Bottle @ home shared by joes. Cola colour with a very small off-white head. Smells herbs, spices, molasses, sweet, dark malts. Tastes roasty, spices, herbs, gingerbread, haagse hopjes. A true christmas brew. Thin to medium body, soft carbo.

Bottle. Clean dark brown with a minimal head. Aroma is thin malt. Flavor is dry burnt dark fruit. Burnt malt, dark fruit on a long dry light chocolate finish.

Bottle from the Hogs Back brewery shop near Farnham, Surrey. A dark brown/red coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Malty, dark fruit aroma. Tastes malty, dark fruit, caramel.

500ml Bottle poured into a UK pint sleeve on 13th Dec 13 (at home). Dark ruby red body, with a thin wisp and collar. Malts all the way in the aroma and taste: mid-roasted and semi-sweet candy peel fruits being the smells and flavours I got. Liquorice arrives late, as the beer warms in the glass: I also found some woody notes, nutty hints and treacle esters within the warming glass. I might have over cooled the bottle because it became more interesting and diverse in flavour as it moved towards room temp. Pleasant and enjoyable.

50cl bottle from Waitrose, Wokingham. Deep chestnut in colour with a ring of beige head; rich, malty aroma; rather thin in the mouth with a sweet fruity taste followed by some deeply roasted malts with hints of chocolate and licorice. A pleasant mild.

Bottle at home, BOE, 03/11/13. Pours a clear chestnut brown with a moderate off white covering. Nose is dark toffee fudge, light cocoa, hint of fruit. Taste comprises toffee, earthy, nutty, dark malt, brown bread. Medium bodied, a little thin, mild finale. Ok mild.