The Cranborne Poacher
Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse
- From:
- Badger Brewery, Hall and Woodhouse
- England, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
Ranked #136 - ABV:
- 5.7%
- Score:
- 84
Ranked #31,367 - Avg:
- 3.57 | pDev: 15.69%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 01, 2025
- Added:
- Jun 24, 2018
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
A local legend with a penchant for jewel toned treasures, the Cranborne Poacher lives a fruitful, yet elusive lifestyle. Some say you would only know its existence by the damson trees picked clean in Cranborne Chase.
Enigmatic, rich and full-bodied, this ruby ale hoards a cache of complex flavour with notes of wild fruits, liquorice and chocolate malt. What a find.
Enigmatic, rich and full-bodied, this ruby ale hoards a cache of complex flavour with notes of wild fruits, liquorice and chocolate malt. What a find.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
3.03/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
3.03/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
500 ml brown bottle, as Badger Poachers Choice, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 5.7%. Clear brown colour, moderate off-white head. Strong aroma of damson / plums, over-ripe raspberries and some weird fruity cough syrup I bought in Scotland once. The flavour is fruity and slightly roasty, notes of plums, over-ripe raspberries and cough syrup again. Moderate hops. Pretty weird beer.
Jun 10, 2022
Reviewed by dr_lager from Washington
3.77/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
It's definitely a bit sweet! Like having a liquid sticky toffee pudding. Malty, fruity, and quite tasty, I enjoyed one but any more might be a bit much.
Apr 03, 2022
Reviewed by MarkCairns99 from Northern Ireland
4.37/5 rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.37/5 rDev +22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
An amazingly flavoursome beer, Wonderful deep golden colour in the glass, quite malty but with a wonderful almost plum taste, almost like a beer version of blackforest gateau.
Apr 25, 2020
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England
2.42/5 rDev -32.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
2.42/5 rDev -32.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
L- Deeply red chestnut brown. Pours with 3mm very fine almost white head, receding quite quickly.
S- Baked fruits, apple and cherries (the lable talks of damsons [small plums] and liquorice).
T- Fruity, but extremely rich with it.
F- It's certainly rich, to the point of being sweet. I'm going to have to drink this slowly.
O- It's far too sweet for me. Surprising for an 'ale' from a reputable brewery like Badger. Not one I'll be buying again. BBE: Sep-19
Nov 09, 2018S- Baked fruits, apple and cherries (the lable talks of damsons [small plums] and liquorice).
T- Fruity, but extremely rich with it.
F- It's certainly rich, to the point of being sweet. I'm going to have to drink this slowly.
O- It's far too sweet for me. Surprising for an 'ale' from a reputable brewery like Badger. Not one I'll be buying again. BBE: Sep-19
Reviewed by EmperorBevis from England
3.57/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.57/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Bottled & a reshuffle of my favourite Badger brew Poachers choice
Pours a dark cherry redwood coloured body with okay slightly off white head
smells like cranberry and raspberry juice aroma
syrupyred liquorice flavour, i taste adjuncts but it comes out okay
Jul 24, 2018Pours a dark cherry redwood coloured body with okay slightly off white head
smells like cranberry and raspberry juice aroma
syrupyred liquorice flavour, i taste adjuncts but it comes out okay
Reviewed by vinicole from England
3.83/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle. Deep red / brown. Thick dense head producing lacing.
Rich aroma of sweet dark fruits. Damson prominant.
Fruity again upon tasting. Raspberry and cherry appear. Toffee is noticeable.
Medium to full bodied. Quit soft.
This one will split opinions but I liked it.
Jun 24, 2018Rich aroma of sweet dark fruits. Damson prominant.
Fruity again upon tasting. Raspberry and cherry appear. Toffee is noticeable.
Medium to full bodied. Quit soft.
This one will split opinions but I liked it.
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