Cask @ Wetherspoons, Inverness.
Appearance - Dark brown, clear, thin white head, reasonable lacing.
Aroma - Dark malts, molasses.
Taste - Very malty - dark caramel malts, sweet dark malts, some roasted malt, fruity berries, slight bitter hops (not much hops), hint of cocoa.
Palate - Finish is quite dry with some roast malt and lingering light bitterness.
Overall - A pleasent beer that emphasises the malts.

Cask at the Prince of Wales, Aberdeen. It pours clear deep amber, with a small off-white head. The nose is wood, spice, milk chocolate and brown bread. The taste is varnish, wood, dark berry, light spice, leather, smoke and milk chocolate, with a dry, woody finish. Medium body, soft carbonation and good balance. Nice.

Bottle. Dark amber with a beige head. Aroma of toffee, pears, flowers. Taste is moderately sweet with toasted toffee, pear, dried fruit, spices. Carbonation fails to quite hide slightly dead mouthfeel, but it’s not too bad. Lingering fruity hops at the end. Shame about the mouthfeel, but the toffee and fruit flavours have some depth and the sweetness is nicely cleaned up at the end.

Bottle. Pale gold with a white head that lasts OK. Aroma of oranges, elderflowers, light honey. Taste has a little honey and lots of citrus - orange and lemon - some spices. Pretty dry and pleasantly bitter. The pastuerisation is not much of a distraction with this one, perhaps because the carbonation and straightforward crispness suit it. Refreshing.

Tap at Cloisters, Edinburgh. Pours a light amber colour with a reasonable head. The nose is biscuity with some ginger in there, so ginger biscuits I guess. Unfortunately, there’s also a strong green apple note which isn’t a good sign. The taste isn’t quite so intense so more like cereal or basic digestive biscuits, still some green apple too. The palate is medium bodied with a creamy middle and it cleans quite well. Overall, it’s a shame as I don’t think I was drinking this on its best day and it did have some promise.

Bottle. Black with small tan head. Flavour is roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, liquorice, fruit,, medium sweet and a little bitter.

Almost black with a brown head. Aroma is sweet, roasted malt and coffee. Flavor is quite sweet and light bitter. Dry and roasted light bitter finish. 030911

50cl bottle, thanks to Lewis. Pours a lovely black with a reasonable creamy head that falls away to a thin layer of lace. Nose has liquorice, coffee and chocolate. Taste has rich creamy toffee, then a long, long liquorice finish. Palate has a big structure, a creamy middle section and a long dry finish. Overall, I like this a lot.

Cask @ Old Mill, Brodie
Copper brown, thick frothy white head.
Aroma of light grass hop and sweet malt with hint of strawberry.
Taste....Caramel malt...hint of strawberry....bitter hops...bit of toffee cinder.
Palate bittersweet initially, then a mild bitter lingering finish with a hint of strawberry.
Overall....Quite a pleasant beer, but the strawberry seems a bit tacked on (it is a strawberry blonde beer according to the description).

Cask @ Gallus. Amber colour, off-white head. Nose is a bit fruity, caramel. Flavour is slightly fruity, bit of caramel, faint roastiness.