Christmas Eve 2014. 500ml bottle five months out of date: cheers Brother-in-law! Poured a decent looking golden amber with a thin wisp and collar of small white bubbles. Thought it might have turned because it just seemed old and earthy in the nose (the other rates however confirm my thoughts) with an ’off’ feel. The taste was also earthy yet with some mild sour citrus notes within a minor marmalade flavour with hints of sweetness. This is the fourth ’Christmassy beer’ from these guys and on the whole they have been a pleasant surprise, this one was also fine, if a bit past it’s best before date.

50cl bottle from a local Garden Centre. Golden amber with a ring of white head; musty, earthy, aroma with a trace of orange; thick syrupy body with some orange citrus; and a pleasantly sour fruity finish. Much better than expected.

500ml Bottle: 25 days out of date when open on 15th Nov 2014 during my Pre-Christmas Christmas beer tasting evening. The beer was shared with no one, although Bertie the dog was watching me! Pours a lovely deep ruby red, on top a good solid tanned head, sadly it fell away rather swiftly: to leave a thick collar a wispy covering and some lacing. Intense chocolate nose and taste, really pronounced. My sweet tooth really took to it. Really liked this, even if it was one dimensional with it’s aroma and taste: I like chocolate.

500ml bottle from Lightwater Valley shopping village, North Yorkshire. Hazy yellow-orange golden colour, fizzy white foam head and aroma of fruity apple, oaky. Taste is tangy fruity apple, apple skins, woody oak with barnyard & solventy notes, both sour and bittersweet. Oily mouthfeel, medium bodied, fine spritzy carbonation, dry woody tannic finish. Nicely drinkable scrumpy cider.

Bottle shared at chriso’s - many thanks to Steve. Pours oudy yellow-gold with a creamy white head. The nose has tangy lemon, hay, crunchy grains. Light sweet flavor with faint lemony tang, oily hops, pithy citrus, straw. Light bodied with fine carbonation. More oils to finish, sticky hay, some grass, more pithy lemon. Mediocre.

Bottle thanks to silkwork. Massive gusher! It pours murky golden with chunky purple floaters. The nose is fresh, funky, brioche, brett, candy and sugar. The taste is earthy, funky, lemon peel, sherbet, candy, some acidity, grapefruit and dirt with a dry finish. Medium body and high carbonation. Proper infected, so much so that it’s almost good...

Appearance- dark, ruby, no head at all really. Aroma- roasty hints, hoppy, raisin. Taste- Chocolatey, dark fruit hints, bitter hops in the background, a bit thin in the mouthfeel. Ok.

500ml Bottle: BBD the end of June 14. This Christmas present was opened late on 7th Jan 14 and poured into an Abbot Ale tankard at home while everyone else slept. Slight haze to my golden/amber brew, the head a thin white covering that soon became a wisp and collar. Piney hop nose with a citrus front, that citrus smell carries on into the taste and almost hides the biscuity maltiness that is within the flavours once the beer calms down in your mouth. A bit too citrusy for my liking, but others love those lemon and lime like flavours from whatever hops the brewer chooses to use: it’s not something I’ll have again but it suited the sliced ham with herbs and Welsh cheese I had with it.

50cl bottle from Longacres, Windlesham. Reddish chestnut with a fast fading cream head; sweet caramel aroma; soft earthy caramel taste; and a thin caramel finish with a slight hint of spice. A rather average bitter.

50cl bottle from Longacres, Windlesham. Pale amber with a white head; citrus aroma; caramel citrus taste; with a clean finish.