Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Cask handpump at The Library, Cowley Rd, Oxford 18.04.13 Pours warm gold, white head, good clarity. Stinging bitterness, really lasting bitterness. Very dry, the initial sweetness swiftly subsides to leave a very dry, bitter roof of mouth. Grapefruit bitterness, real mouth wakener. Is this the best, most hoppy, bitter beer that I have ever had from Vale, I think so, there is a Vale feel about this but it also feels quite brave, pushy and assertive the sort of beer I’ve always wanted Vale to do. At 3.8% this should be a regular it would be up there with Dark Star Hophead. A7 A5 T8 P4 Ov17 4.1