12/12/2013. ANCHOR, 305 Bradford Street, BIRMINGHAM, West Midlands, England

6.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8

Bottle sample at Winchester Christmas Market. Now 10.0% ABV. Roasty malty aroma. Dark and oily looking. Thin beige head. Heavy bitter. Dark coffee and liqourice. Medium bodied. Slick. Flat carbonation. Long astringent finish. Packs way more puinch than I was expecting, admittedly that was me just writing the brewry off as twiggy bitter pushers.

6.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Cask at the Wellington; dark brown pour with a bubbly dark tan head, sweet treacle aroma, taste has dark fruit, stewed plums, roast malts, coffee, a hint of chocolate.

7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

500ml Bottle - Black in colour. Plain chocolate, roasted malt and coffee in the aroma. Rich yet smooth taste with coffee and plain chocolate dominating and some slightly hoppy and soapy notes being noticeable in the finish.

7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

500ml bottle from the Grumpy Goat Reading. Black colour with a tiny beige head. aroma has Toasted malt, chocolate, and coffee coupled with a dark roast coffee flavour.

6.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Cask-conditioned, on gravity, at Bristol Beer Festival, March 2014. Near black with a thin, off-white head. Dense, roasted malts, some dark chocolate and a touch of hedgerow hops, before a toasty finish. Good.

7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

500ml bottle from Beers of Europe, shared at home. Pours jet black with a thin tan head, nice lacing. Lots of chocolate and coffee on the aroma. Taste has a good bitterness too. Creamy and rich, full-bodied. Liqourice coming through at the end. Very nice.

7.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

500ml shared between three, bottle conditioned. 12th Oct 2013, in a friends house, Salisbury, after a few beers down town. Very dark, OK, it’s black. Tan head on each little tumbler. Coffee and dark chocolate notes in the aroma and taste, the slightly over roasted malts doing a good job: the hop content ensuring there is a dry finish and mild bitter undertone throughout. Good smooth feel to the body and a lovely night cap after a long day of sport, sight-seeing and drinking.

6.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

23rd December 2012
Opaque black - brown beer with a small bubbly tan head. Palate is dry and slightly crisp. Minerals. Earthy coffee and dark malts. Trace of tangy dark fruits. Finishes semi dry with medium roast bitterness.

7.8

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Bottle 500ml.Clear dark black brown colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, coffee, licorice. Flavour is light heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration, dark roasted, chocolate, licorice, dusty. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft, finish feel is light alcoholic. [20121208]