Bottle: Chestnut-amber coloured, hazy with a small off-white foamy layer, dried fruits and sweet dark malt in the nose, combined with traces of metal and a light acidity; bitter-sourish flavour, pretty light bodied, short caramelly-fruity finish, a light acidity detectable in the aftertaste. Completely disappointing...

Dark amber beed with a foamy head a sweet, caramel/fruit aroma. Strong fruity flavour that would be overbearing only that the finish is quite mild.

Aroma of cardboard green apple. Chestnut brown red in colour no head. Flavour is initially sweet caramel, earthy hop character.

Gravity at Manchester Winter Beer Festival 21 January 2012 - let down by a dull looking pour, but salvaged a bit of pride with a good hit of alcohol in the taste.

(bottle, 33cl) Cloudy, amber to copper colour with a medium-sized and slightly tanned foamy head. Sour and slightly sweet cara-malty aroma with notes of dark and red berries and a tinge of leather. Mildly bitter and slightly sour flavour, medium bodied with a soft carbonation. Moderately toasted malty taste with caramel and vinous fruity notes, accompanied by a tinge of vinegar; bitter and vaguely sweet malty finish with berry-fruits, caramel and a touch of vinegar in the aftertaste. A likeable and mildly sour Old Ale. 21.VII.12

330ml bottle. Cloudy amber colour, some chunks floating around, with small, collapsing, minimally lacing, off-white head. Toasted malt aroma, explicit alcoholic note. Taste has a fruity tart note, decent malty undertone with a grainy touch.

Appearance: Chestnut brown, clear. Some off-white head. Aroma: Malt, slightly vinous. Nutty. Taste: Vinous, malt. Some alcohol. Caramel. Info: 330ml bottle, 7/4-2012

Brown 33cl bottle, same as the picture, best before 07 Apr 2011: bottle conditioned drank 20th Dec 2011. Poured carefully into a ’Palm’ badged stemmed tulip glass: looked impressive, bright, clear and a good chestnut reddy brown colour, on top a huge crown of off-white foaming bubbles. Those foaming bubbles fade to a full collar and wispy islands as the tasting progressses, but it did look very good initially. The smell was of yeast and malty goodness, a rich plum bread sort of aroma, with butter on of course. The taste is also plum bread with butter, the label mentions fruit cake, but I’m sticking with plum bread, add a thin layer of liquorice as the beer warms and you’ve got the flavours of an interesting beer: the label also mentions mellow, I’ll agree with that. Smooth mouth feel, this slips down far to easily considering its strength. The 7.4%ABV is hidden well but this isn’t a quaffing ale, more of a fireside sipping brew for those who prefer the finer things in life (like a job with a pension). There are better Old Ales on the market, but this isn’t bad at all, the liquorice arriving late on was an bonus: well above average and worth trying if you find it.

Bottle bought at Tescos in Amersham, Bucks. A brown/chestnut coloured pour with a thin white head on top. Interesting sweet, spiced fruit aroma. Tastes fruity, malty, sweet, caramel, spice. This was quite a surprise, I wasn’t expecting much from a Thwaites brewed ale, would definitely buy some more.