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

Cask conditioned at the Ipswich Beer Festival 2004, gravity dispense. I had a sip or two of distinguished beer rater chris_o’s sample of this beer at the festival, and found his rating to be quite accurate. This organic dark ale is not a typical English best bitter (organic Hallertau hops from New Zealand are used), it's more of a cross between a bitter and a dark mild, like chris_o says: Deep tawny/chestnut colour, sulphurous aroma, grainy and some roasted malts flavour with low bitterness, a slight sweetness, dry finish.

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

Cask at The Hogshead, Ipswich. My first Ringwood beer. Deep golden colour, light bodied, fruity flavour with a faint hint of barnyard. OKish, but not a favourite of mine.

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

A decent pale ale, not outstanding in any way. Rerate 500 ml bottle: Moderate malty aroma, golden brown colour, good head. Pleasant, malty, well rounded flavour. Decent. A bit alcoholic, in a blind test I would guess it was stronger than it actually is.

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

Cask conditioned at The Pickerel, Cambridge (guest beer). Golden brown colour, no head. Comes forward as a standard premium bitter, quite flat. Moderate malty aroma with notes of caramel, hints of malt vinegar. Flavour is .... err, like an ordinary bitter, nothing particular stands out at all. I may have suffered from "palate fatigue" after many hours at the Cambridge Beer Festival earlier that day, but I don’t think this beer rates above the "OKish" category anyhow.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival, gravity dispense. Brownish colour. Moderate caramel and nuts aroma. Fairly malty premium bitter with a tolerable dusty hoppiness.

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

Cask conditioned at the 32nd Cambridge Beer Festival 2005, gravity dispense. This beer was described as an "old ale styled beer" in the festival programme, but the brewery website describes it as a "strong bitter". Colour is reddish brown. Excellent complex aroma: dark fruits, sherry, oak, butterscotch, hints of ensilage and new-mown grass. Fairly sweet oaky and malty flavour, some caramel and dusty hops too.

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

500 ml brown bottle, available in Norway (ICA Maxi). Label layout is different and reads "Brakspear Bottle Conditioned Organic Beer", but this must be the same beer. ABV is the same, 4.6%. Pours very fizzy with an enormous foamy head. Deep golden / amber colour. Pleasant hoppy aroma (Fuggles, Goldings), hints of toffee and butterscotch. Moderate malty flavour with a well balanced hoppiness, toffee sidenotes. Mouthfeel maybe a bit thin. Bitter finish.

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

500 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Golden colour, fluffy head diminishing rapidly. Moderate but pleasant hoppy aroma with citrussy elements and some toffee. Flavour is rather lager-like, with a grapefruity bitterness with some metallic notes in the finish. I started drinking it far too cold, improves a bit as it warms up, but not much. Reasonably refreshing, but no masterpiece.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. This is an autumn seasonal from Fullers. Clear amber colour. Citrus and nuts in the aroma. Nutty flavour and aftertaste. Not bad for a pasteurised bitter.

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

Bottle conditioned, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. ABV was 5.5%, apparently the b.c. version is quite a bit stronger than the cask version? Clear cognac-like colour. Fine complex hoppy aroma, some fruitiness too. Distinctly hoppy flavour with a hint of oak in the aftertaste.

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

Bottle, RBESG 2005 Grand Tasting. Brandy colour. Hoppy and medicinal aroma. Fairly dry and bitter flavour, but not much else going on. A bit disappointing.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 6

330 ml bottle, bought in Denmark. Clear amber colour with a reddish hue. Very good lasting head and lacing. Malty aroma with notes of toffee and plums. Malty flavour with some caramel but not really sweet, like cris_o says: "earthy". Wet cardboard notes in a slightly sourish finish. Drinkable, but certainly no masterpiece.

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

Bottled from draught, RBESG 2005, Grand Tasting. Brown colour, strong aroma of caramel and Chinook hops. Decent malty flavour with some caramel, well balanced with the hops. A nice strong bitter!

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

Jan. 2018: 500 ml bottle, from Ales By Mail. ABV is 5.5%. Brown colour, slightly hazy. Huge and lasting off-white head. Malty aroma, hints of lightly roasted malts too, some fruity and piney hops. The flavour has also decent malts, but is rather dry. Fairly distinct piney and grapefruity (American?) hops. Decent beer, but the the style is not very "British", nor very "Christmassy".

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

April 2013: 500 ml bottle conditioned, will soon be available at Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.2%. Auburn colour, moderate off-white head. Aroma of caramel, dark died fruits and "dusty" hops. Rich malty and earthy flavour, mild roasty notes, some caramel but not too sweet, dark dried fruits again, reasonably hoppy finish. Nice one.

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

August 2018: Cask half pint at The Lamplighter, St. Helier. Reddish brown colour. Spicy, herbal and malty aroma and flavour, hints of red berries. Very good beer, will buy again when I can.

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

May 2016: 500 ml clear bottle, bought in London. ABV is 4.7%. Clear deep golden colour, large white head. Aroma of toffee and malts, hints of nuts. Smooth mouthfeel. The flavour has a moderate fruitiness which makes the beer very drinkable, again notes of toffee, malts and nuts. Some very moderate hops in the finish - would like some more hops, please.

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

April 2015: Cask half pint at Wetherspoons, Victoria Station, London. Reddish brown colour, small off-white head. Moderate fruity aroma. Very nice fruity and wheaty flavour, notes of blackcurrants, lime, lemons and grapefruit, some medium dark malts in the background. Moderate hops in the finish.

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

March 2016: 500 ml bottle, from Vinmonopolet Verksgata, Stavanger. ABV is 5%. Clear deep golden to amber colour, moderate white head. Aroma of toffee and earthy hops. Medium dry flavour with distinct earthy and herbal hops throughout, fairly bitter finish. Okay.

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

July 2017: Cask pint at the Boot Room, Wheldale Hotel, Castleford. Deep golden to copper colour, creamy white head. Moderate malty aroma with hints of toffee. Pleasant malty flavour, good body. Fruity hints of blackcurrants. Smooth to drink. Decent hops in the finish. Some dry woody notes in the aftertaste.

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

Sample from cask (with cask breather and sparkler) at Cardinal, Stavanger. Deep reddish brown colour, slightly off-white head. Aroma and flavour of malts and earthy and herbal English hops, not too sweet. Good bitterness.

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

Cask with sparkler and cask breather, Cardinal, Stavanger. Reddish brown colour (not golden), white head. Aroma of toffee and earthy hops. Smooth mouthfeel. Flavour of grapefruity and earthy hops, distinctly bitter finish. Sufficient malts. Good beer.

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

330 ml can, at Cardinal, Stavanger. ABV is 5.5%. Medium hazy brown colour, small white head. Aroma of malts and caramel. Malty flavour, some caramel but not too sweet, distinct piney hops. Could use a bit more fruitiness.

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

On tap at Cardinal, Stavanger. Reddish brown colour, off-white head. Fruity aroma and flavour, but in the more subdued British dark berry style (not the American citrus / tropical fruits style). There is also a distinct and sharpish bitterness throughout.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

330 ml stubby bottle, brew #368, from Vinmonopolet, Nettbutikken. ABV is 6.0%. Hop is EKG. Deep reddish brown colour, large off-white head. Aroma of malts, toffee, caramel, brown bread and earthy hops, hints of dark dried fruits. The flavour has the same elements, and is fairly dry.