6/10
Tried
on 20 Mar 2022
at 17:05
7.2/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Cask at Great Western, Wolverhampton. Pours a very dark reddish brown with a sizeable off-white head. Just general malt leanings in the aroma. In the mouth it has a sticky viscous texture, with toffee and treacle as the main flavours. Some hints of dark fruits and roasted malt too. Generally quite sweet overall. Nice enough, but it’s a bit like drinking gravy !
Tried
from Cask
on 11 Jan 2022
at 21:49
6/10
Tried
on 30 Dec 2021
at 17:17
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 8
Cask at Great Western, Wolverhampton. Pours a very dark reddish-brown with a small cream head. Aroma has mainly molasses and hints of alcoholic strength. Alcohol at the forefront in the mouth as well, but there’s plenty of other flavour as well. Raisins, treacle, dandelion & burdock, aniseed and other spices with a base of caramel lurking underneath. Finish is a warming glow inside ! This is s-s-s-superb !
Tried
from Cask
on 24 Dec 2021
at 21:26
6.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
500ml bottle, from Gloucester Services. Pours clear amber with a white head. Aroma: light roasted malts, caramel, grain. Taste: light to moderate sweet & bitter, light rich, earthy, caramel, hedgerow berries. Medium body with soft carbonation. A palatable ESB.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Nov 2021
at 22:01
6.6/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 6.5
Texture 7
Overall 6.5
Clear pale gold with a frothy, almost creamy white head, and a slightly fruity aroma. Tastewise this is a pretty sweet golden ale, with fruit and sugar sweetness being slightly balanced out by a hint of citrus hop bitterness
Tried
from Cask
at
King's Head
on 29 Sep 2021
at 13:00
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Cask at Great Western, Wolverhampton. Pours a golden brown with a small off-white head. Nose is fruity with added malts. In the mouth the texture is creamy, with sweet malts and alcoholic strength in evidence, Spices and raisins lie beneath. Finish is sweet and dry. A bit of an acquired taste, but this is quite nice.
Tried
from Cask
on 31 Aug 2021
at 20:15
7.6/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Cask at Great Western, Wolverhampton. Pours a burnished gold with a small white head and good lacing. Treacle and malts in the aroma together with orange undertones. Sweet malts dominate the flavour, together with barley sugar sweets, but there are also traces of nuts and honey. Finish is sweet and dry. A bostin’ good bitter !
Tried
from Cask
on 29 Jul 2021
at 21:47
5.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle from Asda in Stafford (not stocked at local branch). Has a slight aroma of traditional hops combined with toffee. Pours a golden brown with minimal white head. Has a sharp metallic taste in the mouth – reminiscent of strong lagers ! Behind that there is some caramel, malts and toffee. Finish is bitter and metallic. It’s OK, but by no means my favourite Holdens beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 May 2021
at 21:06
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Rumours of the demise of this beer have been exaggerated ! Cask at Great Western, Wolverhampton. Pours a very dark reddish brown with a substantial cream head. Yeast and malts in the nose, but not to a huge extent. Predominant flavour is of dark fruits, plus roasted malts and some treacle, toffee and parkin. The fruits linger in the finish. S-s-s-uperb ! The epitome of a traditional mild.
Tried
from Cask
on 02 Nov 2020
at 23:25