08/12/2000. SWAN INN, Tockington Green, TOCKINGTON, South Gloucestershire, England (GREENE KING)

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

Bottle from Morrisons, Wakefield. Copper-red, with more of the latter than former and no head. Has a thinnish tasting malty-sweetness. Its nose provides the ales best fruity character.

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

Cask at JDW Charlie Hall; light clear copper pour with a creamy off white head, red fruit and malt aroma, taste has nut, some roast malt, toffee and a hint of spice.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5

500ml bottle from B&M Bargains - Deep reddish brown body, thin foamy off-white head. Nose is a bit bland, some caramel there, nuts, bread, ripe fruits, but not in great massive bouquets. Taste is a little more robust, but is let down by a thin as water mouthfeel, so the ripe cake fruits, nuts and dough and all that are really washed away. Nice enough, but felt more like a cheap version of Hobgoblin.

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3.5

500ml bottle from B&M. Not really sure about this. Is it just a Greene King gimmick.

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

Clear 500ml bottle: BBD Oct 14, poured into a UK pint sleeve at home on 15th Feb 14. Looked fine, a reddy brown/chestnut colour, clean and almost bright. The head a thin white covering. Malts rule the aroma and taste, there are fruit notes with a mild spice type feel to them also within both the smell and mouth flavours. Not too sure it is Christmassy, but it’s a good enough beer for the price: it’s another supermarket beer from Greene King, so it was never going to knock my socks off with flavour and depth of character, but it’s better than just OK in most aspects.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 3 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

(Bottle) Dark amber beer with a filmy head and a slight scent of malt. Flavour of malt and berries but it’s slightly bland with a watery finish.

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

bottle at home ... copper ... bubbly off white head ... soft spiced metalic nose ... soft fruits ... bitter metalic malts ... light fizz ... poor

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

50cl bottle from Morrisons, Bracknell. Reddish copper with a fast fading head; sweet caramel taste; with a touch of spice and a gentle bitterness to finish. Drinkable, butnot particularly memorable or Christmasy.