7.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

Cask at Swan & Railway, Wigan. Pours a very dark reddish-brown with a sizable (lively pour) frothy cream head and good lacing. Roasted malts ot the fore in the aroma, plus traces of liquorice and alcohol. Roasted malts again in the mouth where it is slightly sweet overall. Plenty of dark fruits in the flavour too, some rum and cola with hints of liquorice coming later. Finish is slightly fruity. This is quite nice – certainly plenty of flavour.

6.6

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

Pint on cask at the Layton Rakes.
Medium creamy beige head. Clear almost black pour. Light chocolate.

7

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

Old rating from 2013 - 500ml bottle, pours near black with a off white head. Aromas & tastes of chocolate, dark berries, coffee, liquorice, nuts & roasted malt. Medium body. Soft finish

Historic check-in

6.8

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

500ml bottle [courtesy of Grumbo - thanks for yet another ship label!]. Jet black colour with small to average, thick, creamy, half-way lasting, minimally lacing, beige head. Slightly weak, roasty dark malty and fruity hoppy aroma, hints of coffee, dark chocolate, blueberry, bramble, liquorice overtones. Taste is minimally sweet, roasty dark malty, hints of milk chocolate, a touch of treacle, fruity hoppy overtones with a touch of blueberry and bramble, an additional touch of liquorice in the finish. Oily texture, smooth, soft, silky palate. Nice.

7.2

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

3/5/2019. Cask at the 28th East Anglian Beer & Cider Festival, Bury St Edmunds. Pours very dark brown with a small beige head. Aroma of roasted malt, chocolate, dark fruits, coffee, berries and a little molasses. Medium sweetness with moderate bitterness. Medium body, oily texture, very soft carbonation.

6.5

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

Cask ale at White Cross in Lancaster. Shared with Finn. Filmy layer, fair lacing and a clear dark brown coloured body. Promising aroma of chocolate malts. Taste of chocolate, nuts and a backdrop of dark fruits. Ends with chocolate notes, nicely roasted. Likable. (06.02.2019).

6.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Delt med Rune. Svart. Lavt mokkafarget skum. Sjokoladearoma. Smaken lakris & melkesjokolade. Tørr avslutning.

6.9

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

Cask at GBBF 2015 - London. Pours clear brown with a creamy tan head. The nose holds burnt toast and faint cocoa. Light to medium sweet flavour, some toast, cocoa, dried fruits. Light bodied with fine carbonation; decent condition. Sweet finish, further toasted brown bread. Serviceable.

6.6

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

Cask at GBBF 2018, Olympia, London. A dark brown coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Sweet, caramel, dark fruit aroma. Tastes slightly sweet, caramel ,dark fruit, hint of port in there.