Harwich Charter Ale
Elveden Ales

Bottle-conditioned in a 375ml green bottle, corked and caged. BB Jan. 2007, served at 16-18 centigrade in a large Burgundy bulb glass. The aptly-named beer is "a re-creation of Allsopp's Arctic Ale, brewed in 1852 for Captain Edward Belcher's expedition to the Arctic in search of John Franklin."

A: murky jet-black, a tan-hued creamy froth sits on top and very slowly settles to a rimmed foam.
S: sour fruitiness (prunes+starfruits) upfront, on top of red wine vinegar, ink, barrel-aged mustiness+rawness... and an undercurrent of smoked malts, wood-chips, thickly bitter edge of burned sugar; after swirling, a slightly sharp yet perfumy scent like old pine-wood furniture, cuts through the air. As it warms up, a clearer suggestion of slightly astringent tannins as in barrel-aged Italian red wine is revealed, and lingers quite well. The unusual aroma is like a sour version of old ale, but also reminiscent of Harvey's Imperial Stout, with its unique tartness overwhelming the roasted malty presence. Overall, the nose is very dense, yet the fruity sourness serves to balance the whole body just fine... Very impressive, but taking me lots of time to dig in deep.
T: a thick flow of astringently sour-fruity, almost vinegary+old soy-sauce, flavour radiates on the centre of the palate; at the climax the sourness slowly but surely transforms into a herbal bitterness and crushed Italian-roast coffee beans, joined by a mixed flavour of charred-wood, Sichuan pepper, and profoundly bitter-dry roastiness of black malts... the intensity softens bit by bit, until the sourness is totally gone and a faint touch of warming alc. reveals deep down the palate. Surprisingly short and semi-dryish finish, leaving a bitter aftertaste like that after chewing dried medicine herbs+tar, plus a faint trace of deeply-burned molasses scratched straight from the bottome of a sauce pan...
M&D: nearly full-bodied, utterly smooth and mellow due to little input from fizziness, but the sourness plays a key part to dramatise the whole mouthfeel, making the flavour profile ever-evolving; the intense sourness does soften greatly 30 minutes into tasting, and the whole thing becomes more approachable and soothing... This is some ale one ought to try, even just to experience it for the sake of curiosity about its odd name and unusual packaging. Worth a 45 minute-long quiet tasting session to experience the gradual change of aroma, flavour, and overall structure. A fine-crafted ale IMO.