09/05/1978. BRICKLAYERS ARMS, 63 Charlotte Road, LONDON, EC2, England (FREE HOUSE)

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

12th May 2012 saw me on a pub crawl of Shrewsbury: second pub being ‘The Loggerheads’ and a hand pulled pint of this. Being ‘Mild in May’ month I thought this would tick all the boxes and it almost did. Medium to semi-dark brown; with an off-white head of deep foam. Aroma was thin and weak: some malty molasses and fruit cake, but not much of anything really. The taste was better: Malt loaf with candid fruit bits hanging around. Medium bodied for a Mild and hid the 4.5% ABV fairly well: an OK beer more than a ‘must try again’ brew.

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

Cask at the Bridge, Kingswinford. Pours a dark ruby brown with a medium head. Aroma is slightly sour dark fruit malt. Taste is a bit watery to start. Has some of the dark fruit malt on the finish.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5

Cask-conditioned at the Crosse Keys (JDW), London 09/06/09. Slightly hazy amber in colour with a moderate, off-white head. Burnt toffee dominated this one, at the exclusion of all else except some dodgy sulphur and a hint of spicy hops in the finish. The first pint in a long time that I couldn’t finish. Poor.

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

Cask at the Monks Retreat (JDW), Reading. Amber gold with a thin cream head; fruity aroma; fruity flavours - plum, cherry, raspberry - but rather thin; dry fruity finish, rather lacking in bitterness.

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

Cask handpull at The Pheasant, Ashford. Served with a sparkler. Clear chestnut colour with a thin lassting beige head. Some Marston house yeast on aorma. Bit of toffee too. Advertised as a mild. It’s alright, some character, bit of dryness on finish. It’s just a bit better than average.

Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5

[i] [b] Cask at The Penny Black, JDW, Bicester 09-05-08 [/i] [/b] Had this with my Farmhouse Breakfast; the breakfast was far superior it has to be said. Pours hazy brown with a white head, to be honest it looks distinctly unimpressive. Aroma caramel but little else. The taste sees this beer partially redeem itself but its a bit caramel heavy and other than some fruit you’re left wondering if there will be anything else. This used to be a damn good beer when I used to drink it regularly back in the early nineties at my local the Virgin Tavern, Worcester it was my beer of choice, but sadly today it seems a pale shadow of its former self.