Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

8th June 2017
Cock Tavern. Cask. Opaque black - brown beer, a few tan bubbles. Palate is light, smooth and fairly dry. Smooth dark malts, touch of dark chocolate, very mild roast. Light hop spice. Ripe red berries. Light spicy finish. Decent, possibly would be better on keg.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Cask at Cock Tavern. It pours black with a tiny beige head. The aroma is rich roasted malts, loads of sweet ripe berries, blackberry, blackcurrant jam, plum, D&B, treacle and pine. The taste is pretty bitter, dark roast, burnt pine, toast, ripe berries, blackcurrant, peppery spice, citrus peel, resin, molasses and fruit cake. Finish is drying and charred. Medium body and soft carbonation. Packs a punch. I dare say it would be nicer on keg - colder with more carbonation, as it gets a bit sticky after a bit. Good anyhow. Robust.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Keg at MS HW, 03/06/17. Light black pour with a faded tan cap that retains well. Nose is eathy, light charr, red berry compote, spice, cocoa nibs, pine needle, treacle toffee. Taste comprises liquorice, earthy fruit rinds, pine licks, mellow roast, jammy berry fruits, Beena berry whisper, charr, faint cocoa rub. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, drying close peppered with balanced earthy hop bitterness. This is a really solid exponent of the style ... I had multiple 2/3rd pints of it on this visit. Good stuff !

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Keg at the mad Squirrel Chesham. A black brown coloured pour with sticky greyish head. Aroma is liquorice, and pine, wood, little campfire, some jammy fruits. Flavour is composed of semi sweet brown malts, liquorice, blackberry jam, wood pine resin,. Palate is medium bodied, moderate carbonation, little creamy,. Mellow roasted malts and pine.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Keg at Craft, Covent Garden, Saturday 8th April 2017 the rest of the gang had gone home now leaving just me and Loz. Black in colour, soft mouthfeel, very drinkable. Not particularly complex but good all the same, a little loose, ashiness, smooth, a very soft casual citrus A6 A4 T7 P3 Ov14 3.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Cask @ Brink, Manchester. Black with a thick frothy-bubbly head. Its tropical fruits dominate proceedings, but there’s a gritty dark malt styled texture here too.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

330ml bottle from Beermerchants. BBE DEC 2016. Pours pitch black with a small head. Aroma of roasty malts, chocolate, coffee, herbal hops, grass and licorice. Taste is smooth, hoppy and toasty with some mild roastiness, herbal hops, licorice, coffee, chocolate and grass. Finish is smooth, hoppy and slightly herbal with some roastiness, nutty notes, chocolate and grass. Pretty tasty.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5

Keg at the brewery taproom. Pours black-brown with a thin, creamy beige head. Moderate roast in the nose, some cocoa, burnt wood, pine. Medium sweet flavour with nice, rich chocolate, understated roast, baking cocoa, raisins, oily pine, earth. Medium bodied with fine to average carbonation. Warming on the finish and lightly resinous, with more chocolatey roast, moderate earthy bitterness, orange, some rindy bitterness. Really solid CDA.

Descent mouthfeel. Good chocolate malt. Dry. Nice bitterness. Easy. Descent