Historic check-in

8

Bottle online from Beers Of Europe. Pours a very very dark brown almost black colour with a reddish hue and a large thick creamy beige head. Aromas of dry dark fruits, cherries, fruit cake, chocolate, caramel, brown bread and liquorice. Taste has lots more dry dark fruits, cherries, red berries, fruit cake, chocolate, caramel, molasses and brown bread. There is a hint of sweetness which is balanced out beautifully with light roasted malts and earthy hops on the finish. Full body, low carbonation and smooth slightly oily mouthfeel. Great strong English Ale!

6.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle from Hogs Back Brewery shop. Aroma had dark fruit and a sour edge plus a slightly off-putting sodden ashtray streak. Darkest brown. Silky. Delicate foamy light beige head. Light-medium bitter. Sorta charcoal. Also sour berries and unassuming molasses and dark fruits. More sweet into the finish. Smoky. Light-medium bodied. Thin creamy mouthfeel. Soft carbonation. Long finish. Seems particularly astringent. It's alright but with this style I'd prefer more dark boozy fruit and less bitterness/astringency.

7.1

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

Cask at PoW Beer Festival. Aroma is grainy. With a hint of liquorice. Malts. Opaque. Dark with a red tint. Frothy beige head retreats to the rim. Liquorice and malts in terms of flava. Medium bodied. Slick. Oily. Average carbonation. Long slightly astringent finish. As far as trad CAMRA endorsed beers go then this would be a beast of a beer. Not bad at all.

6.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Pint at the Red lion.
Medium creamy beige head. Clear deep amber pour. Hint of licorice

7.8

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

Bottle from Beers Of Europe. Black body with ruby highlights and a thin beige head. Faint lacing. Aroma of raisins, liquorice and coffee. Flavour of treacle and blackcurrant. Medium body with a slick texture. Very fizzy. This is very good. Less carbonation would improve it but the rich flavours come together beautifully in this.

6.5

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

Tight foamy off white head left a cover on a dark brown still body. Sweet fruity aroma. Medium bodied, sharp with a clean back. Berries, roasted, nutty, light smoke & burnt tastes. Good one!

7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Pours a very dark reddish-brown with a small cream head. A boozy aroma of raisins mixed with chocolate. In the mouth it has the sweetness of dark fruits and toffee, a biscuit flavouring of malts, and the alcoholic warmth of rum. Raisins again in the finish, and an overall warming glow. This is a belter of a beer – and is dangerously drinkable !

7.4

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

20/2/2020. Cask at the Chelmsford Winter Beer & Cider Festival 2020. Pours very dark brown with a lasting bubbly beige head. Aroma of roasted malt, dark fruit, chocolate, toffee, raisins and biscuit. Moderate sweetness and medium bitterness. Medium to full bodied, soft carbonation. Rich warming earthy and slightly dry finish.

6.5

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

Cask: Poured a dark brown with red edges, creamy light brown head. Aroma is caramel malts. Taste is rich with some chocolate and roasted malts.