13/01/2007. BEAR & RAGGED STAFF, 50 King Street, BEDWORTH, Warwickshire, England (WETHERSPOONS)

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

Cask at the Hope Tap (JDW), Reading. Amberwith a thick creamy head and a light fizz. Great condition on this one. Sweet malt up front with a touch of toffee. A little mineral character but not enough to be distracting. Solid earthy bitterness and a touch of blackcurrant. Slight peppery tingle. Good balance, good flavour. Very nice bitter actually, but it’s not a Christmas beer.

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

Cask @ Wetherspoon Stansted. Chestnut coloured, thin offwhite lacings. Nose is caramel, nutty, slightly spicy. Flavour is caramel, nutty, light fruity, slightly bitter.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5

Copper colour. Hint of apple in the aroma. Thin and watery. A disappointing, plain bitter.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 4

Healthy looking golden ale with a thin creamy head, but also a thin bodied texture that isn’t so pleasant. Its understated aroma is of wild fruit, little of this is found in its taste.

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

Cask at the John Russell Fox (JDW), Andover. Deep chestnut with a compact cream head; malty aroma; thin in the mouth with a malty body with some red fruit; adn atouch of spicy English hops to finish. A rather ordinary bitter, and not very Christmasy.

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

Cask (handpump) @ Wetherspoons, Victoria Station, London, England SW1V.Clear medium amber orange color with a average, frothy to creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white to white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, orange, lime, UK top fermentat yeast. Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet and bitter with a long to average duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft to flat. [20081230]

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

Cask conditioned at J.D. Wetherspoon - Penderel’s Oak, London
Hazy light amber color; frothy head. Sweetish toffee flavor, with a lightly fruity hopping. Good.

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

Cask (JDW pub, London) - Amber/copper coloured. Fruity and hoppy aroma. Fruity taste with a hoppy element featuring grapefruit, raisins and caramel.

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

Cask-conditioned at the Knights Templar JDW, Bristol, December 2006. Cooper coloured with a slight off-white head. Red fruit taste and aroma followed by a decent bitter finish. Good.