Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Wakefield Beer Festival 2015. Dark reddish-brown. Has a soapy roasted malt aroma and taste. Relatively light and easy-drinking for its strength.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5
500ml bottle. Barely clear, orangey golden colour with average to huge, frothy, fairly lasting, minimally lacing, white head. Cautious, fruity hoppy aroma, notes of gooseberry, a touch of rhubarb, pale malty background. Taste is slightly bitter hoppy, fruity, initially with hints of gooseberry and rhubarb, later with a distinguished lemon note, pale malty basis. Minimally tart finish with a touch of lime and lemon zest, thin and slightly watery overall.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Tried at the Three Horseshoes. Dark ruby colour wi a tan head. Big fruity aroma, taste starts lightly sweet, with a stewed fruit finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
500ml bottle. Clear, orangey, bright golden colour with huge, frothy, osteoporosing, white head. Bitter hoppy, floral yeasty aroma, hints of mandarine zest. Taste is bitter hoppy, floral yeasty, slightly caramel and bready malty basis, mandarine zest overtones.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Bottle from Chester Beer & Wine. Black looks with a meek tan head. Nose had some chocolate, vanilla, dark fruits and malts. Flavour had a slight metallic tang which lets it down, alongside roasted malts, choc, earth and coffee. Dried out towards the finish. Ok but I look for a bit more all round in an impy.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4
330ml bottle. Quasi black colour with average, frothy, half-way lasting, brown head. Sweet-ish, artificially chocolately aroma, milk chocolate, nougat. Taste is herbal, chocolately dark malty, notes of thyme, rosemary, hints of chipotle, a dusty touch. Inharmonious, absolutely overdone.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle from the Bottle Bank. Appearance - deep amber to chestnut. Decent head. Nose - red fruits, nuts and biscuits. Taste - more of the same and it manifests itself in a marzipan cake thing. Palate - medium bodied with a creamy yet crunchy texture and a long dry finish. Overall - yep well made ESB. Complexity for the strength.