Cask@The Great British Beer Festival 2022 (Days 1&2) - Dark toasted malty with caramel and toffee, fudge, dried fruit, dark malty finish.

Cask at GBBF '22 day 2, 03/08/22. Light black with a decent khaki covering. Nose is chocolate, light honey, dark malts, dried fruit rinds. Taste comprises cocoa powder, dark fruit shavings, brown bread, biscuit, tobacco. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, semi drying close. Tidy mild.

Cask at gbbf 2022 day 3. A dark mahogany brown coloured pour with a loose beige head. Aroma is semi sweet, big rustic malts, smoke, cakey, malts, dried fruits. Flavour is composed of, semi sweet, rounded, rustic roast, dried fruits, fig, earthy. Light smoke. Palate is semi sweet, oily, layered, good cask condition. Really solid.

Cask at Bird in hand, Stafford. Pours a cloudy orange with a small white head and good lacing. Just some traces of oranges in the aroma. In the mouth it is sweet and tangy with floral hops and summer fruits to the fore, hints of grapefruit, and a caramel base underneath. There’s a fair degree of carbonation here as well, and the finish is somewhat bitter. Not at all bad – though difficult to categorise.

Cask. Gravity. Rail Ale fest. Black with a firm cream head. Liquorice and ash. Lots of dark fruit. Taste is dry and earthy bitter. Medium body. Dry earthy fruity finish. Decent enough.

Cask at Shrewsbury Arms, Stafford. Pours a golden amber with a small white head and good lacing. Aroma is fairly vague - just traces of grains and autumn fruits. Much more immediate in the mouth though where it is bitter and hoppy with plenty of flavour. Traditional hops, marmalade and golden syrup are all there, plus hints of pine. Some sweetness right at the start, but this soon vanishes. Finish is bitter and dry. This is very drinkable. PS this is NOT a bitter – it’s an IPA !!