Oakham Oblivion

Cask-conditioned at the Commercial Rooms (JDW), Bristol 16/09/09. Murky brown colour wih a decent off-white head. Big, hoppy aroma with plenty of fruit and some earthiness. Fairly easy drinking despite the strength and multitude of flavours - sweet doughy malts, red fruit, citrus hops and a long, bitter finish. Full of character and great stuff.

Cask (Kuikka, Helsinki)
Rich reddy brown, small persistent foamy head. Beautiful hoppy aroma despite being served cold. Both fruity aromatic hops and more traditional bitter ones. Full-bodied, smooth palate. Gingery and fruity hoppy retronasals. Big bitter finish. Drying and resiny, lasting for a long time. Quite well balanced. Perhaps the hops are a touch too dominant and aggressive - over-egged, one might say - so misses out on the wow factor.

(Cask at Black Door, Helsinki, on 2009-07-11) Deep amber colour and clear. Medium sized and long lasting white head with small bubbles. Medium bodied and dryish palate with very low carbonation. Hops, fruitiness, pine resin, malts, salt water, ligtly roastedness, caramell and citircness in aroma. Malts, hops and bitterness in long lasting aftertaste.

Cask at the New Crown (JDW) in Southgate. Thanks Magicdave! Dark amber. Great malty caramel flavour. Rich, full bodied yet very drinkable. A great example of a strong ale.

Cask at W’Spoons Southgate Nth London. Deep brown colour, malty and some toffee and of course the hops. Also a little musty as if an antique beer. US influenced, pretty good find.

A Mes rate: cask at the New Crown JDW.
A mid copper colour with a thin white film and excellent condition. Excellent Oakham hoppage in the aroma with a slight sweaty note that I can only describe as the smell of a good woman after a sexual extravaganza. Backed up by some awesome bready malt in the background and a faint whiff of booze makes it a glorious olfactory experience. The flavour is pretty much identical. Yes I can taste lady bits... And all the rest of it too. Damn. This is just excellent. Good developing bitterness in the finish, giving it excellent length. Wonderfully drinkable considering the reasonable happy making factor. Awesome stuff. Hats off to Tom for getting this to the glass in such fine form.

Cask in the boat in peterborough just next to the festival. Alround rating: Fruity yeastyness, appley, alcoholic peppery notes, spicey toffeeness. RERATE: Cask in the new crown. Alround rating: aroma is soo fruity, like plums and pears, lychee and orange. Taste is fuller and fruityness is key. Alround a great beer that was very unexpectitly good.

Cask conditioned - gravity dispense - Merton Winter BF. I’m slightly concerned by the last sentence of Casey’s rating. Are we really doomed? If so I wouldn’t mind going down drinking this little beauty. An amber coloured beer with the slightest hint of haze. The aroma is wonderful. Beautiful hops, malt and alcohol and all in balance. The taste is also very lovely and full of flavours. Again all superbly balanced and this time there are hints of spice also. Very American in my book. And very very delicious.