Mayfields Naughty Nell

Brewed by Mayfields
Style: Bitter
Leominster, England

Bottle from Kris Wines, London. Hazy amber with lots of sediment and hardly any head. Toffee and sourly berries aroma. Sour flavours balanced by caramel and solid bitterness. Thin. Not quite there, still a bit of homebrew character.

Bottle ’conditioned’. Sloppy bronze without carbonation or a hiss of a head. Attractive waft of pear and rhubarb crumble aroma (Bramling Cross), sprinkled with walnut. Slight and biscuity with a faint rub of hop; dry roasted, rhubarb and more of that buttery crumble for dessert, lingering long into the aftertaste. Disasterous conditioning, but a balanced and tasty bitter lurking beneath.

Cask @ London Drinker 25: Pure amber, no head. Pears, roast game birds and puffy rice all contribuet to this interesting aroma. It’s meaty rich and malted. No hops here. Light smoke, something Italian too - maybe Parma Ham? Unfortunately thin. Surprising flavour from this meek looking beer. Toasty and meaty with some real depth.

Cask gravity at Battersea BF 09. Amber, thin bubbly beige head. Some fruitiness on a rather syrupy malty best bitter. Not very good.

Cask Stillage at the Church Hall, Frodsham 07/01/2006 Bronze coloured with a slightly wheaty aroma. Some fruit and roast malt flavours. Very dry in the finish.

Cask@Out of the Vaults, Leicester. Reddish beer with a fruity, watery and strawberry flavour and a lightly fruity aroma. Overall a nice fruity lightly dry beer.

Cask, Out of the Vaults, Leicester. Hazy mahogony with a beige head. Aromas are clean, fresh berries with caramel malts and sulphur and spices. Flavours are sweet and sour berries with light toffee malts. Has metallic elements and hints of cherries. Quite thin, but drinkable.