Duke Of Bronte Capstan F.S.
Old Bear Brewery

Appearance: Reddish amber body with a really creamy off-white head, and no visible carbonation.

Aroma: Lots of sharp fruits, and rich barley, alongside a slightly resiny bitter hoppiness.

Taste: The taste is sweet at the front with barley and lots of fruit, and a slight cinnamon spiciness. Clear flavours of apple, and has a clean hit of yeast. The finish begins to offer up bitterness, and hops, making it taste a bit more like a DIPA.

Mouthfeel: Thick and oily, with a very slick feel.

Drinkabilty: Considering the 12.5% it is very drinkable. This is not a classic DIPA, it is more like a hybrid between a rich fruity barley wine and a DIPA at the weaker end of the IBU

330ml bottle from Hi Spirits, Knaresborough...

Poured a nice golden orange colour with a slight yeasty haze. Slightly off white head poured big and billowy with a whipped meringue like topping then faded slowly to good covering with some climbing lace... light carbonation...

Aroma - Very floral (lilies, lavender) and herbal (basil, light rosemary), rubbery notes, sea salt, talcum powder, spicy yeast - a hint of Belgian tripel, overripe fruit (apple, pears, lemons, grapefruits), freshly cut grass, citric hops, slight sugary sweetness, the faintest trace of alcohol... all in all a bit strange this one...

Taste - Again quite tripel like with lots of spicy yeast, warming alcohol and ripe fruits (apricots, apples, light pineapples, grapefruit) to the fore... floral honey sweetness, light caramel, herbal, light medicinal notes, peppery, some pine traces, tobacco, quite bready...

M&D - Sharp first then becomes smooth and a little oily... full bodied... definitely a sipper this one although i have my doubts about the 12.5% - it just doesn't seem as strong as that...

Overall - Quite a strange brew... it's like a mix between a tripel, an IPA and a barleywine. Worth a try but not something i'd be rushing back to...