Cask at the Southampton Arms, London on 30th September 2025. Slightly hazy amber with shallow foam and full lacing. Grassy hop aroma with soapy citrus. Zesty peel dominates the liquid pass, and finish is full of tangy fruits, with late grassiness. A fair amount of body, and a smooth texture.

keg at the gnome ...copper ...thin tan head ..soft sweet caramel toffee fruit nose ..soft sweet caramel toffee fruit nose ..Light juicy sweet caramel toffee fruit

A clear golden yellow beer with a mid-sized most good lasting white head. Aroma of pale malt, mild grassy and floral hops. Taste of pale malt, straw, wet grassy and floral hops, moderate bitterness.

Tap at FOB, Rimini, Italy. Pours blonde, medium transparent, with minimal white foam. Aroma is clearly citrus, lime. Body is average, with low carbonation. A little astringency. Taste is delicately acidic. Not much sapidity, in my view. Final is average.

Flavoured stout by Siren intended to evoke s'mores, the popular American barbecue finisher consisting of roasted marshmallows topped with chocolate caught between two crackers (if I am well informed). Thanks to Meeki for sharing! Yellowish pale beige, open, thinnish, tiny-bubbled, dissolving head over a black robe with thin burgundy edges. Aroma of fondant chocolate bars, toffee, vanilla, almonds, toasted coconut, marshmallows, date syrup, port wine, nougat, hazelnut purée. Dense, candied-sweet onset, candied dates, yellow raisins, treacle, with just a touch of teriyaki on top (adding a light umami flavour); soft carbonation, very full, syrupy, oily body. Toffeeish, deeply chocolatey, hazelnutty core with a coffeeish bitterish ending, but more sweet than bitter; vanilla hovers over it all, while the coconut appears in a credible, genuine but not too intrusive form, blending in with the hazelnut, chocolate and toffee flavours of the malts. A kick of peppery hops lurks at the back along with brandy-like alcohol, but the whole structure is solid enough to absorb everything and remain its unctuous, smooth, bittersweet, delicious self. Perhaps just a bit too much umami for me - more roasted bitterness could have replaced it elegantly - but very tasty and rich, even if I had (admittedly American) stouts conveying this whole s'mores idea more accurately.

Tap at the St Albans beer festival 2025. A translucent golden yellow coloured pour with a lasting loose white head. Aroma is soft doughy wheat, midget gems, orange. Tangerine, melon. Flavour is composed of semi sweet soft milky wheat, orange rind. Opal fruit, little sticky sweet wheat. Palate is soft wheat milky, moderate carbonation. Not bad.