Bottle at Claret & Ale Addiacombe. It pours darkest brown, near black with a medium beige head. The aroma is earthy, woody, oily, treacle, old leather sofa, rocky road and a touch of spice. The taste is dry, woody, leather, vinous almost, sticky treacle, black tea, leather, chewy malt, touch of charred wood, tannin, spice, hint of blackcurrant jam, dried fruit and plum with a dry, woody and spiced finish. Medium body and fine, foamy carbonation. Plenty of depth to it. Solid stuff.
Earlier Rating: 8/2/2017 Total Score: 3.3
Bottle at the Claret & Ale. It pour sclear deep brown with a decent beige head, The aroma is toasty malts, walnut, wood, dried fruit character, caramel and a touch of spice. The taste is of the same ilk... bitter - sweet, soft roasted malt, wood, leather, dried fruits, caramel, fruit cake and earth with a drying finish. Medium body and fine carbonation. Pretty alright considering it is pasteurised, although the cask version is a touch more chaarcterful.
Earlier Rating: 6/29/2014 Total Score: 3.4
Cask at the Claret, Addiscombe. It pours deep brown with a foamy beige head. The nose is wood, earth, leather, caramel, dried fruit and fruit cake. The taste is smooth, bitter-sweet, wood, leather, earth, light spice, raisin, caramel, light alcohol and varnish with a dry finish. Medium body and soft carbonation. Well rounded. Decent.

Cask at The Three Horseshoes, Powerstock. Near black with a thick tan head. Aroma is nutty with overripe dark fruits, fruit cake, raisins, dried fruits, caramel and light spice. Flavour is above moderate sweet and light to moderate bitter. Medium bodied with very soft carbonation.

Cask at Prince of Wales, Farnborough. 21/06/16. Vague earthy aroma. Dark and deep looking but not much to the beige head. Smooth with a slight bitter edge to the dark chocolate taste. A nice old school pint.

Cask at the Stockbridge Tap. Pours clear ruby brown with a thick creamy head. Aromas of demerara sugar, double cream, fudge. Taste is more of the same. Creamy texture, sweet finish. Decent old ale.

Gravity dispense at Pigs Ear ’15, 04/12/15. Rich chestnut brown with a decent beige cap. Nose is dark fruit rinds, light spice, earthy, dark malt, toffee. Taste comprises fruit cake, dark malt, spice, dried plums, light tobacco shreds. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, drying close. Ok.

Cask at Watford Beer Festival, Watford, Herts. A dark brown coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Rich, dark fruit, caramel aroma. Tastes rich, dark fruit, caramel, Christmas cake.

Cask at Derehams Inn beer festival, High Wycombe. Deep amber with a thick creamy head and a light sparkle. A woody beer. A whole antique wardrobe full of old varnished wood in fact, with just a hint of toffee, chocolate and earthiness behind. As traditional as it gets, and sometimes that’s no bad thing. Possibly needs a higher abv to give it a bit more oomph and some more sweetness, but it’s a decent beer nevertheless.

Cask at the NWAF, Derby ’14. Dark brown pour with a beige head. Toffee and orchard fruit aroma. Rich fruity, malty action. Splash of sultanas and baked apple. Quite boozy. Not bad.

Gravity cask at the Bree - London. Dark brown pour with a filmy tan head. Good beer, some maple syrup, cocoa, dark toffee. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Good condition. Lightly sticky sweet to finish with rich bread, syrupy chocolate, cake, dark fruits. Very nice.

14th January 2013
Bree Louise. Cask. Clear deep amber - brown beer, small pale tan head. Smooth palate, very slightly soft. Very mild carbonation. Sweetish malts, a little raw but mostly toffee - caramel. Tangy fruits and light chocolate powder. Little plum. Light dry finish. Tasty but a bit flat.