Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Cask at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. This is now the only cask ale from Felinfoel. Chestnut colour. Malty aroma, hints of sulphur. Flavour is malty sweet, sulphurous and dusty. Very low on hops. Dusty aftertaste.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

(500 ml bottle.) Beautiful copper colour, nice thick head. Aroma and flavour of cinnamon, vanilla, caramel and toffee. Christmas cake notes in the flavour, some hoppy bitterness. Relatively light bodied despite the "Christmasy" elements, doesn’t taste like 6% ABV. I’m not too fond of the strong sweetish vanilla notes in the aroma, but this is a pleasant enough Christmas seasonal to drink. Wouldn’t care much for this as an all year beer, though - but it isn’t. Cool label! Cheerio, Sophie me’ lass!

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Cask at The Hogshead, Ipswich. Deep amber to brown colour. Moderate aroma of English malt vinegar and plums. Flavour is dusty malty with notes of malt vinegar and sour fruits. Dusty hops finish.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

(275 ml corked bottle.) Bottled in 2004 ( I couldn’t wait). Dark copper colour, slightly hazy, large tan head. Intense and beguiling aroma of raspberries and blackberries, spices, oak and vintage port wine or sherry. Flavour is a bit raw in the edges, as expected for a bottle this fresh. There’s plenty of sweet (but not cloying) flavour elements of malts, caramel, raisins, plum pudding, spices and old sherry. Just enough hops to stand up to the sweetness. Warming mouthfeel - I suspect the ABV had already crept well above the stated 9%. This beer really is something special! Now, I wish I had a few more bottles available for cellaring - and the character to keep them for a few years!

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

(Draught) Good stuff - try it with a solid German meal! Rerate: I still think this is an excellent brew, but was too generous with the points the first time. Rerate bottle: Not as good as draught, but still good, even without a meal! - but I maintain that it's the perfect accompaniment with German pork dishes. Great lasting head, cloudy dark brown colour, moderate aroma and flavour of spices and lightly roasted malts. The guys who think it tastes like flat Coke should probably stick to Coke.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

This is the worst German Pilsener I've ever tasted. It has an unpleasantly bitter flavour and aftertaste, which becomes metallic in the end.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A pilsener as good as pilseners get. Rerate: Had it from can this time, still the benchmark of a good pilsener. Only 4.4% now, but I remember (I think!) that the alcohol content was about 5.2% when I first had it (in Germany) many years ago?!

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

This is a crisp German pilsener with a considerable hoppy bitterness. Been a while since I had it, can't get it in Norway so far. Rerate on tap in Hamburg: Light bodied, but dominated by a distinct hoppy bitterness from start to finish. Typical Northern German pilsener style.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

330 ml painted lightproof bottle, ABV 9.0%. Large head, surprisingly pale golden colour, slightly cloudy when yeast is poured. Excellent aroma, red fruits, barnyard and yeast, some oak. Flavour is reasonably malty, quite yeasty. Alcoholic warmth, relatively light bodied despite its strength. Aftertaste is a bit too sweet IMO. Overall quality does not quite live up to the beer's gimmicky name and bottle.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Cask conditioned at the Blackbird, Earls Court, London (a Fuller's pub). Served at cellar temperature, minimal natural carbonation, low head. Golden to amber colour. Moderate citrussy aroma, hints of horse stable. Light bodied, decent bitterness. A nice little beer this one, but nothing to knock your socks off. (I admit I really wanted the ESB, but ratings are ratings!)