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

12 fl. oz. bottle, bought at the GBBF 2008 for takeaway. ABV is 5.5%, IBU 35. Deep amber to orange colour, decent off-white head with an orangey hue. Very nice aroma of Cascade hops, notes of citrus and honey. The flavour is also dominated by Cascade hops, but there is a sufficient malty base to balance the hops. Moderately bitter aftertaste. American Pale Ale is an underrated style IMO, this is an example. Great balance is more interesting for me than "hop monsters". Good beer!

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

Cask conditioned at the GBBF 2008. Golden brown colour. Moderate aroma, notes of basement. Fairly bland flavour with some malts and a little fruitiness.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour. So-and-so grainy aroma, hints of basement and butterscotch. Caramel and some fruitiness in the flavour, fairly bland. Drank it too warm though.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008, hand pump / beer engine. Black colour, dark reddish brown in the highlights, low head. A moderate nuttiness in the aroma, hints of mild coffee. The flavour is smooth with a slight roastiness and some nutty notes.

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

Cask conditioned at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2008. Golden colour, low head. Moderate pale malts and some fruit in the aroma and flavour, tolerably well hopped.

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

Cask at the SIBA bar at the GBBF 2008, hand pump. Golden colour, low head. Lovely aroma of tropical fruits and flowers. The flavour has tropical fruits and grapefruit throughout, convincingly hopped but not too bitter. The aftertaste is quite bitter though.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. ABV was said to be 3.8%. Black colour, reddish brown in the highlights. Lovely complex aroma, roasted malts, oak, dark fruits, chocolate and liquorice. Nicely balanced flavour between the malts and hops, there is an assertive bitterness but it is not overdone.

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

Cask conditioned at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2008. Black colour. Very nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee. The flavour is malty and roasty, with a light mouthfeel.

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

Sampled bottle, at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2008. Copper coloured beer. The aroma and flavour are very malty, alcoholic and oaky. Clearly a craft beer though.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. ABV was said to be 7.2%. Amber to copper colour. Lovely aroma of fruity American hops. The flavour has dominant American hops throughout, but is not overdone. Drank it too warm though.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. ABV was said to be 5.0%. Brown colour. Nice aroma, malts, caramel, hops. The flavour is slightly less interesting, some fruitiness and malts, but like most brown ales it lacks hops. Drank it too warm though.

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

Cask conditioned at the GBBF 2008. Deep golden colour. Strong aroma of fruity American hops, some oaky and winey notes too. Reasonably hoppy flavour, nice beer.

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

Cask conditioned at the GBBF 2008. ABV was 4.8%. Deep golden to amber colour. Nice fruity hops in the aroma. Decent hops in the flavour too, notes of blackcurrant leaves.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Black colour, dark brown in the highlights. Pleasant fruity and roasty aroma with a breath of sea air. The flavour has a moderate and smooth roastiness with a distinct fruity acidity at the side. The oysters don’t come through much though.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Black colour, low head. Nice roasty aroma, notes of coffee, liquorice and dark chocolate. Roasty flavour with just a subtle fruity acidity.

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

Cask conditioned at the Great British Beer Festival (GBBF) 2008. Golden colour. Nice and moderately hoppy aroma and flavour, with notes of flowers and tropical fruits.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Black colour, dark brown in the highlights. Roasty aroma, notes of coffee and wood. The flavour is moderately roasty and smooth, easy drinking for its strength. Some fruity acidity.

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

Cask (hand pump / beer engine) at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, low head. Moderate but nice aroma of honey, tropical fruits and flowers. The flavour also has some fruits (grapefruit) and honey, moderate hops in the finish. Okay.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Brown to copper colour. The aroma has grain and butterscotch. Fairly watery and thin mouthfeel. The flavour has some malts with caramel, and "dusty" hops in the finish.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Dark brown colour, nearly black. Very nice roasty aroma with notes of oak, raisins and fortified wine. The flavour is sweet, oaky and moderately roasty, nice.

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

Cask at the the GBBF 2008. Amber colour. Very nice aroma of dark fruits, butterscotch and oak. The flavour is fairly well balanced between the malts (with some caramel) and decent hops.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour. Very nice aroma of butterscotch and caramel, some oaky notes too. Moderately malty flavour with hints of honey, dusty finish.

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

Cask at the GBBF 2008. Black colour, reddish brown in the highlights. Distinctly roasty aroma with notes of tar, liquorice and wood. Roasty flavour with notes of coffee, but fairly light bodied.

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

Cask (hand pump / beer engine) at the GBBF 2008. ABV was said to be 4.4%. Copper coloured beer, minimal head. Malty aroma with decent notes of fruity hops (dark fruits). Malty flavour, notes of caramel but not really sweet, moderate "dusty" hops in the finish.

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

Cask (hand pump / beer engine) at the GBBF 2008. Golden colour, low head. The aroma has notes of blackcurrant leaves, moderately fruity, nice. The flavour is also moderately fruity, notes of blackcurrants, with a distinct hoppy finish.