Cask at Magnet, Stockport. Pours almost black with a sizeable foamy tan head and good lacing. The aroma has roasted malts and coffee with hints of dark fruit. In the mouth there is a brief burst of creamy sweetness before bitter roasted malts come through. These then give way in turn to tart blackcurrant plus traces of liquorice and underlying coffee texture leading to a decidedly dry finish. This is decent – a beer of many parts which somehow hang together well.

Cask @ D'Ale House, Rochdale. Black with a light-brown creamy head. Its liquorice and notable blackcurrant combine to make this a fairy sweet stout in design, with a coffee base.