Milton Marcus Aurelius

Hand-bottled on 2/16/08 thanks to some very generous folks from across the pond!! Poured a clear, deep garnety-brown with some scattered bubbles for head when agitated. The aroma showcased darker fruit skins, and had a lovely, deeply-rooted roasty dark chocolate and fresh coffee presence beneath.. warmth brought out more of that coffee, and this really presented itself well. The flavor began with smooth drawn dark chocolate and fresh coffee grounds washing slowly over the tip of the tongue.. the middle was quite delightful with caramel joining the fray.. dark chocolate backing with coffee bitterness and a light fruity tartness around the edges.. very little if any alcohol apparent on the long, rewarding finish. Medium-bodied with low carbonation (not surprised by that) on the palate.. all the elements really seemed to come together for this one. Excellent brew!

Cask conditioned - gravity dispense - Merton Winter BF. A black beer with a tiny ring of off-white bubbles. The aroma is smoky and roasty. The taste is roasty and full of dark malts. Some lactose and some berry sweetness with licquorice hints also. A good body to a nice tasty beer.

Hand bottle at home ... From the Merton Winter Beer Festival ’08 ... Huge Huge Huge thanks to FIN for this ... Deep solid balck ... no head ... quit still again i suspect the hand bottling ... light roast chocolate malt ... Deep dark roasts ... Deep solid roast malts ... lots of chocolate ... some hops show through but well balanced ... some roast coffee and like Svesse i do think i pick up a little soy sauce. 4.2 as it stands but i think its body suffers a little through the hand bottling.

Cask conditioned at Merton Winter Beer Festival ’08. Black beer with pale tan head. This was top notch as an Impy Stout, big dark roasted flavours with a silky rich body and little unbrewed sweetness. Coffee husks with an obvious alcohol note, tarry then caramel toffee and followed by a fresh hop flavour. Bitterness is its strength for such a big beer and I thought it was a real cracker.

(Cask at Pembury Tavern, Hackney, London, 28 Nov 2007) Black colour with brief, pale brown head. Roasted nose with dark bitter chocolate, espresso and liquorice. Roasted taste with notes of strong sweet coffee, dark bitter chocolate, liquorice, vanilla and soy sauce. Underlying malt sweetness throughout. Full bodied, almost oily texture. Lovely beer!