6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
Think of a more full bodied Newcastle and you come close to this beer; and that doesn’t sound so bad. The aroma is of light malt. A dark brown beer with low carbonation. Light malt and hops, and a touch of coffee. I didn’t pick up any chocolate, but the beer is thick. Not bad.
Tried
on 07 Jan 2006
at 21:53
8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
500ml bottle from Sainsbury. Don’t know if they have changed the recipe or what, but I’m right with Magic Dave on this one. I have been so accustomed to Harviestoun’s use of US hops it was nice to have something else from them and for once a pasteurised beer was really good. Very pale copper colour with lasting white head. Earthy hop with fragrant EKG coming through. Some faint gingerish caramel. Mix of soft malts and nice citric hop with gtrapefruit and excellent dryness. Good complex hops on both the aroma and in the flavour and lasting into the finish. Lovely intense juicy rapefruit. Really impressed with the hops on this. Some dustiness too.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jan 2006
at 15:12
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
(Bottle 33 cl) Almost pitch black with only a vague, reddish hue. Very small - almost absent - beige head. Close to being flat. Aroma of roasted malt, complex almost vinous with a raisiny touch. Lovely, dark lightly burned malty notes. Not too full-bodied with roasted malt, alcohol and licorice. Discreet, dry bitterness. Quite lovely. 020106
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Jan 2006
at 14:09
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Golden colour. Small white head. Citrus and hoppy aroma. Nice hoppy flavor with lots of citrus and a twist of lemon in the end. Very drinkable.
Tried
on 13 Dec 2005
at 13:46
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color ale with a medium foamy brown head with minimal retention. Aroma of chocolate with roasted malt is easily identifiable. The roasted malt with some medium notes of chocolate and coffee also dominates taste. Overall, this is a very enjoyable beer from a style that I’m having more and more of hard time to pin down. Re-rate 2008 (fresh bottle (2007) and 2005 vintage: More coffee and black chocolate then last time around with a creamier body then last time. The vintage bottle had lost some body and some of the coffee notes and is probably not a good candidate to be cellared.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Oct 2005
at 15:36
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
500 ml bottle, now available in Norway. ABV here is 4.7%. Golden colour, large to moderate white head. Moderate carbonation. Aroma is initially surprisingly moderate but nice and pleasant, improves as the beer warms up a little (started drinking it too cold), flowery and citrussy hops (Hersbrücker and Challenger), hints of honey too. Flavour is zesty and grapefruity, the hops dominate but there is also a sufficient malty base. Bitter aftertaste of grapefruit peel. A very unusual lager, clearly related to its golden ale cousin, the Bitter & Twisted.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Oct 2005
at 11:16
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
(Bottle 50 cl) Very pale golden, with a small head. Rather low in carbonation. Very delicate and spicy hop character from no less than 4 hop varieties. Very refined and lovely. 040803
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Oct 2005
at 12:35
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
(Bottle 50 cl) Fully golden without much head. Lovely, fruity hop aroma. Notes of citrus but not very bitter. Excellent indeed. 050503
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Oct 2005
at 12:31
5.8/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
Hoppy aroma, lemony and herbal. Some hint at skunking, weird because its a brown bottle, but it may not have been lightstruck but a hop-related herbal note. Golden color, small head faded to nil. Fresh hops flavors are spicy, with a somewhat oregano-like herbal quality as well. Malts not special. Clean, surprisingly. Light palate. Strong hop finish. I can only imagine the cask version.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Oct 2005
at 22:12
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Cask @ Charlies
Hazy amber, tanned creamy head. Neutral aroma, luckily the flavor is more exiting. Citric and grassy hops. Dry herbal hoppy finish Light to medium body, sparkly mouthfeel. Nice.
Hazy amber, tanned creamy head. Neutral aroma, luckily the flavor is more exiting. Citric and grassy hops. Dry herbal hoppy finish Light to medium body, sparkly mouthfeel. Nice.
Tried
from Cask
on 13 Oct 2005
at 16:24