Farmers Stout
Bradfield Brewery

Bottle. Almost black with a light tan frothy head which recedes slowly to form a thin bubbling layer.
A gentle aroma of toasted brown bread with hints of treacle and liquorice.
A roasted malt flavour with a charred bitter finish.
Medium body with a vibrant carbonation.
A straightforward ES.

500 ml bottle, from Bier Huis, Ossett. ABV is 4.5%. Black colour, large to moderate beige head. Aroma of roast malts, hints of coffee. Roasty and fairly dry flavour, notes of coffee and moderate bittering hops.

 

The nose abounded in coffee and cocoa - both of which continued on into the taste, although there was a subtle caramel flavour in the background I really liked. This is very much a classic stout, with a silky smooth mouthfeel that makes it a very pleasurable pint.

Picked this up at De Bierkoning in Amsterdam

From a bottle into a pint glass.

APPEARANCE: Pours no beer head at all; just some bubbles like you blew some bubbles in your juice. The only thing keeping me from thinking it is juice is a slight bit of waspy film on top. It's relatively clear and a deep mahogany with ruby hints. Colour is fine, but it doesn't look like beer at all.

SMELL: A bit of roasted malt and dark fruit. There's a bit of pure chocolate in the background and a slightly smoky component as well. It's pleasant enough, but a little too weak to be memorable.

TASTE: Not much initially, but the aftertaste is quite pleasant. A smoky component coupled with a bit of coffee and pure chocolate come through in the aftertaste. It's slightly sweet. The taste is not off putting at all, and is actually a welcome surprise.

PALATE: This is all wrong. Zero carbonation makes it feel like juice instead of beer. It's thin bodied and flat. There's no bite and it finishes somewhat dry, so it's not the worst I've had. There's nothing worth remembering and everything worth forgetting. It didn't make me sick, but certainly didn't make me feel like I was drinking beer.

OVERALL: This one was just odd. The look and feel were horrible, no question, but the nose and taste were not that bad at all. It would be easier to grade it so low if everything was an abomination, but it certainly wasn't difficult to finish the pint. This reminded me of Dragon Dark, but with an acceptable taste profile. I just don't know what to conclude about this one overall; beer tasting juice I guess.

Final note: This review differs from the one below. It might be much better looking and actually have a beer feel on cask. I don't know.

Tasted by a half-pint at the Swim Inn, a JDW pub on West Street, Sheffield. Served by a handpump with a sparkler.

A: deep brown in colour, the pale tan creamy head shows no signs of retreating.
S: lightly bitter-sweet walnutty and roasted malts upfront, typical of an English stout. Everything else is hidden below, apart from a nice edge of floral hops.
T: a rich flavour of licorice, roast-nuts and treacles come on top of a buttery taste and a semi-winey sour-fruitiness (as of black berries, plums and grapes mixed together)... slowly the tannic and dried tea-leafy bitterness prevails, leading to a semi-dry and hoppy finish.
M&D: pretty light-bodied and slightly thin on the texture, while the flavour profile holds up quite well until the last second of tasting, benefitting from support of a good amount of hops. Not bad.