05/01/1998. PUNCH BOWL, 7 Stonegate, YORK, North Yorkshire, England (BASS)

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Brown 500ml bottle, best before Nov 09, drank in Feb 09. Poured into a Gordon’s Thistle shapped glass (twice). Deep, dark brown in colour with a good tan head, medium retension. Dry, dark chocolate aroma (Bourneville), malted biscuits also came to my nose too. Bitter dark chocolate, cloves? Burnt malts and licorice. Mostly though, it is a flavour of bitter dark chocolate. The aftertaste was fairly dry, the body is fine and the 4.8% feels just about right. This beer became more interesting as it warmed up, enjoyed it.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4

7th April 2012
ChrisOs Easter Tasting. Clear dark amber - brown beer, little pale tan head. Light dry palate. Sweet malt, a little dark toffee. Fair bit of spice on the back. Dry finish. Somewhat over sweet and too much spice.

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

Bottle at Chriso’s Easter tasting 2012. It pours deep amber, with a thin off-white head. The nose is spice, medicinal, gravy, coffee and HP sauce. The taste is spice, roasted malt, meaty, wood, leather, HP sauce and coffee. Medium body and moderate carbonation. A bit odd.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Bottle at Chriso Easter Tasting 2012. spicy aroma touch of soap some malts. Its ok spicy darkish beer. Not sure i could finish a pint. Too spicy and soapy

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

Bottle at chrisOs ... dark brown ... thin tan lacing ... big spiced nose ... darkmalt fruits ... big spiced ... soft easy but no complexity

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

Bottled 500ml (BB 11/2012)
Dark nut brown color, small beige color. Nutty caramellly aroma.Light to medium bodied. Toffeish, nutty malty flavor with some ginger and cinnamon.Christmasy, balanced.

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

Bottled (from Beers Of Europe). Amber colour, mediumsized beige head. Aroma is wood, mild spiced and nutty and some slight sweetish hoppyness. Flavour is wood, resin, spices and some mild herbal notes. Mellow spices, but rather balanced and nice.

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

Bottle from Tesco, Inverness
Appearance Dark chestnut brown, clear, off white head, good lacing.
Aroma Spices, cinnamon, mince pie, fruit, caramel malt.
Taste Cinnamon, mince pies, dark caramel malts, molasses, hops hardly noticeable giving a light underlying bitterness.
Palate Soft carb, thin to medium body. Finish - cinnamon and rich malts with lingering christmas spices.
Overall Often these beers are a mess, but this was a good example - the spices are not overdone and it tastes reasonably good.