Imaging my excitment when I, much to my surprise, found a fairly good range of british bottle ales at a bar in Platanias, Crete. The bar was Chalaraa and the beers were not in the menu. I found them when I asked for a look in the refrigerator. I picked the bottle conditioned Hen’s Tooth (BB. 28.02.07) and came back for another one the next day. Light mahogany in colour, beige foam with lots of bubbles. Hoppy aroma. Sweet taste of dark caramel. Lasting malty and bitter finish (31.05.2006).

500ml bottle. Crystal clear brown colour. Dark malty sweetness to the nose. Dry texture and malty character. Sharp caramel taste and slight hoppy bitterness in the finish. A bit metallic impression (Oslo,23.05.2006).

[Cask at Cockney Pub, Århus] A clear amber beer with a small orange head. The aroma has notes of yeast, malt, and nuts. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of caramel and nuts, leading to a nice slightly bitter end. Very easily drinkable.

Cask at the Plough, Wolvercote, Oxon 25-04-06. Amber coloured and the like the Ruddles County I had before with a small head that quickly dissapeared. A smooth tasting and maltyish beer that slips down well doesn’t quite taste like a 5%+ beer but otherwise very good.

First ratingInitial Rating Date: 4/13/2006Sample at a beer tasting event at "Pannrummet" in Gothenburg, Sweden.Dark amber color. Fruity scent and taste. Low bitterness. Fairly easy to drink English ale.7/4/6/3/11=3.1RerateDraught at De Klomp, Linköping, on March 11, 2016.Clear copper color, off-white head. Fruity, malty, berries taste. Cream, fruity aftertaste. Medium, low CO2, soft mouthfeel, low bitterness. Some caramel. Sweet, fruity scent.Easy to drink, refreshing, still with character, underappreciated beer style and beer.7/4/7/4/15=3.7Draught at Ölrepubliken, Göteborg, on October 21, 2017.Clear dark brown color, dense tan head. Fruity, malty sweet scent, a tad floral. Sweet, malty, biscuit, floral taste. Sweet, mild hoppy aftertaste. Medium smooth mouthfeel, medium low bitterness.7/4/7/4/15=3.7

(bottle) Slightly hazy orangey amber colour with a short creamy off-white head. Earthy, slightly sweet toasted malty and nutty aroma with herbal hops. Bittersweet flavour, medium body, smooth mouthfeel; nutty malty taste, slightly toasted with caramel, dry bitter well-hopped aromatic and lasting finish.

Clear light amber color with a medium creamy white head that lasts a while. Swet caramel aroma. Sweet caramel flavor with some slight bitterness.

nitro can - copper color, huge, creamy head, nice looking nitro carbonation. The body is a bit thin, but not bad. The taste is well balanced. This beer is smooth and easy to drink with some pleasant hops in the finish, a nice session beer.

Tried from Can on 15 Feb 2006 Pours like milk, all cloudy at first, but then settles. Nice head. Once settled the beer is an orange color. Can see through the beer but not too clearly. Nothing too distinguishable in the aroma. Body is medium to medium-light. Palate is cheap, does not feel good. The taste is malty but goes down well with just a hint of bitterness. Overall, its a pale Guiness but a little worse.

Re-rate (3/2025): draft at Duchess in Baltimore. It’s supposed to be an imperial pour but like a jerk I asked for a half pour. So, I got eyeballed half a pour in a 20oz tall skinny mug. I sip the beer which leads me to a consideration to rate it. Wasn’t sure if I had rated this before. To my astonishment, I did and it was 19 years ago. 19! Nearly half my life ago. In the present, it seems like this moment, in this bar with this 3-piece string band and this fancy atmosphere with my feelings of competence, is THE MOMENT!!! But, likely, this present rating/beer and this place - the Duchess - will be but another small footnote in my life. And if it wasn’t for this rating, a completely forgotten moment. And i realize that these beer ratings are for me. And, if I am lucky, perhaps in 19 years from now I will want to rate this beer again. And, at that moment, I will feel like it’s THE MOMENT as I did many other times before. And it won’t be a forgotten moment like almost always. In the end, that’s what makes this beer special, in this moment.

Bottle. Nice amber colour with a fast disappearing tan head. Sweet malty aroma with some spicy fruitiness. Sweet malty flavor with some caramel. Hoppy bitterness in the end.