Handpull cask at the Queen Edith, Cambridge. Brown or black? Hard to tell. Certainly dark as you like. The malt dominates the aroma, with freshly roast coffee and charcoal not quite successful in completely drowning out the grassy hop. I expected it to be really dry, and it is, but there’s a gorgeous blackberry sweetness which creeps in around the start of the sip. It finishes bitter and dry, though, and the malt feels over-roasted on the charred finish. The flat, oily body doesn’t help either. Am I just being picky? A bit, because all in all this is a pretty exemplary recipe.

Handpull cask at the Coach & Horses, Wellingborough. Very dark brown, almost with purplish notes. Opaque. Cream-tan head leaves lots of lacing. Chocolate malt aroma with a slight medicinal note. Taste is sweet, smooth and malty. Ovaltine notes are slowly overcome by an insistent but polite hop bitterness. Bittersweet balance in the long finish, with blackberry, red grape and charcoal notes. Tasty mild.

Cask 1/3 pint, gravity dispense, at the 16th Twickenham Beer & Cider Festival, Dark ruby / cola black colour, small beige head. Moderate roasty aroma, notes of mild coffee and dark chocolate. Pleasant and lively mouthfeel. Roasty flavour, coffee and dark chocolate again. Roasty aftertaste, some hops.

Cask at Milton Keynes Beer Festival; opaque dark mahogany brown pour with a bubbly off white head, aroma has chocolate, taste has chocolate, slight bitterness, dark fruits, hint of coffee.

Cask at GBBF’16, day two, 10/08/16. Golden blonde with a decent off white head. Nose is light orange peel, straw, lemon rind, soft bread. Taste comprises melon, tangerine, straw, soft bread, citric fizz. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Decent gold.

11th August 2016
GBBF Day 3. Cask. Clear gold beer, thin pale cream colour head. Palate is softish and has decent fine carbonation. Nice condition. Light sweetish pale malts. Marmalade and grapefruit. Some fresher orange peel. Light finish. Lovely condition makes this a very easy drinker.

Sampled @ GBBF day 1. Clear golden color, average sized white head. Aroma is sweeetish apple, lightly malts. Taste malts, lightly bitter, a slight fruity hint. Average body and carbonation. Meh.

Cask handpull at GBBF 2016. Clear amber colour lasting white head good condition good flavour good bitter hop. Great condition. Good bitter.

10 cask at GBBF 2016... Golden amber.. Thin white lacing.. Soft sweet floral fruit nose .. Zezty lemon fruit nose