7

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

Cask @ Leeds Station Wetherspoon, Leeds. Extremely dark with a creamy light-brown head. Thicker textured stout with slightly milky roasted malts.

6.4

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

Cask at the Justice Mill, Aberdeen. It pours darkest brown to black with a beige head. The aroma is soft, smooth roasted malt, mellow, milk chocolate, coffee with cream and earthy roast. The taste is smooth, bitter - sweet, roasted malt, creaminess, milk chocolate, touch of tannin, coffee with cream, coffee grains, earthy, touch of nuttiness and burnt toast with a toasty coffee finish. Average carbonation and soft carbonation. Not bad, perhaps a bit earthy.

7.1

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

7

Cask at the SO. Appearance - mat black but with the odd red chink at the bottom. Beige head. Nose - coffee and chocolate. Taste - coffee roast, dark chocolate and some malt bitterness. Palate - medium bodied, creamy middle and roast at the end. Overall - quite nice.

7.1

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

[Cask at the Back of Beyond (JDW), Reading.] A glossy black pour with a thin tan head; rich coffee aroma; rather thin in the mouth with a strong coffee and a soft oaty body; then picking up lots of bitterness from heavily roasted grains before a dry finish with a hint of licorice. Very good.

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Cask (gravity) at Standing Order, Derby. Pours a very dark reddish-brown with minimal tan head. There’s roasted malts and coffee in the aroma plus some hints of dark fruits. In the mouth it is quite sweet with a creamy texture and a whole host of flavours running through – coffee (in particular), roasted malts, liquorice and dark fruits. With some spicy hints later on as well. Some bitterness in the slightly dry finish. I rather liked this one.

7.2

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

Cask at the Standing Order. Pours black with a thin beige head. Strong coffee aromas. Taste is more of the same. Roasty finish.

7.1

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

Hand-pulled half-pint in the William Withering, a local Wetherspoons on 9th October 2024. Deep, dark brown body, beige crust. Coffee esters and flavours rule this one, soft and smooth feel, liked it.