Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Cask at the Tyne Bar, Byker, 15/05/2025.
Lighter shade of black with a reddish glint in the light and topped with a lasting khaki head.
Nose is toffee, charr, roast malts, cocoa sprinkle.
Taste comprises roasted bite, ashen tones, lactic pinch, brown bread, dried fruit rinds, charr, chocolate shavings.
Medium bodied, soft carbonation, drying close.
Solid cask stout.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Handpull cask at the Blue Boar, Leicester. Mid- to dark gold in this light with a little bit of haze and a large off-white head. Aroma gives sweet notes of grapefruit and candied orange alongside thick caramel. Taste is very sweet up front: I'm getting lots of Citra but also notes of brown sugar. It is nice but almost weirdly artificial. I can't quite get my head around it. Bitterness in the abort to medium finish. East body, about right for the ABV, with soft carbonation.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7.5 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6.5

Cask at Smithfield, Derby. Pours a hazy golden amber with a small off-white head. There’s floral hops and citrus in the aroma. In the mouth it fluctuates between bitter and sweet. Flavour has floral hops, biscuits and mango. Some sharpness comes through later along with hints of melon, citrus and alcoholic strength. Bitterness lasts into the slightly dry finish. This is decent – hides its strength well.

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Cask at Egham Beer Fest Autumn 24. Aroma is fruity if not overly assertive. Cloudy dsrk apple juice gold. Thin frothy translucent white head soon recedes. Fruity. Somewhat resinous. Spicy edge. Chewy. Medium bodied. Slick to oily. Soft-fizzy carbonation. Long dry slightly astringent finish. Easy going hazy pale.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Cask at Steel Coulson Southside. Pours key black with tight tan head. Aromas of fruit black malt, liquorice and faint ginger. Taste is coffee and prune, light touch with the ginger. Well done.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Half-pint, draught at Cumberland Arms. Shared with Finn. Coal black in the glass, decent fawn-coloured head leaving crocheted lacing on the glass. Inviting roasted malty aromas, mid-sweet. Flavoured with coffee-chocolate, a bite of liquorice, and lactose sweetness. Lightly roasted dark malt-driven end, rather sweet. Pleasing without further excitements. (Ouseburn - Newcastle upon Tyne, 20.03.2024).

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Delt med Rune. Svart. Mokkafarget filmskum. Sjokoladearoma. Smaken melkesjokolade. Lett tørr avslutning. Vel søt.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

Handpull cask at the Blue Boar, Leicester. Very dark brown, not very translucent at all, with a ring of tan head. Aroma is full on chai, potpourri, loads of Clive and cinnamon. Dry and slightlysouring taste with the spices to the fore along with some liquorice. Lasting aftertaste. Soupy body, soft carbonation. Not overly keen as the spice element is overpowering.

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Gravity cask at Pigs Ear '23, day two, 29/11/23. Golden blonde with an off white cap that settles as a swirl. Nose is melon, tangerine, soft malts, light bready notes. Taste comprises orange zest, mandarin, light floral strains, soft malts, grass, bread dough. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, semi drying close with a light dash of hop bitterness. Decent golde.