Centurion's Ghost Ale
York Brewery Company Limited

 

500ml bottle with an updated (vs photo at top) labelling, now quite elegant. Bought from BestOfBritishBeer.
L- Notably elegant too. Pours dark chestnut, clear, with a 1Cm fine-bubble light tan head which looks like it intends to stick around longer than the beer below it will! [15mins later -> 'And lo it came to pass' hehe]
S- Trad roasty-toasty grains. - All good so far!
T- Wow, that is something. Deep brooding flavour, malts, a hop note and finishing with a brief mildly smokey flourish of log embers. That's on my first sip of beer for the day ie clean palate. Glad it was as I got to fully register nuances of the taste.
F- The lable refers to it as a 'Roman Dark Ale', I haven't read the back lable yet so IDK if that is a style. 'Strong Ale' sounds about appropriate, despite it's ABV not being that high, as it's mouthfeel is notably pungent.
O- What a surprise this is. I haven't had it before and had zero expectations. For the ABV% it has a notably solid and trad taste/feel. This beer is perfect for winter. I'd very happily drink this again, it's something out of the norm and a bit of a gem.
- Now to see what it says on the back lable. Contains barley + wheat. BB: Nov-2021. 'A multiple gold award winner' - I'm not surprised.

ps! What a shame a beer as nice as this has had it's aggregate rating negatively impacted by 3 related ratings (same batch) from 2011. Those reviewers were all rating bottles that were then *13 years old*, finding it off/poor - shock!, but then reviewing it like it was the beer at fault. This beer is so much better than that.

 

 

 

 

 

Half pint on cask at the Glasgow Real Ale festival. Nasty cleaning fluid type smell while alcohol overrode and clashed with otherwise pleasant flavours.

 

 

 

 

 

Pint on Cask from Three Legged Mare, York, England (£2.50):
Dark ruby to black with a quarter centimetre tall head that is a creamy white and holds quite well, leaving lots of lacing on the glass too.

Dark chocolate and some sugar hits you upfront, with some mild hops and a few earthy malts as well. There is a few fruits lingering as well as a creamy, roasted malt aroma.

Dark malts and some stronger cocoa make an appearance along with a sweet, almost creamy taste of chocolate and some coffee. There is the roasted malts from the nose as well, plus a nutty flavour and some barely and fruits towards the end.

Soft carbonation on top of a medium to full body and mild bitterness with a generally smooth feel on the mouth and some faint sweetness.

Dark and quite sweet with a great body and quite a rich, flavoursome taste that is very easy to drink and quite enjoyable. One of the better cask beers I've had and another I wouldn't might trying a bottle of in future.

500ml Bottle:BBD 28 Jul 2013. Shared with the wife on 14 Jun 2013. Poured into two old 'Home Ales' half-pint countryman tankards.

Dark, very dark: ruby red hints in the light, good tanned head that lasted on both halves.

Malty aroma and taste: charcoal and chocolate infused coffee, all rolled up in a caramel flavoured brown bread bap. Then soaked over night in alcohol, great!

Smooth, complex and tasty, more malts obviously than hops, but the hops do keep the sweetness in check nicely.

Good body feel and depth: a very pleasant beer all round.

 

 

 

This review is an unabashed attempt to level-out the ridiculous reviews of bottles that are 12-15 years old. This beer shouldn't be aged and those that have and then have unfairly rated it should be ashamed. If I came on here and slated an aged bottle of pliny then I'd get slated in return, so why is this any different. To quote a previous reviewer. 'suck it'.

Pours a mouth watering black body with plum tints and thickish tan head that does quite stick.

Aromas of treacle and cough syrup.

Nice roasted taste staying away from sweet tastes charcoal, coffee and roots with a slight bitter finish

good solid mouthfeel without being too heavy going

Good stuff all round.