Cask @ Henry Tudor Inn, Shrewsbury. Deep amber pour, good off-white head. Malty rye fruitcake aroma. Smooth palate, flavour profile presents a decent red with teasing fruitcake notes, nice amber malt with an appealing gentle sweetness. Not bad.

Clear amber with a creamy off-white/beige head and a slightly spiced soft fruit malt aroma. Proper creamy with earthy malt, berry fruit sweetness and soft hop bitterness all combining quite nicely

Hand-pulled pint at the New Inn, Newport (Shropshire) on 23rd November 2023. Maroon in colour, soft creamy head that stayed throughout the pint. Earthy, nutty and slightly spiced with hints of dried fruits, it's like a Christmassy 'Slumbering Monk'.

Cask at Rose & Crown, Stafford – first Christmas beer of the year. Pours “bitter brown” with a small cream head and good lacing. There’s malts and almonds in the aroma. In the mouth it is quite sweet to start off with flavours of malts, orange peel, raisins and nuts. Some bitterness creeps in later, alongside traces of mincemeat. Finish is slightly sweet and fruity. This is a reasonable ale – I would classify it as “red – spiced” or “rye – spiced” if either of those categories existed.