21/12/1985. BRITANNIA, Hall Green Street, BILSTON, West Midlands, England (HOLDENS)

7.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Cask at Great Western, Wolverhampton. Pours a very dark reddish-brown with a small cream head. Aroma has mainly molasses and hints of alcoholic strength. Alcohol at the forefront in the mouth as well, but there’s plenty of other flavour as well. Raisins, treacle, dandelion & burdock, aniseed and other spices with a base of caramel lurking underneath. Finish is a warming glow inside ! This is s-s-s-superb !

6.8

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 7

30/7/2019. Bottle from Tuffins Supermarket, Craven Arms. Pours almost black with a good size but short lasting beige head. aroma of black treacle, liquorice, roasted malt, chocolate, toffee, dark fruits, nut and molasses. Medium plus sweetness and light bitterness. Medium body, oily texture, above average carbonation. Apart from the fizz this was quite enjoyable.

6.8

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

330ml bottle from Tanners, Bridgnorth. Pours black with thin beige head. Dark treacle aroma. Taste is sweet molasses, caramel, burnt toast. nuts, brown sugar. Decent.

7.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Every year on the last working day before Christmas my ex-work colleagues and I meet up with the current staff for a beer or three at ’Codsall Railway Buildings’ a lovely Holden’s owned bar in a converted railway station. This beer is always our last one. I only have a hand-pulled half-pint because I’ve already had enough booze by the time the ’last drink’ arrives. It’s a cracking brew, deep dark brown in colour with a lightly tanned head. The aroma is wonderful, sweet malty molasses with toffee and raisins mixed with chocolate and nuts: almost like a gaseous ’Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut’ bar. The taste follows the smell: sweet, full on and malty. There is however a slight hop bitterness in the background at all times and this beer is more complex than just another strong ’barley wine’ type beer. Full bodied and a delight to drink.

5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4

Cask at Gallow’s Bird, Espoo. Originally rated 21012012. Colour is black with tiny head. Aromas and flavours: Chocolate, yeast and malts.

6.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle at home, 08/03/13, thanks to SP. Pours a dark mahogony brown with a tan head that quickly dissipates to nothing other than a few bubbles. Nose is dark malts, treacle toffee, nutty tones, cocoa, brown sugars. Taste comprises dark malts, molasses, treacle toffee, brown sugars, toasted almond, rye bread. Medium body with prickly carbonation, a little overcooked for this style and detracting from the overall enjoyment a little, dry finish. Drinkable but lower mid table in the Barley Wine stakes for me.

7.2

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

Cask at GBBF 2011, Day 3. Pours clear amber with a soft head. Bready, yeasty aroma with some rich, dark fruits. Very sweet flavor, lots of dark fruits and brown sugar. Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Lightly warming finish, plenty of sugar, rich bread, slight booze, caramel and darkened fruits. Very solid.

7.3

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

Cask (handpump) @ GBBF 2011, Great British Beer Festival, Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England.Clear dark red brown colour with a average, frothy - fizzy, good lacing, mostly diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, sweet malt, dark berry - dried berry, brown sugar. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and light to moderate bitter with a average duration, dark malt, darm berry, sugar - sweet dark malt. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat. [20110803]