Pitfield 1896 XXXX Stock Ale

Brewed by Pitfield Organic
Style: Traditional Ale
North Weald, Epping, England

Cask - Fat Cat, Norwich. This ale pours a deceptively passive looking clear amber with a fine but frothy, dome-like white head. Heavenly sweet aromas of toffee apple, brandy, raisins and also a smokey maltiness on the nose. Again, toffee apple comes through in the flavour, also with the brandy and this lends itself to a cool yet warming, spirit-like alcoholic mouthfeel and finish. Thick and coating palate texture with a lasting finish and a mild hoppy contrast. The 10% certainly makes its presence known! One for sipping.

(Half Pint from Gravity at Fat Cat Norwich) Woah just first off this is an unusual beast. Not for the faint hearted either at 10%, cause, well it definately tastes like it. Poured a dark golden with small white head. Yeasty slight fruit smell, malty with a fair amount of alcohol. Taste STRONG christmas pudding/cake with brandy, grapes, rasions, alcohol - very fruity. Too much on first taste but grows quickly on me. Spirit like with not much carbonation and lots of alcohol. One to sip, a little odd but good. very good infact. Actually more like brandy in taste than anything.

Medium offwhite head. Hazy opaque (probably my fault) amber body. Fruity medicinal malty aroma with caramelly alcoholic wild berry notes. Sweetish alcoholic fruity bananaish taste. Thin-bodied with a strange palate. Some acidity. (Hmmmm.) Dryish strawberry alcohol aftertaste. Yuck! This was awful. Is it meant to be this way, or is it infected? (0.5l bottle, City Beverage Co, London. Should rerate.)

500 ml bottle. Dark brown colour. Almost entirely clear, but there is a little haze. Tall light beige fine-laced head. Toffee and caramel aroma. Soapy hops. Bready and caramelly malt flavours. There is a distinct yeast character there as well, which could well be a fermenation flaw. Low carbonation level. Smooth malty texture. Nicely balanced. Full-bodied, but there is enough hops to cut the malt sweetness. Dry earthy hoppy finish. Nothing special unfortunatel. An OK beer, but nothing more.

2006 bottle courtesy of magic_dave. Pours red with a fizzy white head. Smells lightly fruity with some mellow tartness and lots of earthiness. Tastes of caramel, oak, some sourness, cherries. Some nice tartness and dryness balance easy other out. Mouthfeel is full. Finish yields lots of pepper and is tingly. The tarte nip hits the back of the tongue while some caramel hits the front simultaneously. This is an unusual but very enjoyable beer.

Bottle from Quaffs, 2007 vintage. Wow, not what I imagined at all...This is potent stuff. Golden and hazy with a quickly diminishing white head. Nose is yeasty, peppery and vinous, some sweet tropical fruit notes also. Almost like a Belgian Strong Ale, I would have actually said that in a blind tasting. Flavour is sweet with candi sugar, pineapple and a vinous alcohol burn in the finish. Not thick per se but it does coat the mouth, deserving a 4. In all honesty it’s not a bad beer, it was just a poor choice to start the evening off with, lol...

Considering the style, Scores ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most intense
Appearance:
Body:   Clear(1)->Murky(5) : 4     Golden(1)->Dark brown(5) : 4     Still(1)->Sparkling(5) : 2
Head:   None(1)->Large(5) : 3   White(1)->Tan(5) : 2   Lasting: 2   Lacing : 2
Aroma:
Intensity : 2  
Yeast : 3   Bread : XX   Tropical Fruits : XX   Soap : XX   Diacetyl : XX Sulfur : XX   Fusel : XX  
Malt : 4   Biscuity : 3   Hay : XX   Toasty : 3   Caramel : 5   Fruity : XX   Nutty : XX   Honey : XX   Maple : XX   Molasses : XX   Cereals : 3   Grainy : XX
Hops : 2   Noble(1)->American(5) : 2   Leafy : XX   Spicy : XX   Floral : 2   Lemon/Lime : XX   Grapefruit : XX Orange : XX   Herbal : XX   Grassy : XX   Pine/Spruce/Resin : XX  
Notes :   Peach/Apricot : XX   Earth : 2   Mint : XX   Butterscotch : XX   Smoke : XX   Dates : XX   Bourbon : XX   Bubblegum : XX
Flavor:
Initial Flavor : Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Finish Dry(1)->Sweet(5) : 4   Sourness : XX   Bitterness : 1   Complex : 2   Length : XX
Palate:
Light(1)->Full(5) : 2   Flat(1)->Fizzy(5) : 4   Clean : XX   Sharp : XX   Watery : XX   Oily : XX   Chalk : XX   Astringent : XX   Alcohol : 2   Mineral : XX   Oxidation : XX   Metallic : XX

Comments: Caramelly, biscuity, sweet ale with little hops and a very mellow bitterness. Vinous strong English/Belgian hybrid, but ultimately not that original.

Bottled at rbesg07 and bottle at home. Aroma is burstuing with sweet candysuger pale malts, an intresting mix od spice and pepper. Taste is similar biscuity sweetness builds up, noteable fruity esters off the yeasty. Theres a problem with this beer in that i have no idea what its trying to be, is it a belgiun ale? is it a barley wine? I cant quite get it so it puts me off a bit.