4/4/2018. Bottle from Cobbetts, Dorking. Pours darkish brown with a small off-white head. Aroma of sweet caramel, malt, nut, dark fruits and hint of chocolate. Medium plus sweetness, light roasted bitterness. Medium body, slight oily texture, soft carbonation. Dry, sweet finish. For a 3.6% abv old ale this is pretty good.

Bottle from brewery. Now I have rated this beer a few times before under the title XXX old ale, but I am reviweing here for the bottle properly because the cask version is quite different. This is a lower abv, much more watery and ultimately, less flavourful (and good). That said, the old ale even in the bottle is a delight to drink with some caramel, molasses, fireplace smell shining through the wateriness. The thinness is actually also something that makes it so gluggable and nice to have a beer with so much taste with such a low ABV (it is a step up from the nice alcohol free beer, Bill Brewer). (20/11/17) ---- Bottle from Meads I believe. 3.7 to 3.8. Easy going and flavourful. (1/10/20) --- Bottle from the brewery. Sweet, stout like aroma. Some stouty flavours this time and ending but a bit pathetic. 3.8 to 3.4. Much better on cask, although still kudos for 3.6% (2/1/21)- --- Bottle from the brewery no doubt. Some malt and some godis sweet aroma. It's a nice, easy drinking beer. Still 3.4 to 3.2.

Off white, thin beige head on a rich brown still body. Malt, bread & demerara aroma. Medium bodied, oily, smooth, minimal carbonation. Clean on the finish. Malt, roasted hints, caramel, dark sugar & a rich, warming feel. Not too bad.

Appearance- dark, mahogany, a small foamy beige head. Aroma- brown bread, toffee, plum, chocolate hints, dark fruit, raisin, hints of port wine. Taste- plenty of dark fruit, chocolate, toffee and caramel, woody malt, raisin and plum. Some sugary sweetness. Fuller than expected mouthfeel for the abv. Pretty good.

Bottle from Harvey’s online. Appearance - Nose - tar, light herbs, malt. Taste - more tar and herbs. Palate - medium bodied with a creamy middle section and a fairly balanced finish. Overall - decent ale.

Bottle at ash?s. Pours deep amber, nose is toffee, caramel, berry, taste is rich, fruity, sweet.

Bottle picked up at Harvey’s. It pours deep brown with a decent beige head. The nose is toasty, earth, burnt wood, caramel and dried fruits. The taste is bitter-sweet, treacle, caramel, cola, wood, candy, wood, earth and dried fruits with a dry finish. Light-medium body and fine carbonation. No real depth to it. Simple and easy-going.

Bottle @ Royal Oak, Borough, London. Clear dark brown with a lasting beige head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel and a little dried fruit. Flavor is medium sweet and light bitter. Dry and light bitter finish. 051013

bottle from Noble Wines Tunbridge Wells. Deep brown colour, small beige head. Light-bodied, malty start and some shy hops. Hints of dried fruit and caramel. Quite flavourful for the strength!

Bottle @ Royal Oak, Borough, London. Nice head with good duration. Color is dark brown. Aroma and taste are caramel, bread, malt and hops.