Cask at EBF April 23. Aroma is sour amd punchy. Opaque gold. Frothy bubbly white head. Medium bitter - resinous with some citrus. Light-medium bodied. Slick. Average carbonation. Long astringent finish. Marmalade bitter stuff.

[Cask at the Old Manor (JDW), Bracknell.] A glossy black pour with a tight brown head; strong American hop aroma; taste of berries and chocolate; with an earthy finish with traces of resinous hops. Satisfying.

Cask-conditioned at the V Shed (JDW), Bristol March 2023. Jet black in colour with a frothy, beige, head. Leafy hops, blueberries, some chocolate and jammy sweetness, before a gently bitter finish. Enjoyable.

Cask at the Hope Tap, Reading. Brown-black with a brown head. Strong floral notes on the aroma with a light tropical hint. Taste is quite different - chocolate cake, blackcurrant, lemon and roasted malts. A restrained bitterness.and light dryness is well judged to offset some cream. Very good - a contender for best of the fest?

Handpull cask at the Salmon, Leicester. Dark brown, a little bit translucent, will a tight beige head. Roasted malt, pie crust, blackberries in the aroma.sweet and fruity initial taste taken over by a dogged bitterness. Light notes of burnt pastry. Light body with full carbonation. Wicked stuff. Oakham at their best.

Cask at Babington Arms, Derby. Pours a very dark reddish-brown with a small cream head. Some floral hops and hints of citrus in the aroma – but they are restrained. In the mouth it is smooth with a creamy texture. Flavour has roast malts, chocolate and floral hops plus traces of lemon. Some liquorice and hints of fruitcake later on as well. Finish is somewhat bitter. I don’t normally go for Oakham beers (too much citrus(), but this is rather nice.

Cask at the moon under water Watford Jdw. A dark mahogany brown coloured pour with a lasting light tan head. Aroma is subdued, nutty malts, pine, light waxy. Flavour is composed of semi sweet nutty malts, pine needle, sap, sticky hop,. Palate is semi sweet, rounded decent cask condition. No wow.

Cask at the Gordon Highlander. It pours darkest brown to black with a decent khaki head. The aroma is toasty, earthy, dark chocolate, cacao, nutty, malt loaf, gateaux, plain chocolate, liquorice and umami. The taste is dry, earthy toasty, nutty, umami, leather, bitter - sweet, cacao, nutty, liquorice, umami, toasty, umami, nutty, toasted sesame, roasted malt, light alcohol and charred boak with a dry, toasty finish. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Lovely, flavourful and rounded. Tasty.

Cask at The Kentish Belle, Bexleyheath. Brown pour with a beige head. Nose is plum pudding, raisin, rhubarb, blackberry jam. Taste is exceedingly similar. Jammmy dark fruit mouthfeel, light bitter finish.

Can @ Windmill, Stansted. Hazy yellow with a white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, fruity and moderate hoppy - citrus and fruity. Flavor is medium sweet and light bitter. Sweet and light bitter finish. 120323