Cask @ Fox & Goose, Hebden Bridge. Golden with a small frothy head. Hopped with a slight dryness and an understated fruitiness.

part of my 2013 backlog. Dark amber brown colour with an off white head. Aroma has toffee and spicy fruit. Flavour is sweet toffee with more fruit.

From cask. Pours clear and golden yellow with a small white head. Aroma is fruity hoppy, peachy and grapefruity. Smooth fruit, peachy and crisp citrusy. Lingering fruity. Sweet fruity impression. Crisp bitter and citrusy finish.

Bottle 330ml. @ [ (pre-Christmas tasting ) by chriso - London ]. [ As Great Heck Black Santa ].Clear medium to dark brown color with a small to average, frothy - fizzy, good lacing, mostly lasting to diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, molasses, dark malt, sweet malt. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a average to long duration, dark malt, sweet malt. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is soft. [20141207]

Cask at the Hare and Billet, Blackheath. Black pour with a beige head. Aromas of licorice, dark fruit and a splash of coffee. Nice roast laden flavours, a spot of licorice and black treacle here and there. Nice bitter kick. Sharp bitterness in the finish. Tasty.

Cask at the Shakespeare; clear amber pour with a big frothy white head, grapefruit and pine aroma, taste has light pine, tangerine, some biscuit quite nice.

330ml bottle from Beer Central, Sheffield - Deep ruby tinged black body, thin head. Nose is quite hoppy for a stout, a little bit of sweetness from the vanilla at the end of the aroma, but not as roasty as expected. Taste has a bit of bitter-sweet malt, some coffee, a bit of ice-cream too. Not as good as the Black Jesus, but still a reasonably good -if different - stout.