Ridgeway Brewing Bad King John

Bad King John

 

Ridgeway Brewing in South Stoke, Oxfordshire, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

  Stout Regular
Score
6.59
ABV: 6.0% IBU: - Ticks: 102
An unusual beer, it is neither a porter nor a stout, but a black ale. It is a proper English pale with the addition of heavily roasted grains. Only English hops are used, some of them later in the boil to leave behind essential oils and hop aroma. This beer tests the drinkers senses – the eyes are saying it’s heavy, the mouth says it’s light, perhaps sometimes dangerously so….
 

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6.8
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6.5

Tried from Bottle from Hop Cask & Barrel on 07 Mar 2026 at 02:20


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

Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to English pint glass.
Appearance: dark brown close to black in the glass with a two finger eggshell white foamy head which slid off nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: dark roasted malts, sweet grains, roasted nuts, sweet earthy scents, dark fruits, cocoa powder, baker's chocolate, caramel/toffee malts and some coffee tones
Flavor: wraps up the prior noted aromas to a fair bitter blend with a mild roasty and toasty quality sliding in underneath then a subtle crisp sweetness; finishes dark fruity/cocoa powder-y/sweet grainy
Texture: light to medium bodied, some sessionability to it. Pretty darn smooth along the tongue
Overall: a pretty nicely done and we'll say here a "dark ale" as respect to the brewer who doesn't call this a porter or a stout, just a fine dark ale and worthy of returning to.

Tried from Bottle on 10 Feb 2026 at 20:28


6.6
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 5.5

Bottle at home, köszi Tomi! Jet black, thin head. Compulsory coffee notes, short roasted finish. Light body, soft carbo.

Tried from Bottle on 17 Mar 2025 at 12:28


6.6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7

500ml bottle. Pours a very dark brown with a white head. Aromas & tastes of dark chocolate, hints of coffee, caramel & roasted malt. Medium body. Dry light bitter finish. Enjoyable

Tried from Bottle on 08 Jan 2025 at 11:41


4.6
Appearance - 5 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 4.5

Mild malziger Beginn. Cremig, milde Herbe, wässrig röstig, zunehmende Bitterkeit. Kurzer Abgang. Meh. 8/6/8/6/7/6

Tried from Bottle on 12 Aug 2024 at 18:42


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Dark reddish brown beer with a beige head. Aroma of red fruits, dark moderate roasted malt, nuts. Taste of roasted dark malt, caramel, chocolate, nuts, moderate bitterness.

Tried on 30 Jul 2024 at 07:10


6

Very dry mild beginning, hints of metal, very dry. Burned grain, bitter and very dry. Interesting but not too deep.

Tried from Bottle on 26 Jul 2024 at 21:37


7

Black.white creamy foam.malty,herbs,hops. Smooth.some bitterness.nicely balanced. Bbe:21/04/2023

Tried on 21 Oct 2023 at 19:09


7

Tried on 10 Feb 2023 at 20:42


Historic check-in

Tried on 24 Jan 2023 at 08:27