barrel ageing and some light roastiness and clear chocolate edge I get little else.

7.8

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

Bottle. Dram Shop, Sheffield. Clear, deepest ruby red. Ring of dense, beige head. Nose has toasted malts. Booze steeped vine fruits. Sweet smoke. Sugar drenched coffee. Old school. Taste is rich and smoky sweet. Very vinous. Some liquorice bitterness. Smooth mouthfeel. Doesn’t feel 11.6% by a long way. A bit too fizzy, which renders the beer a little thin. Smoky sweet finish. Shame about the over carbonation. I’d bet that a couple of years sat in a cellar would improve this greatly. Still very enjoyable, mind you.

7.1

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

Bottle at Cotteridge wines tasting room; dark Coca Cola brown pour with a bubbly tan head, aroma has sweet chocolate and hint of whisky, taste has sweet chocolate, decent whisky, quite thin body, hints of vanilla, OK.

8

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

500ml bottle from Durham brewery shop. Pours a reddish black colour with a foamy beige head and aroma of woody oak, whisky, berries, caramel, toffee, malt. Taste is toffee, caramel, malty, mellow dried fruits, woody, oak, vanilla, whisky, grassy booze, some red wine & liquorice hints. Smooth mouthfeel, medium bodied, soft carbonation, dry tangy earthy grassy boozy finish. Nicely sippable, think this will improve with ageing.