03/04/2011. ALETASTER, 706 Durham Road, LOW FELL, Tyne & Wear, England

5.8

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

Bottle from B&M Bargains; dark brown pour with decent foamy beige head, not much in the aroma just a faint roasted malt, taste very much like a watered down over fizzy stout, has a hint of coffee some sweet milkiness, some chocolate a tiny bit of smoke all a bit thin, but low ABV so it’s to be expected.

5.2

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

500ml bottle. Pours very dark brown with a small head. Aroma is buttery toffee and coffee. Taste is watery coffee to start with caramel and coffee on the finish. Cheers Rich, well on the way now!

6.4

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

From a 500ml bottle on 7/4/2013. Pours the darkest of amber with just a hint of a head. Has a mild caramel malt aroma. Flavour wise, it’s fairly line and length, with some caramel and coffee, with a relatively sharp roasty bitterness. Could use a little more sweetness imo, but otherwise quite nice.

7

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

(Cask at Carpenter’s Arms, Marble Arch, London, 21 April 2012) Black colour with foamy, beige head. Malty, roasted nose with notes of coffee, chocolate, ashes and roasted malt. Malty, roasted taste with coffee, chocolate, dark bread and a balanced coffee bitterness in the finish. Rather light body, quite dry. Highly drinkable and quite nice.

5.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Cask at the King’s Head, London. Pours dark black-brown-red with a fine, off-white foam head. Some lacto roast in the nose. Light sweet flavor with ham and roast, light tang, and dusty cocoa. Light bodied with fine carbonation. Light sweet finish with faint smoke, ham, mild chocolate and light earth. Not too impressive. Kind of bland.

6.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Cask@Market Porter
A day after St. Patrick’s Day! Almost opaque brown color, creamy brown head. Quite weak nose: just a bit of chocolate, lactose and toasted malts. Silky soft palate. Coffee, toasted malts and lactose in the flavor. Lingering coffee and some hops in the aftertaste. It’s a bit like Guinness with milk stout kick. Good but light.

5.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Cask at the Bridge, Kingswinford. Pours pitch black with a medium head. Aroma is dry, milky roasted coffee. Not much to start. Dry roasted coffee malt finish.

5.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Cask @ Market Porter, Borough SE1. Pours a black color with a small tan head. Has a slightly roasted malty aroma with hints of chocolate and caramel. Sweetish roasted malty chocolate flavor with hints of caramel. Has a fruity roasted malty chocolate finish.

6.4

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

Cask handpull at The Pheasant, Ashford. Black with brown edges, lasting cream head. Some nice choc, on an ok aroma. Light in mouth, more a roasted dark mild than a stout. Quite roast on the finish.