Theakston XB (Cask)

Cask @ National Winter Ales Festival 2009, Manchester. Pours a clear amber color with a small off-white head. Has a sweetish malty caramel aroma with some hoppy hints. Fruity malty caramel flavor with some hoppy hints. Has a fruity malty finish with some hoppy hints in the aftertaste.

Cask, various locations over the years. What was always a reliable session beer mutated into, at best, one of the most mundane, characterless beers imaginable after the takeover. Expecting things to change after the welcome re-birth was a mistake. Still dull and ordinary.

Cask, Bridge Inn, Middleton-in-Teesdale, Co Durham. Darkish brown colour. Caramel malt aroma, hint of ashtray. Thin, boring flavour. Some bitterness. Zzzzzz.

Cask at the Peacock, Nottingham. The aroma of this copper-coloured beer suggests apples, whereas berries are more dominant in the flavour. The dry finish is enjoyable.

Nose of malt, berries and hops. Pours a drak mahogany coloured beer with a small white head. Taste is moderate bitter, with a frutiness. Quite pleasant if a little simple.

Amber colour with a short head. Some caramel in the scent. Very dry with some bitterness. Hoppy but not very complez, just some sweetness and not much else.

Cask (handpump) @ Ring O’Bells, WA1, Warrington. Clear amber color with a small fizzy fair lacing mostly diminishing off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, light yeasty, fruity, toffee. Flavor is moderate sweet and light bitter with a average duration. Body is medium, texture is creamy, carbonation is flat.

Cask at The Lion Inn, North York Moors. Pours a clear orange-amber with an average size lasting creamy white head. Nice lacing. Aroma’s mild, sweet and fruity. Flavour’s also sweet, lightly hoppy with some fruit and a light dry bitter finish. Average bodied. Decent enough but I’m getting tired of Bitters, do they make anything else here?