Orkney Dragonhead Stout (Cask)

Brewed by Orkney (Sinclair Breweries)
Style: Stout
Stromness, Orkney, Highlands & Islands, Scotland

Scotland 05. I have had this from bottle previously, and as I recall it was better? It’s brown/black with an OK head. The aroma is a bit smoked with a sourish touch. The flavour has light notes of chocolate, roasted malt, celery, a touch of smoke and a sourness that makes me wonder if the one, who served it, maybe forgot to clean the system this morning?

Tried at Pizza Port’s Real Ale festival from bottle. Great smell. Good appearance, but flavor is kind of bland. Dark rich color. Good lingering head. Hmmm...needs more flavor!

Draught half-pint at NERAX on 5/3/07
Bright, ruddy-tinted chocolate brown body has a small, foamy, beige-tan head that shows moderate to low retention, light lacing.
Baker’s chocolate and light fruit (esters) in the nose (cherries, apples) are soft, though there is a dry, slightly crusty, salty black malt note that sits on the end. Not too apparent in the nose, and light base malt sugars help keep things mostly lighthearted. Yeast shows a touch of dough and some light apple notes I could do without, but as it warms, a cherry-vanilla aroma emerges more strongly, and is quite enjoyable. Medium strength of aroma, no real flaws or alcohol noted.
Straightfoward, clean flavor presentation shows pale and light caramel malts (some breadiness and hardness from the caramel/crystal malting) with a bit of chewy, sweet fudge through the middle. The finish really smacks of dark malt overusage. Too much acidity for its size and lots of crusty, hard, almost salty notes that dominate the palate and "ruin it in the end" as cgarvieuk notes. Very light body, moderate amount of wateriness seems appropriate to style. Low carbonation, slightly loose. Quite fruity, both from malt and yeast. Clean.

Cask gravity at Planet Thanet 07. Black colour with thin tan head. Aroma is a bit yeasty farty, flavour is a bit thin. Not a good stout, ugh.

Well its a stout, but a little too burnt in linger, deep black, , nice deep fruit malt nose, but palate ruined in end.

A Mes rate: Gravicask @ Planet Thanet. Looks the part but it falls down a bit from there on. Smells a bit rum. Off alcohol and plasticine. Tastes of paint and floor varnish. Inky and fairly sweet, herbacious and some vegetable soup. Ok but just too much of this odd alcohol note for me. For a 4% it drinks and certainly finishes like something way way stronger.

Cask at Fox & Anchor, Smithfield. Dark brown, small tan head. Not in best condition but could tell it was a decent beer. Coffee, dark fruit, pleasant but not overpowering bitterness. Good solid beer.

Cask at Charlies. Dark brown coloured with a beige head. Light roasted aroma with notes of fruits. Roasted flavour of coffee, fruits and hops.