6th July 2013
Black Country Beano. Cask in the Great Western. Clear dark amber - red beer. Little pale tan head. Light palate, low carbonation. Mellow and mildly tangy dark malt. Whisper of tangy fruit. Light dry finish. It’s a bit wishy washy.

Cask at the Victoria Inn, Rugby, 03/04/13. Light black with a decent sized beige head that retains well as a film. Nose is dark malt, hops, touch of tropical fruit, chocolate, leather. Taste comprises dark malt, chocolate, touch grapefruit and hoppy notes. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, dry in the finish. A decent mild. Has the recipe changed since I last had it (10 + years ago)? It seemed to carry a lot of hops and grapefruit, like a thinned down black IPA! Great stuff.

Brown 500ml bottle, best before the end of Aug 2011, drank and reviewed mid July 2011. What a lovely beer, just as good as it’s cask conditioned version. Looks and tastes great, the head producing some heavy lacing as the beer level sank. Just a joy to drink and for more information read my cask review because the bottles are super too. Second part of my writings: Cask Pint: Reviewed at the excellent White Hart pub in Shifnal, Shropshire (Sep 2007). Good ruby red dark colour with a biege foaming head which stayed the distance. The beer was pulled into a pint sleeved glass. I just stared at it for a good minute, because it looked so fine. Chocolate malty aroma, burnt toast as well. The taste followed the smell, chocolate and toasty, the hops used are fuggles, but I couldn’t detect any hop flavours. The beers flavours hung around in the mouth and it is quiet thick and heavy for a 3.7% English Mild. Very drinkable, this isn’t the first time I have had this beer and I was surprised to find I hadn’t reviewed it, or any of Holdens beers before.

Gravity cask at the Wandsworth Halloween BF 2011. Pours dark brown with a small, white foam head. Toasty malt nose, hints of caramel. Light to medium sweet flavor, toasty malts, bread, light grass, light cocoa. Light to medium bodied with fine, tingly carbonation. Faintly dry finish, light roast, light cocoa, mild dark sugars. (3.5)

Cask at The Great Western during the RateBeer Black Country Bus Bash. Pours clear brown with a light, white foam head. Wet earth on the nose, some light cocoa. Light sweet flavor with moldy earth, brown bread and mellow chocolate. Light bodied with fine carbonation. Light sweetness to finish, further cocoa and mild bitter earth. So so. Condition might be lacking. (2.9)

500ml bottle. Pours a really dark brown with a medium head. Aroma is milk chocolate and roasted malt. A hint of chocolate to start. Roasted malt on the lasting finish.

Cask at Charlies Cph. Nice head with medium duration. Color is dark brown. Aroma and taste are roast malt, nuts, hops and caramel. Mild and easy drinkable.

Cask @ Volunteer Arms, GBBF 2008. Pours a dark brown color with a small off-white head. Has a roasted malty caramel aroma with some hints of chocolate. Has a roasted malty caramel and chocolate flavor. Has a roasted malty caramel finish.

Cask at the Guildhall, Folkestone. Dark chestnut brown with a loose cream head; roasted malt aroma; creamy, with roasted malt flavours - quite stout like - and a clean, lactic, finish. An excellent mild.

Cask at European Beer Festival, Copenhagen. A copper-colored, clear beer with a cask-size off-white head. Roasted malt, crackers and some weak notes of chocolate in the aroma. The flavor is quite toffeeish with some coffee and roasted malts. Dry, thin mouthfeel and a toasty finish. Far from exciting, but it slides down very easily. (080913)

Cask @ EBF 2008. Dark amber body with a thin white head. Aroma is roasted malt an coffee. Flavor is refreshing, light roasted malt, some coffee and a bit fruity. Delicious and smooth.