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

First time impression: Cask at The Grid, Southfields, London. Served too cold. Unbelievably high rating at the Great British Beer Festival. I still find the use of extremely bitter hops totally out of hand. Probably the first pint of my life that I was unable to finish. Undrinkable. If you guys like it, fine. I just don't. Sorry. Note: Looking at other ratings, I will have to sample this one again. My taste MAY have changed ...

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

This is a pleasant standard English bitter, nothing remarkable. I've had it from cask, keg, nitro widget can and non-widget can. Nitro version is also known as Tetley's Smoothflow.

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

Rich aroma and flavour, but lacks a little "freshness" to be absolutely "perfect". Still a nice cask ale!

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!)

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: 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: 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: 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: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Cask conditioned at the Prince of Wales, Wimbledon, London, Christmas 2004. Copper coloured. Nutty, pleasant, hints of Christmas spices. Very nice Christmas ale with a moderate ABV.

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

Rerate, cask at the Station Hotel, Ipswich: Some of the same English malt vinegar aroma as Courage Best, but the flavour is fuller and richer with more pronounced hops. Original rating, 4.1: (Cask conditioned). One of my favourite English Bitters. Perhaps not so very special, but always drinkable.

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

Cask conditioned at the Prince of Wales, Wimbledon, London, Christmas 2004. This winter seasonal is very different from the ordinary Directors bitter. Mahogany brown colour, low head. Aroma has malts, dark fruits, sherry and oak. Sweetish flavour, notes of sherry, dried fruits and Christmas cake. Reminds me of a Scottish "heavy" with Christmas elements added. Low bitterness. At 5.5% ABV, alcohol is evident but not overwhelmingly so. Interesting.

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

Cask conditioned at The Old Thameside Inn, Southwark, London, Christmas 2004. Dark brown colour, moderate head. Malty and sherry-like aroma. Flavour is nutty, caramel, treacle. Decent. Finish is a bit watery.

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

Rerate, cask conditioned at the Robin Hood & Little John, a large Greene King pub in Cherry Hinton, Cambridge. The Old Speck’ was in perfect nick, even better than the bottled version which I think is fairly decent for a pasteurized beer. Nut brown colour, low head. Aroma and flavour of nuts, toffee and caramel with a nice but not overdone hoppiness throughout. A solid pint from this ever-expanding regional (now national) brewery, much better than the cask Abbot Ale that I had afterwards. Original rating: (500 ml bottle). Beautiful brown / dark golden colour, moderate to low head. Moderate malty aroma, malty flavour with a good bitterness. A decent ale I always come back too, as it's now available in Norway.

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

Cask conditioned at The Tottenham, London. Deep amber/copper colour, minimal head. Aroma of nuts and red fruits. Flavour is a bit alcoholic with a substantial hoppy bitterness, which leaves a nice aftertaste.

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

Rerate, cask at the Station Hotel, Ipswich: Aroma of English malt vinegar, hints of dishwasher liquid. Smooth flavour without too much character. Low on hops. Original rating, 3.1: (Draught). I remember this one as a decent standard bitter, nothing remarkable.

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

A very smooth and drinkable 'bitter', perhaps without too much character. Still, I openly admit enjoying it! Rerate nitro-can: Delete the 'perhaps' - it's DEFINITELY without too much character. I over-rated this brew the first time. It's still drinkable, but far from great!

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

A very smooth and drinkable 'bitter', perhaps without too much character. Still, I openly admit enjoying it! Rerate nitro-can: Delete the 'perhaps' - it's DEFINITELY without too much character. I over-rated this brew the first time. It's still drinkable, but far from great!

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

This nitro-can beer is the same as the John Smith's Extra Smooth. The ABV may vary a little depending on where it's being marketed. A very smooth and drinkable 'bitter', perhaps without too much character. Still, I openly admit enjoying it! Rerate nitro-can: Delete the 'perhaps' - it's DEFINITELY without too much character. I over-rated this brew the first time. It's still drinkable, but far from great!

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

Cask conditioned in Scotland: A Scottish ale or "heavy" which is copper coloured, low head, quite malty, low on hops - not bad for a "macro" cask ale.

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

I liked the bottled version - even imported to Norway (my retailer stored it cool). Lots of taste, good to drink straight from the bottle with an afternoon snack! Rerate, can: Of some reason not as good as the bottle. Still a decent beer, not outstanding.

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

Barely discernible from McEwans Export. Some caramel in the flavour, well rounded, perhaps a bit thin. Drinkable stuff that shouldn't offend anyone. Rerate (can): I understand why this beer is classified as a Scottish Ale at some websites, instead of an IPA - hardly any hops are discernible at all. But the brewers insist on calling it an IPA, so I guess it should be rated as such.

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

(Draught / keg). It is debatable if this is a bitter or a Scottish ale. Copper coloured. Flavourful, rich malty taste. Low bitterness. Not bad for a moderate ABV "macro" keg ale.

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

500 ml oldfashioned milk bottle - nice design. Copper coloured, moderate head. Lovely hoppy aroma, hints of ripe fruits and caramel. Bramling Cross hops account for a distinct bitter flavour and aftertaste, quite dry - I'd like some more malts to balance the hops, but that's the style, I guess. Still, this is a nice beer - will definitely buy again.

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

Why on earth should the British even try brewing pilsener/lager - they're so much better at ales and stouts. If you after all, of some obscure reason, should choose to drink pils in England: Stick to the imports.

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

Smooth, soft, creamy, easy drinking nitro-beer - even when moderate consumption is the order of the day. Not much character in this one, though - but smooth and comforting indeed.