Ruby beer with a small head. Aroma of berries and port. Rich malty flavour with a hint of brettanomyces. Some alcohol presence, rich mouthfeel.

Bottle, picked up at the Dodgy Deli’, Cowley Rd, Oxford, 15-09-06. This bottle was 8.1% so an older bottle and it had a BBE Sept’ 05 but at only 75p a bottle it was worth a crack and I’m glad I did. Poured a warm glowing rich amber colour with absolutely no head whatsoever. This beer had a lovely sticky and rich aroma, Loz and I both thought that we’d got figs or dates, very malty and sticky tasting but good for it, had some nice bonfire toffee tastes and whilst not quite in the same league as the JW Lees barley wine I had last week, it was certainly a very good barley wine, but it just didn’t have that same complexity and depth of flavour of the aforementioned classic. It certainly held me intrigued for some time and for all it’s strength it never came across as being particularly harsh with its alcohol.

275ml bottle from Hog’s Back Brewery Shop. Light ruby with no head. Syrupy malt aroma, blue cheese, bit of choc and coffee. Sweet malts in mouth with sweet juicy fruit too. Red berries, cherries and plums. Finish is fairly sweet but not over the top. Good balanced barley wine that never lets the sweetness or alcohol get away from a juicy fruit malt beer. Re-rate on cask condtion handpull at The Pilot, Maidstone Deep chestnut colour, thin beige head. Sweetish malt aroma, sweet dark fruits. Some coffee. Sweetish barley wine. Bit of petrol on aroma. Some raisin. Bit of dryness on end. Some juicyness, but overall sweetish. 737317/50

Additional notes from a 1996 Bottle #0906: This ages quite nicely, the fruit hints come out strong and with some honey hints. Clear dark copper color with a thin off-white head. Aroma of caramel and floral hops. Sweet caramel and fruit flavors with some light floral hops in the end. Originally 7/4/7/3/15 --- Beer merged from original tick of Elizabethan Ale on 26 Mar 2017 at 15:45 - Score: 6. Original review text: Deep copper bod thin off wht head. Toffee bready arma. Toffee bready flav. Med bod low carb. 6/2/6/3/12 2.9

(Bottled, Royal Oak, Borough, London 20 Apr 2006) Colour is dark amber to mid brown, some hints of ruby. Nose is very sweet, with molasses and dried fruit (prunes and figs), rather roasted as well. Taste is malty and sweet with hints of syrup and dried fruit (dates, figs, raisins). Full-bodied, complex, rather winey, and very tasty.

Aged sample Slightly hazy orange-amber; small transparant head. Very nutty, oxydized nose with stale portwine aroma. Sweet, malty, nutflour; finish is a little bitter - both (old) hops and coloured malts. Oily, syrupy, walnuts in the aftertaste. I’d have expected less oxydation from a 3-yr old 8.1 ABV beer.

Bottle 1998 drank in 2005: Poured a dark brown color ale with a small brown head with minimal retention. Aroma of strong roasted malt and some alcohol is easily distinguishable. Taste of strong malt, molasses and sweet caramel makes up for a nice warming drink. Alcohol is evident but not as much as to ruin it for me. Body is quiet full with some very light carbonation. I suspect a minimal used of hops since there is not much bitterness or maybe this is due to aging. Nice English style barleywine overall.

Ruby red ale with an onctuous white head. Vanilla fudge aroma, with butterscotch, lightly maderised. Floral sugars with earthy notes, some black pepper and porto qualities. Lightly astringent but enjoyable. Very organic mouthfeel. Un gros merci a Dumdum!