6.5

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 6.5

Cask at the Hop Inn, Swindon, 04/04/2025.
Mahogany brown topped with a frothy beige cap.
Nose is chocolate, toffee, peanut butter, dark malts.
Taste comprises mellow roast, nutty, caramel, cocoa powder, brown sugar sprinkle.
Medium bodied, soft carbonation, drying close.
Tidy enough cask stout.

6.5

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

7.3

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

Used to love a good Crunchie bar as a kid. Black with a small creamy head. Lovely honeycomb aroma, slightly less stated in taste but still heavy. Found at the Lime Street Station Spoons - the gateway to Liverpool!

7.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Dartmoor Prison Museum operates on the opposite side of the road to the still operational prison on the moor. Not much light around there at night, and this one is pretty dark too, looking black. Gentle tasting but crisp dark malts here. Very easy mild.

6.3

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

Beer number eight at the Great British Winter Beer Festival 2025. Glowing beer, tasting quite robust with a hop-malt balance, but not the texture to match, this is quite soft. Very mild sweetness.

6.6

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

1/3 cask pour at GBBF Winter. Light amber pour with a small foamy head. Malty aroma, caramel, tobacco. Taste is malty, leathery, tobacco, toffee and a touch of dryness at the finish.

7

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

1/3 cask pour at GBBF Winter. Amber pour with 1/2 finger sturdy White head. Malty aroma, woody, nutty. Taste is more of the dry malts with some leathery notes and a dry finish. This tastes like a walk through the woods in the late fall.

6.4

Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6

Cask at Hops, Crewe. Pours golden amber with a small off-white head and good lacing. The aroma is pretty subdued, but there’s floral hops and tropical fruit. In the mouth the first sip has a slight sweetness, but that it quickly overwhelmed by hoppy bitterness. Flavour has floral hops, alcohol and gooseberries with a touch of melon after a while. Alcoholic strength lasts to give s boozy finish. This is reasonable enough but it’s a bit rough.

Not black like its name, but getting there. A roasted malt porter at an easy strength and texture to match. Vanilla best in aftertaste.