Bottle picked up at The Brewery Shop, Berkhampstead, Herts, 1st August 2015 Saturday 1st August 2015 consumed at Lynn & Barrys Pours copper, good clarity with a slim white head. Surprised that this is more citrussy than I expected and a pleasant bitter with a bitter bite. A6 A3 T7 P3 Ov14 3.3

Bottle from Beer:Shop in St Albans. Black with a thin beige head. Lovely smooth rich chocolate at first. Little of the normal hop aroma of the style, however there’s a fair amount of bitterness followed by lots of pine. It’s pleasant enough but suffers from being between styles; either the hops need reducing to allow the rather excellent underlying malt to show through in what could be a great stout; or alternatively it needs hopping later in the boil to make it truer to the black ipa style. Still, with the rich mouthfeel and lovely chocolate it gives hope for their other beers.

Cask at the rising sun berko. Mid amber coloured pout qitha loose off when the head. Aroma is nutty malts, light caramel, spices, tart apple. Flavour is composed of boozy cake, tangy apple, nutty malts, palate is medium light bodied, Good cask condition. Bit off. Lingering tangy apple. .

21st April 2015
Bottle share at Leighton’s Stratoflat. Cheers to Fergus. Opaque dark brown - black beer. Good pale tan head. Palate is airy with fine carbonation. Roasty malts, mildly bitter. Very modest citric hops and just a trace of spicy pine. Smooth semi dry finish. A bit malt domininant, but still inside the borders of the CDA domain.

Bottle split in the Bespin cloud network, big thanks to Fergus for the CDA find, 21/04/15. Black with a decent tan covering that retains well. Nose is toffee, light hop bill, charr, dark fruit rinds, mineral tones, trace of liquorice. Taste comprises light tropicana, liquorice, cocoa powder, light roast, vanilla essence. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close. Pretty basic CDA but ok.

Bottle shared at Leightons pad. Dark mahogany brown coloured pour with a fleeting cream head. Aroma is dark grains, smoke, nutty grains, background pine hop. Flavour is dark bread, nutty malts, custard, vanilla, bit dirty, not much hops. Palate is semi sweet, moderate carbonation. Bit dull. Bit dirty.

Bottle shared in Lpndon - big thanks to Fergus for commissioning this one. Pours clear, deep ruby-brown with a frothy beige head. The nose has some doughy dark bread, faint citrus fruits, suggestions of chocolate. Light sweet flavor with some ashy roast, dry bitter cocoa, scorched earth, berry skins. Light bodied with fine carbonation. Finishes with more bitter cocoa, burnt earth, wood. So so.

Bottle thanks to Fergus. It pours darkest brown with a small off-white head. The nose is bitter-sweet, sticky, earthy roast, liquorice and Dandelion & Burdock. The taste is bitter-sweet, earth, roast, light ash, pithy citrus, mild acidity and light soap with a dry, soapy finish. Medium body and soft carbonation. A bit soapy. Ok.