Gold Label (formerly Whitbread)

Brewed by Samlesbury (InBev UK - InBev)
Style: Barley Wine
Preston, England

Really bad. Fuel, rubber, dirty socks and a cloying stickyness, all in the one beer, awful stuff, park bench sort of stuff. Horrible. Way too much alcohol evident. Hard to imagine they put much effort into brewing this. Ugh.

I quite like this - but I don't know why! I suppose it beats the "kestrel super"s of the beer world for a high volume drink. Part of it's appeal is that it does make an interesting shandy - the dilution gives it a strength of an export lager but the taste does make it a shandy with a kick. Not one I go out of my way to buy however.

Bottle actually says 9.5 % ABV. Malty aroma, sweet, caramel. Appearance is ugly. Head is immediately gone. Amber coloured. Taste is alcoholic, malty sweet, caramel, hints of apple. Bitter alcoholic finish. Not good. Dirty.

Bottled. Ginger, brown colour, not much head. Sweet, sweet toffee aroma and flavour. Two dimensional, sweet and strong, which is an improvement on the likes of Scol et al, which are just mentholated spirits in disguise. The lady that sold it to me though said that the only reason she stocks it is for the old lady with no knickers around the corner (see SilkTork's rating).

sugary nose, strawberries, copper hue, very small rapidly disipating, traces of malt, alcohol notes, very sweet.

The drink of tramps and old ladies with no teeth or knickers. One of MJ’s Classic Brews, this is enjoyably thick and sweet with a warming alcohol. But it has no complexity or life. If you want to wear an old raincoat, sit in the gutter and mumble incoherently about how daffodils are taking over the world, then fine, this is the beer for you. Otherwise, try something that’s made with some skill.

Very strong, but not very special. Syruppy and sweet with not much finish. Buy a tripel instead.

Bottled. Dark Brown. Aroma is a alcohol, formost. Rich and thick, yes - but also disgustingly strong.