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

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

Cask at the Elm Tree, Durham, 14/05/2025.
Reddish amber with a good sized lasting light beige head.
Nose is biscuit, caramel, light bready notes, perfume.
Taste comprises dried red berries, biscuit, brown bread, herb.
Medium bodied, soft carbonation, drying close with a light bitter edge.
Tidy enough cask fayre.

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

Old rating from 2014 - 500ml bottle from the brewpub.. Pours amber with a white head. Aromas & tastes of citrus, lemon, earth, biscuit, toffee, pine & malt. Moderate body. Light bitter finish.

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

Old rating from 2014 - 500ml bottle from the brewpub.. Pours dark brown with a white foamy head. Aromas & tastes of earth, apple, pepper, liquorice, chocolate, nuts & burnt malt. Moderate body. Dry mildly bitter finish

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

Old rating from 2014 - 500ml bottle from the brewpub, pours caramel colour with a white head. Aromas & tastes of flora, vanilla, butterscotch, toffee & biscuit malt. Moderate body. Dry mildly bitter finish

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

Bottle from Northumbrian Gifts. Dark brown/near black pour with small beige top. Aroma of dark malt, a touch meaty, light coffee, dried fruits, sweet and herbal hop. A dark roasted bitter malt dominates in the flavour, some dark chocolate, there is a slight part citric fruitiness, drying finish. There is some sweetness and when combined with a lightish body there is an element of balance against the rich bitterness although not fully. Also there is not much flavour notes carrying to the end of this beer. Not convinced by it.

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

Bottle from Northumbrian Gifts. Clear light gold with small white head. Aroma of brown toast, orange and lime zest, pine. Taste of light toasted malts, toffee, dusty hops with hints of citrus. Light bodied but with a slick refreshing mouthfeel. Doesn't stand out but very drinkable.

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

Bottle from Northumbrian Gifts. Light clear gold with small fluffy white head, nice retention. Aroma has a touch of lager shandy about it being quite sweet with lemon and grains, some flora. Taste of butterscotch, biscuit, squeeze of lemon. Clean but limited in the finish - some mild bitterness and malt. Light bodied, refreshing. Ok.

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

Handpull cask at the Platform Bar, Hexham. Drinking this, I would say it is not a blonde but rather a bitter. Chestnut brown, clear with a small beige head and plenty of lacing. Malt-led aroma, some overripe citrus, some lightly fruited caramel. Sweet taste with a lingering bitterness. Heavier in the mouth than one would expect, with soft to nil carbonation. It's fine.

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

Cask at EBF Nov 23. Aroma has mocha and charcoal. Darkest brown verging on black. Thick foamy off-white head. Light-medium bitter. Coffee and dark berries. Cacao aftertaste. Light-medium bodied. Slick to creamy. Average carbonation. Long somewhat astringent finish.