The Devils Doorbell
Wagtail Brewery

Bottled conditioned beer from the Wagtail Brewery in Norfolk, apparently "brewed after midnight on the hottest day of the year by a man wearing black"...nice.

It pours as a dark copper come ruby red colour with a small creamy off-white head and very little carbonation. The aroma is sweet and malty with lots of sugars, some coffee and a hint of chocolate. There is a touch of ginger in there too, along with a slight spicy pepperiness and what seems like an earthy wood. The taste is, like the nose, sweet and heavily malty, bringing flavours like milk chocolate, vanilla and a hit of bitter coffee. Towards the end there is a much more bitter taste with a noticeable hoppiness coming into play and a slightly brandy-like alcohol finish. It full bodied, heavy and a tad rough on the palete. Considering the high alcohol content this is a very drinkable beer, and has nicely complex flavours.