Good King
Vale Brewery in Brill, Buckinghamshire, England 🏴
Bitter - ESB / Strong Bitter Winter|
Score
6.18
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Our annual offering of this strong rich ale is packed full of dark malts and complimented with spicy full fruity hops. A great beer to sit down with and enjoy over the Christmas period.
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5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 5
Cask at The Liberty Bounds (Spoons), Tower Hill, London. An amber/brown coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Fruity, malty, caramel aroma and taste. Pretty bland as expected from this brewery.
Tried
from Cask
on 29 Dec 2019
at 15:36
5/10
Tried
on 24 Dec 2019
at 19:03
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask at The Market Porter. Dark amber-brown colour, small steady beige head and lace. Raisiny, caramel aroma. Light-bodied to medium-bodied. Caramel, raisins in the flavour. Nicely sippable real ale.
Tried
from Cask
on 23 Dec 2019
at 12:24
5.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Cask @ Manchester & County, Manchester. Deep amber with a head. It’s not quite as rich as the blurb suggests, but light and palatable.
Tried
from Cask
on 02 May 2017
at 14:47
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle at cropredy #9 dark brown... Thin tan lacing... Soft sweet floral fruit.. Light sweet toffee fruit nose. Sweet brown sugar.. Soft chocolate roast malts
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Aug 2016
at 13:46
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Bottle from the brewer’s own stand at Waddesdon Christmas Market. Amber-brown with a negligible beige head and a light fizz. Chocolate, treacle, earth, dead leaves and a mild spiciness. It’s nothing special but compared to Vale’s normal low standards it’s not too bad I guess.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Dec 2015
at 16:46
5.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle at ChrisO Snow Tasting. It pours deep red-brown with a small off-white head. The nose is caramel, dark fruit, wood, leather and light smoke. The taste is caramel, wood, earth, leather, quite dry and faint astringency with a dry, slight sweet finish. Decent balance and fairly easy drinking, but there just isn’t much too it.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Jan 2013
at 05:20
5.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
Bottle at Chriso Snow Tasting, thanks to Chris I think, 20/01/13. Lightly hazed chestnut brown with a thin off white head that clears to the edge. Nose is dark malt, bread, yeast, light fruit. Taste follows, rather bland, light sugars, malty, dark fruit. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, dry finish. Sub average.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Jan 2013
at 14:11
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cask handpul at County Hotel JDW Ashford. Clear deepish brown lasting beige head. Its malty and an ok strongish bitter. Some hops on finish but this is all about the rich earthy dry malts. ok condition and tasty rnough. Fine. Happy to have the other half of this.
Tried
from Cask
on 20 Dec 2011
at 10:42
6.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Cask at the London & County (JDW), Eastbourne. Chestnut with a loose off-white head; caramel aroma with a hint of spice; rich caramel malt flavour; the finish is dry and biscuity with a touch of spice, leaving a malty aftertaste.
Tried
from Cask
on 03 Dec 2011
at 02:22