Claims on the bottle to be the world’s best ale. Pours dark and tawny into the glass with a dirty tan head that rapidly exhausts itself. Smell is portwine, malt, and wet ink. The smell changed after some time in the glass, with the ink (thankfully) disappearing, and some chocolate notes appearing, but with the fruity portwine remaining dominant throughout. Taste is lightly bitter, with a fruity sourness, and with a bit of spice. The tongue follows the nose and there are strong portwine undertones here. Warming. Finish is dry, long and bitter. Despite an awkward start this settled into a most agreeable and pleasant brew.

Bottle at the old dears. Pours a dark red with a thin head. Aroma of fruits and bread. Tastes dried fruit, bread, malty with a hint of booze. Not too carbonated so quite smooth. A decent old ale.

Flasche (33 cl) vom Bierzwerg-Versand. - Tiefdunkles Kastanienbraun, beigefarbener Schaum. - In der Nase kräftiges Dunkelmalz, erdig-herbe obergärige Fruchtigkeit, etwas Harz. - Antrunk schwer dunkelmalzig mit vollen aber nicht extremen erdigen und röstigen Aromen. Darunter kernige malzig-nussige Bittere. Sehr dezente Malzsüße. Mild rezent, weich im Mund. Warme alkoholische Schwere. Im Abgang erdige holzige Herbe, aber gut eingebettet in die wuchtige nussige Malzbittere. Fast etwas übertrieben röstmalziger Nachtrunk. - Sehr aromatisches, schweres und doch rundes Ale. Ein Hochgenuß, trotz leichter Anklänge an Hustensaft und Lakritz.

Classic English old ale, from a stubby bottle with sober, small label. I believe in getting to know the classics in each beer style before venturing into the hybrids and the extremities and I hadn’t tasted this one before, so here we go. Loose, milky, irregular, pale beige head over a practically clear, purplish burgundy coloured beer, like a very dark red wine. The typical cooked, ’industrial’ odour of pasteurization is unmistakable in the nose, but there are more redeeming qualities as well: I get impressions of rhum-soaked raisins, overripe blue plums, candied figs, brown sugar and butter melting on a hot pancake, almond, milk chocolate, pepper, ’speculoos’, cinnamon, kahlua, hints of vanilla and aniseed (probably just phenols). Sweet onset, candied fruits, dates, raisins, dry banana surrounded by a soft, basic sourishness, soft carbo, smooth, notably resinous and supple mouthfeel, caramelly and nutty malts with a strong toasted edge in the end, bittersweet, peppery hops accent adding more bitterness, warming rhum-like alcohol in the end. Considering this is filtered and pasteurized, I don’t think it is very useful to cellar it for an extended period of time. So in its youth, this is a Christmas pie kind of beer, spicy, sweet and lush, with the dash of alcohol adding warmth. Decent winter warmer and indeed a good example for those who want to get to know the traditional English old ale style.

Bottle @ Home. Pours dark brown with a creamy offwhite head, lacings. Aroma of sweet malt, caramel, chocolate, bread, berries, wood. Flavor is light sweet, light bitter, malty, caramel, light chocolate, wood, berries, some sweet fruit, light alcohol. Medium body, soft carbonation, light warming alcoholic finish. 110615

BOTTLE 33 CL from Grumbo. Really dark ruby red, beige creamy head. Velvety dark toffee aroma, some old wine with notes of dried fruit and some herbal hops. Slightly toasty and a hint of alcohol. The taste: smooth dark caramel, and a spicy hoppy finish. Very good!

Dark brown with a ruby hue, medium tan head with nice lacing. Aroma is caramel, some chocolate maltiness,strong on the fruit and some alcohol. Taste medium sweet malt and strong caramel, some chocolate, fruit and dark fruits which linger in the aftertaste, alcohol again. Medium+ bodied, slightly sticky.

Pours a dark brown color, topped with a fairly small dark beige colored head. Roasty malts, some chocolate notes and coffee plus some soy sauce aroma. Taste starts sweet, followed by roasty body with some nice bitterness. SOme soury notes also in there. It doesn’t feel like 8,5%. Nice.