6.9

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Gravity cask at the Townhouse Beer Festival 2015, Ely. Black and opaque, no head but a little bit of carbonation. Coal smoke and coffee in the nose, with stone fruit and hoppy citrus. The taste is malty and toasty enough to be a porter/stout, but hoppy enough to be a black IPA. Sweet and bitter vie for your tastebuds’ attention. Bitter wins out, with only a suggestion of chocolate malt in the finish. Alas, this dual personality is the undoing of the beer; it’s not really sure what it wants to be and just winds up unfocussed and a bit silly. Still it’s a good beer all in all, and well worth trying.