Cask gravity at Berry Walmer. Hazy golden beer bit earthy. Not to my taste. Some ok hop but a touch earthy

50cl bottle from Brown & Green, Trentham. As soon as I started to pour this I knew I was going to enjoy it - the colour is a rich copper with a golden tint and a thin off-white head - the perfect look for an ESB; the aroma is rather subdued, with some hedgerow fruit; in the mouth, it’s full of malty caramel, with a fresh English hop bitterness; and a satisying, full and rich caramel finish. I approve wholeheartedly of his Lordship’s choice.

50cl bottle from Brown & Green, Trentham, Staffs. A sparkling pale golden pour with a thin white head; slightly musty, orangey citrus aroma; crisp, sharp grapefruit taste wirh some fruity sweetness; and a zingy finish. An excellent golden ale.

Shugborough Hall has had a brewhouse since Victorian times, it was refurbished some years ago. In 1996 Titanic were asked to brew there commercially, the brewery is situated in the Staffordshire County Museum. This beer was the second beer on a ’Random British Tasting Evening’ 8th Jan 2011. Brown 500ml bottle, poured into an ’Old Speckled Hen’ vase shaped pint glass. A white wispy head sat on top of a light amber body, the beer showed a slight haze. Mild hop aroma, with an apple/pear orchard harvest time type smell. Sweetish on the tongue, with a pleasing hoppy bitterness as the mouth drys. Tangy and sharp feel to the beer, easy to drink and moorish.

Third beer in a British Beer Tasting Evening at my place, 8th Jan 2011. The second beer I’ve had from the Shugborough Hall Brewhouse which is used by Titanic on a semi-regular basis to brew different beers than their normal stuff. The beer was poured into an ’Abbot Ale’ glass pint tankard. The beer is a light ruby red/brown colour. A good looking off-white head sat on top and produced some heavy lacing. The smell was all malts, caramel and treacle molasses along with a freshly baked biscuits aroma. The taste was semi-sweet, those biscuity thoughts from the smell are there in the mouth too. A hop bitterness arrives and then retreats as the malts dominate again, so mostly malts in the taste. Full bodied, but just lacks some rich or creaminess to rise it above the rest. I enjoyed it.

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Cask@Market Porter, London. Rubyish amber colour, close to black, with a small brown head. Aroma is roasted malts, some bigtime toastes notes as well as mildly raisiny notes. Flavour is liquorice, fruits, earth, some slight bitter notes as well as some mild smoked wet wood and roasted notes as well.

4th January 2009
BBE 27.2.08 bottle that has been stored cool and dark. Clear red - brown beer. Malty with an undercurrant of red fruit. Dry finish but not bitter. Low carbonation. Alright.

Cask @ 11th Ayrshire Real Ale Festival. Mahogany colour, white head. Aroma is caramel malts, bit fruity and sour. Flavour is caramel malts, bit fruity. Not too well.