Cask at Crewe Dog, Crewe. Pours a dark chestnut with minimal off-white head. Not much of an aroma – just some hints of malt. Bitter oranges are the mainstay in the mouth. There’s also some hops and berry fruits and a kick of alcohol strength. Finish a rather bitter. Not a bad beer, but I’ve tasted much better from Merlin

Cask (gravity) @ Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival (2014), Nottingham Castle, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England NG1 6EL. [ As Merlin Dragon Slayer ].Light light unclear medium to dark amber color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, caramelized malt, burnt malt - brown sugar. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a average to long duration, malt bitter, caramelized suger sweet, caramel. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft to flat. [20141011]

Bottle from Beer Emporium, Sandbach. Brown colour with a off white head. Aroma is toffee and a touch of chocolate. Taste is light sweet with a light citrus sour but fruity finish

Dark brown colour. Aroma and flavour are quite strong with apple and dried fruits. Quite plummy too. A bit too sweet overall.

Cask-conditioned at the Cheshire Beeriodical, Seven Stars, Bristol October 2012. Copper in colour with a decent, off-white head. Berry fruits, toffee and some grassy hops, before a full, bitter finish. Good.

cask at stock port beer festival ... copper ... sweet woody toffee malt... dark fruits ... light smokeyness .. almost rye ling ... light dryness ... soft toffee malts ...long loft light sweet malt linger

Cask (hand pump) at the Darlington Spring Thing Beer Festival 2011. ABV is 5.6%. Copper colour, slightly hazy. Low off-white head. Malty aroma with notes of caramel. The flavour is both malty sweet and well hopped, with a dry and very sharp bitter finish. The alcohol is noticeable. I think a cooler temperature and more CO2 would have helped this one.