7.5

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

330ml bottle from under a windmill in Heckington - murky teak body, quickly fading tan head. Big notes of plums, prunes, and boozy Soreen. Lots of acid-reflux inducing warmth, aftertaste of figs and dark cake fruit. Really good, potentially dangerous.

7.4

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

7.2

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

330ml bottle from Beers of Europe. Poured into a La Chouffe stemmed goblet at home on 23rd December 2024. Dark mahogany body, fast fading beige cap. Boozy, earthy and malty, turns a little more hop bitter mid sip. Dried fruit traces (like figs/prunes). Slight alcohol burn towards the finish.

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Panda at home, thanks to Kenneth, 20/12/24. Deep mahogany brown topped with a beige cap that thins to a swirl. Nose is dates, stewed fruits, vinous, cake mix, toffee, brown sugar dusting. Taste comprises fruit cake, earthy fruits, lick of alcohol, vinous, herb, dates, prunes, toffee. Medium bodied with bite, fine carbonation, drying close with a balanced kiss of alcohol. Tidy old skool sipper and easy going for the hefty 14% ... would have guessed 8 or 9?

7.6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

12th December 2024
Just a light haze on this amber beer, small and short lived bubbly pale tan head. Smooth palate, a little airy, mildly dry, reasonable fine carbonation -about right for a weighty barleywine like this. Esters very prominent from the get go, fruity esters, lesser bubblegum, both intertwining with some alcohol spice. Caramel and cream malts with some ripe fruits and dried fruits on the back end. Finishes relatively light mouthfeel wise but the alcohol does nip a little. Not sure how much this would improve with time. Definitely a bit but I don't see massive potential aging this one but I haven't guessed the right lottery numbers yet so, what do I know? Decent muscular English barleywine.

7.1

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

330ml bottle bought as part of a delivery from Beers of Europe and drunk at home. Pours a sort of amber/mahogany, opaque with a small off-white head. Aroma is boozy dates, figs, some orange peel. Caramel and some coffee. Naked alcohol in the taste, starting sweet but packed with bittering hops which kick in quickly. More caramel and orange in the finish. Thick body, soft carbonation. An unwieldy beast but enjoyable all the same.

7.8

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

Cask at the Struggler Inn, Lincoln. Deep amber colour with an off white head. Aroma and taste are malty sweet caramel and dried fruit. Slight bitter to finish. Big slightly boozy body.