01/11/2014. KINGS HEAD, 1 Bridge Street, SALISBURY, Wiltshire, England (WETHERSPOONS)

6

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

Cask @ Moon Under Water JDW, Manchester [011114]
Amber, slight haze, dense white head, good lacing
Aroma - soft citrus hops, floral hops, light sweet malt
Taste of caramel malt, soft hopping, light citrus. Finish is a bit dry
Overall - Average Spoons fare

5.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Cask at the Monk’s Retreat, Reading. Light amber with a thick off-white head. Sharp and aggressive citrus hops from the off- really a lot of lemon here. There’s little bitterness though, and the brewer is clearly relying on the sharpness to balance the decent sweet malts behind. A dry finish seems to bring out the sharpness even more. For me the sharpness has been rather overdone. It’s certainly an interesting and distinctive beer that I think many will like, so well done to the brewer for that. Unfortunately it’s not for me.

6.2

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

Cask at the Tilly Shilling (JDW), Farnborough. Golden amber with a loose cream head; caramel aroma; fresh, grassy, herbal taste at first, then some sweet caramel; the finish is rather thin and gently bitter with some length. Disappointing overall.

6.6

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

17th October 2014
Crosse Keys Spoons. Cask. Hazy gold beer, tidy pale cream colour head. Palate is light and airy and semi dry. Mild fine carbonation. Light malts, dry, mild sweetness, Dry floralness. Nicely integrated fruity hops. A brief burst of something sweet and then touches of tangerine and apple. Light citric peel bitterness. Light dry finish brings a sweet banana ester. Fairly strong floral bitter linger. Not bad.

5.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

Cask at JDW Square Peg; clear amber pour with a thin creamy off white head, not much going on in the aroma, taste has a hint of lemon, autumn leaves and pale malts.

6.5

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

Cask handpull Westgate Spoons. Hazy amber lasting off white head. Earthy hop aroma. Condition is fine in the mouth. Sherbert earthy hop finish. It tastes like a premium bitter with a lot of English earthy hops thrown at it. The first gulp I was a little unimpressed. But as the pint went down I got used to it. Yes English and earthy hops. But the aroma is a bit like leaf mulch as is the finish. And on a wet windy leaf shedding evening this beer evokes the autumn. I ended up liking it for that alone.

5.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Cask at the Ledger House Canary wharf. Light amber / orange clear pour with a lasting speckled head. Aroma is toffee, mineral, cif lemon, orange peel. Flavour is composed of medium caramel malts, earthy twig, dirt and bitter cleaning product citrus. Biting lasting harsh bitterness. Palate is semi sweet with moderate to low carbonation. Pithy and plastic after taste.

6.6

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

Cask at the Bankers Draft (JDW), Bedford. Reddish gold with a hint of off-white head. Malt, caramel and chocolate aroma with a hint if fresh citrus zest. Taste follows on from this: moderately bitter, malt-led with a hint of forest fruit. Slightly sweet finish which fades into a grainy bitterness. Not bad.

7.2

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

17th Oct 2014: third of a pint in my local Wetherspoons. The best of the first three I had at this years Winter Beer Festival, on my little ’paddle’. Amber and clear body, white head. Good and interesting hop contest as they vie for prominence and attention in the nose and taste. Mixed bag of aromas and flavours, floral, herbal, pine and citrus notes each bubbling along in a happy blend of hoppiness.