[330ml bottle from Millets Farm Shop, Frilford, nr Abingdon] Copper with a moderate off-white head and a light fizz. Very dry and moderately bitter at first - that English hop bitterness that can be a little dirty and unpleasant if too many English hops are used. Fortunately there’s then lots of sweet malt and raisins to save the day (reading the label afterwards, Roger Protz’s description of "malt loaf" is bang on!"). Juicy marmalade comes through, with a little caramel in the finish. The alcohol is well hidden; it’s very drinkable and moreish. It’s nothing like the modern American IPAs, of course, but I can believe this is a reasonable recreational of a true IPA (bar effect of the ocean journey!). It’s mellow and relaxing, although the flavours could be souped up just a little. I can’t imagine drinking it in the heat of India though, but as a winter warmer in the UK it’s pretty decent.

Cask/Gravity dispense? at the 12th Egham Beer Festival - 17/08/12. Copper with a thin white head. Sweet malts and fruit on the nose allied to a little smoke. Sweet candy flavour, carmamel, toffee and malt flavour. Medium bodied.

Cask handpump in The Hop Pole, Aylesbury, Bucks, Thursday 19th July 2012 Pours amber with mid sized white creamy textured head. Aroma is wet digestives and a sweet maltiness. Sweet and thick in the mouth a little chewy but with a bitterness that whilst evident is a little shy. A touch of sweet orange a little drying, thickness in mouth isn’t cloying but a bit too close to being so. Just wish this was a tad more zappy, and that they hadn’t of toned down the bitterness. however appreciate this is true to an authentic recipe. A5 A3 T5 P3 Ov10 2.6