Tea Kettle Stout
Tring Brewery Company Ltd.

Half pint on cask at 'spoons in Dumbarton. Dark and opaque as one would expect with some reddishness. The head is fairly beige. Smells of vanilla and not much else. Tastes of roasted malt and tobacco and thankfully not of coffee. A good full flavour for an English stout.

Tasted by half pint at the Junction Tavern (Tufnell Park, North London), during its three-day mini-beerfest., 3-5 Feb. Dispensed by a handpump.

A: very dark brownish hue with some ruby hints when seen against light; thin, beige-hued fluffy beer head and very low carbonation as far as I could see...
S: "date-skin"-like fruitiness upfront--light and exotic, on top of lightly-roasted malts and coffee-flavoured toffee, along with a light touch of hays at the back... all these elements are mixed together seamlessly and just so nice...
T: lightly-roasted coffee beans, leather, and very mildly sour edge of smoked prunes upfront, leading towards a licorice-spicy aftertaste backed by semi-rich and lovely residual flavour of dried longan-fruits.
M&D: the texture is interestingly thick and almost "sticky", almost like black ink (I know... coz I tasted it before by accident!!). But overall its body is quite light, with a fruit/malt balance and a complex texture with a lingering, dryish bitter touch in the end. This is a very quaffable stout for sure, and a rare one as it's just been released this winter!! My champion beer during the single session at the pub's mini-beerfestival~~