Bottled 500ml. -from El Corte Ingles Lisboa. The last beer I’ve tried in Portugal. Darker golden coloured, small to medium sized off-white head, mild herbal and caramel nose. Sweet malty, pretty strong caramel and weak hoppy with light nutty notes. Also some alcohol in the finish. Not bad but after all those Portuguese macros plus some few other not so good craft beers I’ve expected something (much) better. But this one didn’t meet my expectations.

Clear 500ml bottle: best before 31st August 2008, drank in Feb 2008. Poured into a pint sleeve glass, it is a true Pale Ale colour, which I consider to be a light terracotta reddy orangey thingy type blend of shades. On top sat a small white foam head, sadly it left a bit quick to leave a collar and a wisp of not much. Pity because the body was as clear as a Shropshire Spring Evening. The aroma was nothing special, some hops and yeast mixed in with the normal barley smells you would expect. A little hint of toffee and caramel sweetness, but I had to sniff really deep to pick anything up. Hops dominate the taste, it is refreshing and quite sharp, the alcohol is almost too much in the taste, but it smooths out as the the beer warms up in the mouth. The beer grew on me as I drank it, maybe I started off with it to cold. Not a bad drink at all, but not something I’ll be impressing any friends with. I have a feeling the 6.2% might come back to hurt me later.

50cl bottle from ABCBeers. Thick white head. Clear golden/blond pour. A little bitterness. I was expecting more from a 6.2% beer.

Bottle from Asda (clear)
Clear amber...frothy white head...some lacing
Aroma - sweet golden malts....light caramel..slight hint of alcohol....little on the nose...no skunk
Taste - Emphasis on sweet light golden malts...some honey...soft light toffee....very very slight bitter hops - almost no hop presence....alcohol quite well hidden.....simple flavour
Palate - soft carb...sweet...medium body...oily texture. Finish as main flavour - bit of soft toffee...slight bitter metallic lingering tail
Overall - Easy drinking, alcohol well hidden but very little going on here, no bad aromas or flavours - what I can taste is OK and better than a few of the Marston’s beers, but overall it’s very bland for 6.2%

50cl bottle. Amber colour with good formation of white head but quickly diminishes. Aroma is malty, bittery, with hints of caramel. Flavour is slightly sweet at the beginning with a final moderate bittery in the final. Some traces of caramel are present. Texture is oily. Carbonation is medium. Body is medium to high.

Bottle with Nick. Golden pour with a white, foamy head. Malty nose, hints of leafy hops. Pretty sweet, cereal and caramel, sugar, mild bitterness of herbs and leaves. Medium bodied with fine to average carbonation. Slightly warming on the finish, malty again, sweet bread. Pretty alright.

(bottle) Clear, golden colour with a medium-sized and slightly off-white head. Slightly dusty and moderately sweet malty aroma with a grainy and slightly doughy touch. Sweet and slightly bitter flavour, medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Initially sweet (cara-)malty taste with doughy and grainy accents; sweet and minimally sour-fruity finish. Undemanding brew. 15.XII.10

500ml bottle. Pours golden with a medium head. Aroma is sweet malt with a hint of apples. Sweet start. Apples and alcohol on the finish. Slightly cloying aftertaste.