Hand-pulled pint in The White Lion, Ketley a local ’real ale’ pub. Poured a dark golden to amber colour, on top a decent white head that tried to stay the distance and almost did: lacing indicated the beer was in good condition. Nice blend, mild citrus hop notes compliment a light malt sweetness and give the beer a good balance of smells and tastes. It would like to be semi-sweet, but the hops prevent the malts taking over and ensure the finish is dry and slightly bitter. Better than average, easy to drink: just to the right of ’middle of the road’, a brew with nothing to upset or inspire, just a pleasant beer to drink with friends.

Fra cask på Peacock, Nottingham 25 Jan 14. Dyp, dyp amber. OK litt farget skum som varer. Etterlater nivåmerker på glasset. Pen lacing. Sterk & god karamellaroma. Myk munnfølelse. Smaken er litt røstet med innslag av fjøs. Litt syrlighet i avslutninga. Undertone av kaffe hele veien.

Cask @ Prince of Wales, Bromham. Ok, so... not the biggest fan of Ringwood but here goes. Dark gold, with just the right amount of head. Massive lacing. Fresh hop in the nose: tropical and citrus fruit, with a bit of bread. Strong but still subtle. The taste doesn’t disappointL sweet turning slightly more bitter through the profile. Fruit flavours carry well. Dry bitter finish. Yum! A Ringwood beer I really like!