Strongarm
(has 2 batches)

A hazy red-amber beer with a lazing orange head. The aroma is alcohol, and from that metallic, combined with notes of malty and fruit - seems slightly oxidiced. The flavor is sweet with lots of caramel combined with some notes of berries, leading to an end with a slight note of metal. The body is thin.

Reddish brown al with a creamy off white head, lacing. The aroma is very sweet and fruity, with berry notes, and some varnish remover notes. In mouth, a sweet caramel malt with light oxidation notes, again a bit too sweet and cloying, buttery mouthfeel. Bought at Beers of the World, Rochester, NY, Feb. 2006. Best before "L6077".

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a reddish-brown color with a small tan head. The aroma is light sour malts and a bit of nut. The mouthfeel is a bit on the flat side. The flavor is sour nutty malts with a hint of floral and fruity hops on the finish. A fairly typical red ale flavor.

Draught. Malty aroma. Chestnut brown colour, small creamy head. Flavour is also malty, like some sort of brown ale. Aftertaste has a hint of sourness. 6 3 6 3 12

Draught at the wharf. Dark red brown colour. Big stable tan head. Weak vinous fruity flavour. Creamy mouthfeel. Late grainy bitterness. 5 3 5 3 13

Cask at County Hotel JDW, Ashford Perfectly acceptable red ale. Slight roasted malt flavour, some fruit, some hop. Not worth the other half though

Thanks to Darkover for the trade. What is this beer trying to strongarm exactly? This brew isn’t going "over the top" any time soon. Dark amber color with a thin off-white head. Weak lacing. The aroma is malty in an indistinct way. Medum bodied and mildly bitter throughout. Some malt and nut flavors as well but Sylvester Stallone movie references aside, this beer doesn’t offer much. The finish is dry and slightly hoppy. I won’t bother with this again.

Bottled. Ruby red coloured, beige foamish head. Bitter malty nose with weak roasted hints. Also some breadish notes. Bitter breadish malty flavour with hints of hops and sour fruit.

[Cask at Volunteers Arms, GBBF 2004] A brown beer with a small yellow head. It has no aroma while the flavor is sweet with notes of caramel and a thin body. A boring beer.

Bottle in a trade with Heemer77, thanks Eric! I think this one was a bit old as it had a BB date of 2004 couldnt make out the rest of the date. So I was happy that it was aged, but then realizing it is probably pasteurised and filtered, I guess this dosent make much of a difference. Pours a dark brown-auburn with light crimson tinges. Aroma of heavily boiled brown malts, rich and deep. This smells like Norfolk Nog, which smells like Gale’s Festival Mild. I don’t know what’s a mild and what’s a bitter and what’s an old ale anymore. Oh well, good thing I don’t care about style. Anyways, it tastes malty and slightly chewy, with pistachios, walnuts, cream, brown sugar and earthy fuggles hops. It’s lost any crispness or bitterness and just seems to be a filtered mess now. Why these English brewers feel they have to pasteurise and filter all of their god damned exporst is beyond me. It sits on the shelf better??? I doubt it. At any rate, this can’t taste any better than an unpasteurised sample gone bad. Oh well, just my two cents. Glad I tried it though, I havent had a bitter in some time. Thanks again Eric.