Matchlock Mild
Marston Moor Brewery Limited

Notes of 07/07/2007, tasted at the Devonshire Cat, Sheffield. Served by a sparkler pour.

A: dark mahogany in colour with great clarity, with a well-lasting, medium-thick layer of dark beige froth.
S: longan-fruits, ripe dark stone-fruits, brown sugar, hop resins, and pear-ish cream all spring to mind... A swirl gives rise to a profoundly caramely and creamy note. For a dark mild, the aroma is more complex and fuller than the average.
T: lightly caramelised pear slices and mildly brown-sugary, nutty toasted malts develop from the start; a tad sour-sweet later, as of raw nuts and chestnut cream, while a quiet, underlying roast-tea-ish bitterness expands in the aftertaste, along with more roast-nuttiness. Rather light on the finishing palate.
M&D: soft and smooth, featuring a semi thin-bodied dark fruitiness balanced by a mild bitter edge on top of a moderately malty backbone. A decent mild overall, w/o the wow factor.