Moor Old Freddy Walker

Brewed by Moor
Style: Old Ale
Langport, England

Cask developed through to perfection at Kett’s Tavern by mine host of the arcane arts. Truly a most divine old ale.

Matured for 6 months in cask (these Moor beers mature at a steady rate but still retain an incredible freshness about them), this is a beaut. Very dark, close to black with a head the colour of the crema of a well made espresso. Roast and smoky aroma with some cherry and prune fruit alongside some earthy hops and if you really look for it a citrus note (found after 3 pints, but found again when sober!). Good mouthfeel and carbonation with a creamy but full body. Obvious flavours of coffee and chocolate are in abundance with vine fruit, liqourice, smoke and generous bitterness. Lasting smokey, fruit, liqourice, bitter finish. A rich well matured fruitcake of a beer.

Bottle from Beermerchants. Pours black with a nice tan head which dissipates within a minute of pouring. Lovely aromas of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, caramel. Flavours of dark chocolate, brown sugar, licorice, roasted malts. Finishes nice and malty with a slight bitterness. Leaves a pleasant warming feeling in the throat.Cracking effort!

Bright bottled at Reading Beer Festival. When I tasted this at the festival on Friday it made a deep impression on me, and I can easily see why it won Supreme Champion at the CAMRA Winter Beers Festival. My notes: "Dark, very tangy, sweet, delicious. Wow! Score 4.0 " Sampling it again now I can only echo my thoughts at the time. Each mouthfull seems to bring forward new dark flavours - chocolate, coffee, tobacco. Though dark and warm and gently tangy, nothing is overdone - there is a balanced about everything, and a long slow ride into the lingering, oh so lingering, finish. Red fruits come through - hard to pin down exactly, but with just enough fruit to balance the dark tobacco and peppery spice. An absolute sensation! My beer of the month!

Cask conditioned at the Royal Oak, Bath 21/2/08. Near black with a moderate tan head. Aroma of dark fruits, marzipan, tobacco and a whiff of roastiness. The mouth feel was full and vinous, with some more chunky sweetness, chocolate, dark fruit and a lingering, warming alcohol finish. The best beer I have drunk for many months.

Cask conditioned. This won at the Camra Winter Festival last year, and fully deserved. This is full of chcolate and coffee flavours all wrapped up in a sweet yet sour blanket.

[Cask at Troon Beer festival] Big complex aroma of chocolate, tobacco, oak, slightly roasted, deep fruity character, some acidity. Full body, malt blooms on the palatelots more oak, very long, dry, vinous finish with a good dose of tartness.

Gravity cask at Maidstone BF. Black colour beige head. Choc/coffee/liquorice aromas, good in mouth with drying finish and some dark fruit. Good strong dark beer which doesn’t allow the strength to over run it.