7.5

Bottle at home while watching England thrash Wales. An excellent stout made all the better by the result of the match.

8.4

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Cask at Picture House, Stafford. Pours almost black with a medium sized beige head. The aroma is a curious mixture of coffee and shoe polish – with some roast malts thrown in for good measure ! In the mouth coffee grounds are the immediate flavour, along with roast malts and toasty. Gradually liquorice, damsons, and unripe bitter fruits grow to join them. Alcoholic strength only comes out in the finish which is bitter and boozy. This is a top notch beer.

7.9

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Keg at the Borehole, Stone. Very dark, almost black with a very small tan head. Charcoal, fresh grass, some caraway in the aroma. Sweet, herbal taste, with strong notes of liquorice, thyme, bitter unripe blackberry. Chalky bitterness in the finish. Carbonated to hell and back, which quite suites the heaviness of the beer. A top, top stout.

6.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottled (backlog). More or less black colour with a small slightly off-white creamy head. Aroma is chocolate, coffee, some rye bread and mild liquorice as well as wooden ntoes. Flavour is liquorice, chocolate, roasted malts, some wood as well as mild floral notes.

6.4

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

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Beer Festival 2016. Extremely dark with a notable strength, although there’s a good, smoothish roasted malt aroma and taste to enjoy, but is a little on the overbearing side after a while.

5.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Cask at Birmingham Beer Festival 2016; dark brown pour with a thin tan head, aroma has dark fruits, taste has sweet chocolate, bitter coffee, some roast.

6.9

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

500ml bottle from Beer Me Up Scotty, Shrewsbury. Pours dark. Nice thick liquorice malt nose. Taste continues with leather, earth and coffee coming through. Not bad.