500ml Brown bottle, best before the end of May 2012: poured into my Abbot Ale glass tankard on 28 Feb 2012. Nice deep, dark Ruby red body, on top a creamy foaming head, both in colour and texture. The chocolate malts could clearly be picked up in the nose, not so the Maris Otter or Crystal that were also mentioned on the label. Add a plum pudding smell to the chocolate and the aroma is about right. The initial taste is chocolate malt sweet, but a large chunk of bitterness arrives soon afterwards with Fuggles and local Goldings giving their hop flavours full throttle. The body is rich and warming, even though the alcohol is only 4.6% ABV: this is a true winters beer, you need a roaring fire and snow outside to fully appreciate how good it is. Hints of liquorice appear as the beer warms in the glass to add that little extra flavour to an already tasty beer. I need to try this in cask form!