Manchester Star Ale

Very dark brown colour. Aroma has some chocolate malts. Flavour is quite sweet with hints of chocolate. Overall has a very smooth and rich feel.

50cl bottle from Sainsburys. Magohany with a reddish glow and a ring of beige head; rich aroma of molasses and treacle; soft and creamy with raisins and sweet malts; and a mix of red wine and milk chocolate to finish.

Bottle at home - 13/10/12 from Stevenage JS. Pours mid black with a thin tan head that soon forms a pond and clears to the edge. Roast malt nose, licqourice, dark fruit and a touch soapy. Taste is dark fruits, figs, dates, plum, hint of spice, molasses. Fuller end of medium bodied with a bit of bollocks. Soft carbonation leading to a dry fruity finish. This beer improved as it warmed and the flavours developed a little more.

Bottle from Sainsburys. Dark brown pour with a light tan head. Vanilla, raisin, licorice, cocoa and chocolate aroma. Quite a nice nose I must say. Licorice, toffee, caramel and a little chocolate flavour. Tasty. Long, dry sweet finish. Throat warmer. Like this one.

Bottle from Sainsburys. Near black with a foamy, off-white head and plenty of carbonation. Sweet, slightly vinous aroma, with plenty of wood and fruit. Flavour was sweet, with chocolate and caramel notes, some roastiness and a dryish, fruity finish. excellent.

bottle at home ... deep brown red ... thin tan head ... soft blackcurrant toffee malt nose ... over fizzy ... dark fruits ... blackcurrant and barest licorice ... soft malts ... light woody bitter linger

Bottle from Sainsburys, Pinner. A black coloured pour with a medium beige head on top. Dark fruit, coffee, malty aroma. Tastes similar, dark fruit, malty, some coffee and caramel, definite plum taste. Best beer I’ve had from Sainsburys for a long while.

The aroma outdoes the the flavour on this one. A chocolate/fruit combination that somehow manages to be a little bland. Not unpleasant by any means, and it possibly suffered slightly as I tried this immediately ater the Bateman’s Mocha.

500ml bottle. Pours a very dark brown with a large head. Aroma is nuts, leather bound books and raisin and caramel malt. Taste has old leather to start. Smokey, leathery finish. Blackberries on the aftertaste.

Bottle from Sainsbury’s Nairn Very dark brown, rich tan head that dissipates to creamy thin layer, good lacing Aroma - Rich dark malts, dark fruits, hint of treacle, molasses, fruit cake, hint of sherry Taste - Rich dark malts, smooth soft roast, dark fruits, soft treacle, touch of toffee malts, molasses, some chocolate, fruit cake spices, bit of belgian quad in there, complex, really smooth, alcohol pretty well hidden Palate - soft carb, medium to full body. Very smooth palate, fairly sweet fruity dark malts. Finish as main flavour, very very smooth, bit of warming alcohol, rich fruit cake, not as dry as mentioned. Overall - Well I didn’t expect this for £1.50 from Sainsbury’s. It’s really good - complex, lots going on and the alc is well hidden. Perhaps it’s a bit over smooth and the dark syrupy malts can get a little cloying - it’s crossing into old ale territory for me. Surprised by this one.