Younger's Brown Ale (1994)

275ml bottle from 1994. Liquid brown bread. Slight carbonation. Slight sweetness. This is like a kvass. Drinkable and attractive, though lacking genuine character. Very soft.

January 2010

Gales Tudor Pale Ale (1987)

Vintage bottle 1987. Soft and attractive. Flavours are restrained, and include toffee, port, rust, bark, boiled beef, Kvass, Irn Bru, and wholemeal bread soaked in cola. Light carbonation. A very drinkable and enjoyable beer. All too quickly consumed!


January 2010

Bathams Best Bitter (1989)

1989 bottle from The Bull and Bladder brewpub in the Black Country. Soft and fruity - very drinkable - slight exotic fruit notes of mango and pineapple, combined with rust. Few hops. This is not a complex beer, but is very easy drinking and enjoyable.


December 2009

Busch (1995)

Very soft aged version - approx 1995. There’s very little flavour here, but some soft watery malt emerges. No awareness of hops. Not much happening. Wet ghost. No off flavours. No carbonation left. Drinkable.

December 2009

Dudley Castle Ale

From the Simpkiss brewery which closed in 1985. This is a beer made for Dudley Council. Original gravity is around 1050, giving a possible strength of 5%. It is a very dark beer. Taste is dark, twiggy, quite dry and very satisfying. There is a well integrated bitterness, suggesting a decent level of hop when made. Some hints of licorice in the finish from the darker malts used. This is a full flavoured beer. Robust, deep and serious.


December 2009

St Andrews Ale (1989)

St Andrews Ale, vintage 1989. Plenty of nuts and some chocolate. A robust ale that has matured with aging. Initially a little woody, this smooths out as the beer is aired. Pleasant tannic notes mix well with the fatty sweetness of the chocolate. A well rounded and satisfying ale.

December 2009

Lees Celebration Ale (1993)

Yummy. A celebration Lees beer from 1993. Sweet and malty with interesting port and walnuts oxidized notes. Very yummy! There's no indication of strength on the bottle, but this is over 7% for sure.

November 2009.