05/04/2022. ROYAL OAK, Coton Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England (BLACK COUNTRY)

6.1

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

Cask @ Royal Oak, Shrewsbury. Pours a dark reddish amber, with a good cream colour. A touch dusty unfortunately but bears some nice plummy undertones. Kind of ok, given the condition.

6.5

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

Cask at the Wellington, Birmingham. Poured a clear reddish amber colour with a mostly lasting frothy white head. The flavour is moderate bitter, light sweet, with a smooth, light tart plum palate. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

7.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

500ml bottle direct from brewery. Eye - reddish brown with small off white head, circular retention. Nose - big sweet plum note, almost raspberry like with some toasted malts in the background. Taste - jammy plums, sweet but this is balanced by a more toasted malt element. A very mild bitterness but the finish does have a nice touch of spice. Palate - light to moderate body, a little smooth, nice soft carbonation. Overall - a very flavoursome sessionable ale. It might not be complex but sometimes simplicity works.

6.9

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

Cask at Lych Gate, Wolverhampton Pours a rich ruby red with a small cream head. Nose is a nice mixture of dark fruits. Plums predominate of course, also cherries and aniseed. In the mouth it is sweet and smooth but with malty undertones. Taste is a delicate plum flavour, but also hints of raspberries. Finish is sweet and plumy. Certainly nice and very drinkable, but there doesn’t seem to be much to it apart from the plums.

6.6

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

Handpull cask at St Giles Ale House, Northampton. Light brown translucent, flat. Aroma of syrupy plum, boiled sweets. Very sweet taste with light hop in the finish. More plum notes in the aftertaste. Soft carbonation. Not bad!

6.4

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

Cask at the Queens Head, Stourbridge. Pours very dark ruby brown with a small head. Aroma is plum and blackcurrant squash. Taste has fruity plum and Ribena throughout. A little watery.

8.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Cask at the Craven Arms, Birmingham on 29th December 2018. Rated as a novelty ale. Dark brown copper with a pale tan foam. Sweet plum fruit aroma with biscuit malts and cheesecake. Fresh blend of tart and sweet plums in-mouth with a transient hint of cherries. Some upper mouth bitterness in an otherwise cherry plum finish. Full marks for not over sweetening this beer. Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. Very enjoyable.

5.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Cask at the Swan Oldbury. A nut brown, muddy coloured pour with a creamy beige head. Aroma is sweet, jammy fruits, apricot jam, earthy toasted malts. Flavour is composed of medium sweet, plum jam, nutty twiggy malts. Palate is quite sweet, creamy, ok.