Bottle conditioned, 500ml, from Happy Apple, Totnes, Devon. Black / brown with slight tan head, quite flat. Quite dead on the pour, lifeless, the beer is on the watery side, there are some redeeming dark roasted malt flavours, but overall the whole was less than expected.

<b>Cask @ Reading Beer Festival 2008.</b><br />Clear dark red brown color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, lighr hoppy, moderate yeasty, leather, horse blanket, barnyard, some smoked and wood notes also. Flavor is moderate sweet, light acidic and moderate bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily to watery, carbonation is flat to soft. (030508)

BCA from Corks, Bristol. Near black with no head but cola-like carbonation. Big coffee and dark chocolate aromas. Flavour had plenty of roasted malt and fruit with a long, dry finish. Very good.

<i>A Mes rate: Gravicask at Reading Beer Festival.</i><br />Good dark brown looks with a bubbly but decent head. Slight tea in the background on the nose but some lovely dark chocolate malt with slight roasty notes really sorts it. The flavour is even better. Awesome roasted malt, bags of coffee and an unusual but very pleasing combination of dark fruit and almost sharp bitterness in the finish. Very well balanced. Great stuff.

Handsome pitch pour with ruby tints and tan collar. Aroma chocolate, coffee, red pepper, malt nuttiness and background musty hops. Nice roasty smooth chocolatey stout with a background fruitiness and lingering burnt finish.