Summerskills Barley Mow

Brewed by Summerskills
Style: Mild Ale
Plymouth, England

Cask conditioned at a Wetherspoons. Dark brown with ruby hue, slight head. Sweetish, malty fruity mild, quite plum like in character, rich, pudding notes. Really fairly pleasant and smooth.

Cask at Wellington Arms, Bedford. Very dark reddish brown with a small off white head. Bonfire ash and leather in the aroma, gradually revealing sweetness. Pleasant rather understated ashy liquorice taste. Did I notice some pear-like fruit later? Slight bitterness. Good stuff.

Cask, but served a bit too cold and through a tight sparkler at JDW in Ealing, so it took ages to settle and looked more like keg Guinness. Look, if I wanted bl**dy Guinness, I’d ask for it! Fortunately it mostly survived the maltreatment. Dark red-brown with (as you’d imagine) a large and fine-grained beige head, the nose has just a hint of coffee, the palate adds more roastiness, vinous hints and some dark dried fruit. The finish is dry-bitter with a bit of sweet chocolate in the background.

Cask - Thomas Ingoldsby (JDW), Canterbury. A clear, dark brown with a light brown rim and a small but mostly lasting tan head. Dry roastiness on the nose, hints of coffee and milk chocolate. More milk chocolate in the flavours, also with more roastiness and some dark fruits. Not much in terms of hops, making this a good supping beer. Medium body with low carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel.

Cask in the coronet, holloway road. Alround rating: Roasted malt, dry, a bit of fruit, some plum, but theres this burnt chalky character which makes it fairly hard to drink. It tastes more like a stout than any mild iv ever had.

Dark red-brown colored with medium sized beige head. Chocolaty and roasted aroma with some hops present. Thin to medium bodied. Flavor is sweeter in start with caramel and roastiness, aftertaste lasts with sweetness and thin bitter hops.

Cask-condtioned at the Commercial Rooms (JDW), Bristol 05/09/09. Dark brown in colour with a decent tan head. Sweet ruffles and milk chocolate aroma. Favlour had more of the same, with some fruit, roastiness and a decent bitter finish. Very drinkable.