Bottle split at Cotts Convention III, Cheers All, 20/05/17. Pale golden yellow with a decent off white head. Nose is light puke, green apple sour, prickly pear, light funk. Taste comprises pear drops, light spice, apple core, lemon curd, light funk dusting, grains, tarte citric rinse. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Decent refreshing fruited ’Linner.

Cask. Shakespeare’s, Sheffield. Clear gold. Bubbly, sticky, white head. Nose has orange marmalade. Jammy hop. Sticky sweet malts. Some candied jelly sweets. Taste is sweet and jammy, with some stewed hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is a bit heavy and sticky. Stewed hop bitter finish. Hard work.

Another beer I tried at the 3rd Cotteridge Tasting on 20th May 2017. Hazy golden pour, thin white topping. Sour pears in the name, sour pears in the nose, in the mouth and in everything else really. Not my thing at all. Scored objectively.

Keg at Old Coffee House. I think this is the new and improved Kiwi IPA recipe. It pours hazy golden with a small white head. The aroma is fresh, piney, candied lemon, hint of peach, greengage, lemongrass and bread. The taste is crisp, dry, high level of bitterness up front, piney, pithy, lemony citrus, lychee, tinned mango, chalky aspect, minerality, alcohol sting, bread, biscuit malt base and tannin with a rather dry finish. Medium body and moderate, prickly carbonation. Decent enough, but a bit too drying in my opinion.

Cask at OCH. It pours clear dark brown with a medium beige head. The aroma is earthy roast, bitter @ sweet, charred, burnt toast and coffee. The taste is very bitter for a mild, earth roast, charred wood, leather, burnt toast, tannin, resin and black tea with a lingering bitter - dry finish. Light - medium body and soft carbonation. Interesting take on a mild. A bit bloody dry and charred though, so a half was enough.

Bottle at home, 29/05/17. Pitch black with a well appointed tan head that retains well. Nose is liquorice, aniseed, dark malts, light charr, earthy berry fruits, dark chocolate, burnt toffee, dusty hop spattering. Taste comprises roast malts, ashen tones, liquorice stick, charr, cocoa nibs, raisins, dark fruit rinds. Medium + bodied, fine carbonation, drying close with a bitter hop blast and light booze tunes, tarte red berry kicks in the more I drink. Akin to a double black IPA in some respects. Quite the bitter bastard at times which gives balance to the typical sweetness in a 10% impy. Overall not bad but nothing I’d rush back to.

Keg at the OCH, 25/05/17. Light hazed on a golden orange pour with an off white head that quickly dissipates. Nose is lemon drizzle, lime, floral notes, lavender, straw, light bread exhaust. Taste comprises more lemon and lime, parma violet strokes, fresh grass, soft bread, light spice, hint of minerality. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Ok saison ... refreshing fayre if a touch sweet for the style.