Appearance: Dark redish brown. Nice amount of head. Longlasting. Aroma: Malt and fruit. Taste: Malty. Dry. Bit of fruit. Bitter aftertaste. Prunes. Coffee-ish. Info: 500ml bottle, 1/10-2006, 102/500, 5/300M

50 cL bottle. Pours dark brown with a redish glare and a semi creamy off-white head. Light roasted malt aroma with a light coffee-ish note. Flavour is roasted malt and coffee with a light liqourice edge from the hops. Nicely balanced and with just enough sweetness to counter balance the roasted profile. Light coffee-ish finish mixed with liqourice. Dry bitterness in the far finish. Nice one.

[16/11/2007 - 500ml bottle from Asda, High Wycombe] Very very bitter indeed; in fact the bitterness put me off initially. However, then I finished it and really really wanted another, yet I couldn’t explain why. It’s dangerously drinkable for a beer of this strength. [18/1/2012 - re-rate, 500ml bottle from Maureen & Dave - cheers!] This was one of my very early rates, so I was glad to be given the opportunity to re-rate it (especially given the disparity between my low original rating and the site average). It pours a chestnut brown with a moderate creamy head and fizz clinging to the sides of the glass. As the appearance suggests, it is a little too fizzy in the mouth for the style. There’s a vinous hint in the initial taste, followed by a little chocolate, but the whole thing is pervaded by the bitter metallic taste of over-enthusiastic pasteurisation. A little dryness in the finish, but also a bit sticky. Still didn’t like it, and this time I really didn’t want another one.

Pours dark amber with light tan head. Roasted malt and chocolate aromas. Flavors of roasted malts. Finishes dry with a slight hop taste. Medium to full body with moderate carbonation and a slick mouthfeel.

A deep dark translucent brown with a thick moka head. Aroma of brown sugar, butterscotch, and plums. In mouth, a smoky oily malt, with light sweetness, and light British hopping, with nice sustained nuttyness. Medium bodied. Bottle is actually almost a year old, from Capflu if I recall (so from BC) and still a good quaffer.

Brown bottle, 500 ml, purchased at the LCBO, savoured on February 16 2008; eye: light ruby, clear, slight effervescence, voluminous beige head, no lacing; nose: hops, light alcohol, light malt, light caramel; mouth: a bit thin, carbonation, grainy malt covered by grainy hops, caramel, finale in grainy malt-hop, average astringency, mildly bitter, lightly sweet, medium body; overall: quite enjoyable FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 500 ml, achetée à la LCBO , savourée le 16 février 2008; œil : rubis léger, claire, très légère effervescence, mousse beige abondante, pas de dentelle; nez : houblon, léger alcool, léger malt, léger caramel; bouche : un peu mince, carbonatation, malt granuleux recouvert de houblon granuleux, caramel, finale en malt-houblon granuleux, astringence moyenne, moyennement amère, légèrement sucrée, corps moyen; en résumé : bien aimé

500ml bottle - An old ale? Really? I thought it tasted like another bitter and a good one at that. The aroma is mostly malt, but the flavor has a nice balance of lightly roasted malt and crisp hops bitterness. It’s medium bodied and finishes dry.

This ale poured a deep red colour with a big foamy tan coloured head. To the nose you can get scents of caramel, butter, slightly smoked malt, coffee and a little cocoa. First taste is very smooth with flavours of roasted malts with caramel and a little coffee. The finish is a little bit hoppy with a bitter flavour lingering. Very Good!

Bottle: Poured an amber color ale with an off-white foamy head with good retention and some good lacing. Aroma consists of notes of caramel with some dry malt. Taste is a nice mix between some dry malt with some subtle notes of caramel and what I believe to be a Fuggles hops ending. Average body with some medium carbonation. Well done and easy to drink.

500ml bottle @ Cardinal. Clear brown/red body with a medium beige head. Aroma is caramel malt, slightly roasted and some prunes. Flavor is balanced and very pleasant, roasted malt, caramel, dry fruit and liquorices. Quite well bodied and a good bitter finish.