Bottle at Chriso pre GBBF Shindig 2016. Dark brown beer lasting beige head. quite a malty beer. Dry malt flavour. Ok.

Klare hell orange braune Farbe, geringe weiße Schaumkrone. Geruch mild röstmalzig, rote Früchte. Geschmack süß malzig, nussig, Karamell, okay.

Bottle, from the reduced to clear bin at Mitchell’s Wines, Sheffield. Pours clear, deep reddy bronze. Film and ring of sticky, cream coloured head. Looks good. Aromas of toffee. Caramel. Light roast. Squidgy dark fruit. Dates, and the like. Taste is soft sweet. Smooth mouthfeel. Good depth. Hint of fruity bitterness on the finish. Way better than I anticipated.

500ml bottle from Chatsworth farm shop. Deep Amber brown with a thin off white head. Aroma is soft dark fruit, plums, raisins, as well a caramel, taste is predominantly sweet, with a bitter finish.

24th Oct 2010: My first Christmas beer this season (the bottle is best before the end of Oct, so it’s last years brew). Poured into an ’Abbot Ale’ tankard. Dark ruby red in body colour a good foaming head of a light tan hue sat on top. The smell is of toasted/roasted barley, they also dominate the taste. This is a true, sit by an open fire sort of winter warmer and evokes all the traditional thoughts of a Victorian Christmas. Fuggles hops ensure the malts don’t have it their own way and the beer has a nice balanced feel to it, dark and malty throughout, but with a hoppy bitterness under the surface with comes out as the mouth dries. A difficult to find beer; but well obtaining and trying.

Bottle, at the Renaissance Hotel, South Normanton. Ruby red with a thick off-white head; rich roasted malt aroma with a touch of raisin; dry and fruity in the mouth, full-bodied and warming; a long lingering bitter aftertaste.