Maximus
Maxim Brewery

bottle from Newcastle.
Deep red brown. Big tan head slowly shrinks to rocky lasting top and some lace. Aroma rich brown bread hints of prunes and steak sauce and iron. Taste darkly toasted brown bread, hints of red wine and chocolate. Not oily. Somewhat lively. Some bitterness and sweetness but balanced. Seems at first like it's going to tend sweet but ends up being balanced and dryish. A touch boozy.

 

 

A 500ml clear glass bottle with a BB of July 2013, so it's out of date. Acquired some time back from a B&M store and stashed in my garage. I hope it hasn't aged too badly.

Poured into a tankard. A rich chestnut-red hue with faint haze and decent carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy off-white foam that lasts for a few minutes before reducing to a surface layer. Nice lacing. Aroma of fruity malt with hints of roasted grain, caramel, dried fruit, mild brown sugar, ale yeast, subtle nuttiness, a twinge of vanilla and faint stewed hops. Slightly sweet and nicely balanced, with a touch of warming booze in the background.

Tastes of sweet, fruity malt with a mild finish. Notes of caramel, roasted grain, dried fruit, brown sugar, yeast esters, nuttiness, a hint of vanilla and faint stewed hops. A subtle alcoholic whiff and a whisper of harsh cardboard in the background, followed by a mild bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry and lightly tingly, with well-judged carbonation and good body. Envelops the palate. An aftertaste of fruity malt, caramel and faint stewed leaves/cardboard.

Nice, and very drinkable. It just hits the spot. Good-looking, with an aroma and flavour of fruity malt, slight sweetness and mild bitterness. Great body. Comes across as very traditional yet perfectly crafted. It improves as you drink - the steady incease in temperature enhances its character. Good stuff; give it a whirl if you have the chance.

 

500ml clear bottle, consumed December 2010, BBE September 2011.

A - Deep red-brown colour, formed good thick head which dissipated gradually, leaving lacing that lasted throughout.

S - Hoppy smell with a little malt and caramel, quite a gentle aroma overall.

T - A fairly dry hoppy taste, but not too bitter. Smooth malt taste which becomes more apparent as it warms.

M - Mild carbonation, very smooth, medium profile in the mouth.

D - Definitely very drinkable, very smooth and easy.

Clear 500ml bottle, best before end of Dec 09, drank early Nov 09. Poured into a vase shaped pint glass (Old Speckled Hen badged).

Mahogany red/brown, clear and healthy looking, a deep head of foam sat on top, the colour of the head a light tan. Lacing held well as the beer sank.

Hops and a little malt smell comes from the glass, but like most UK beers that are asked to be cooled before serving it was almost odourless until it began to warm in the glass.

Crisp and refreshing, fairly dry from the hop content but a long way from bitter in taste. The malts came into their own as it warmed and calmed the dryness down somewhat, turning the beer into a maltier tasting beer.

Slight fizzy feel to the mouth, the alcohol can be found without any undue trying.

Not bad at all, a nice little warmer, which got better as it warmed, I wonder why they want it served chilled to 12 degrees C (as per the rear label)?

Appearance: deep brown, good clarity, thick band of light tan foam, good head retention

Aroma: bready maltiness with peppery hops, touch of hazelnuts

Flavor: full malt front with a roasty, nutty edge; woody hop flavor; finishes dryish with an aftertaste of dark malt and almonds

Mouthfeel: medium-full body, prickly carbonation, smooth but crisp

Other comments: An OK beer, especially if you manage to grab a bottle that hasn't gotten skunked.

500ml bottle bought from Tesco's.... one of their Beer Challenge winners...

Poured a mahogany coppery colour... Creamy tan head poured quite thick and rocky then faded fairly quickly to thin layer... very light carbonation and some light patchy lacing...

Aroma - Quite strong caramel maltiness, dark fruits (figs and raisins), biscuity notes, some nice nutty sweetness, light nutmeg hints, some light rum traces, treacle / brown sugar notes, peppery hops...

Taste – Light, slightly watered down, dark fruits (figs, prunes and raisins), some light red wine notes, some faint smokiness, strong nuttiness, biscuity hints, some light sweetness, treacle, toffee maltiness, spicy / peppery hops...

Feel - Sharp initially but mellows out... Medium bodied... Pretty drinkable considering strength...

Overall - A pretty good and very drinkable beer... definitely worth a try...

Purchased at the Tesco supermarket, this beer is brewed by the Robinson's for the Double Maxim Beer Company in Sunderland. Filtered, packaged in a 500ml "clear"(why? to show its beautiful colour, I think) bottle, the bottle-neck bears a mark of "Tesco Beer Challenge Winner"~~
BB 28 SEP 06, served cool in a straight imperial pint glass.

A: absolutely clear and elegant ruby hue, with an effervescent, creamy-beige, frothy beer head with surprisingly good retention~~ Abundant fizz detected.
S: strongly-scented caramel malts with hints of buttery cake upfront mingle well with a settled and deep fruity aroma of dried dates, sotanas, preserved pears, slightly ripe apple-ish hint and a touch of coconut powder, while faintly tea-ish and earthy hops play the second fiddle. Overall the aroma is expectedly richly fruity, creamy, and profoundly malty at the same time.
T: caramel and treacle-like rich maltiness first hits the palate, gradually bringing out a colourful, preserved-fruit theme, with all the elements identified on the aroma, added with a faintly spicy/licorice(?) touch at the back; herbal hops with a dryish touch along with more toffee-ish malty overtone is felt at the back of the palate, just before a drop of soothing alc. lubricates the throat.
M&D: very soft on the mouthfeel, while the softly fizzy texture provides very good support to balance with the slightly rich palate. Medium-full bodied, full-flavoured and satisfying and much easier to drink than the wholesome aroma makes me believe~~ somewhere in between a premium bitter and a winter warmer... a quality winter beer anyway. Well worth a try.