Woodfordes Norfolk Nip

Bottle by the fire watching MOTD. None of those namby-pamby US Imperial Stouts tonight. Burgundy with ruby flashes and a loose dissipating beige head. Thinnish at the strength but impressively lace-dappled. Shows its legs with swilling. Nose an inviting sticky waft of doppelbock-like malt loaf, Marmite dabs, slight lactic sweetness,toffee, liquorice,tacky English hopcone if you’re looking, molten tarmac,vanilla, cabbage water, crumble of Oxo, raisin. Swilling unveils deeper levels of yeasty apple fruit, bramble and plum; almond as it warms. I’m shutting up now about the aroma. Immediate heat and oesophagal glow, kelp,walnut, varnish, beef stock, liquorice. The malts suggest toffee and fig roll but this is not a sweet beer; good harmonising hop bitterness and savoury yeast extract notes. Definitely some Bovril saltiness and ozone. Sprinkle of aniseed, tobacco. Puff of smoke, almost chocolate afters. Carbonation low but suited; laces with some persuasion until its gone. Some of the complexities of the aroma are lost in the flavour, but a fine and very English sipper.

<b>Bottle 33cl.</b>
Clear medium to dark red brown color with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to light light heavy malty, burnt caramel, burnt, berry sour notes, raisin. Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet, light aidic, berry sour and moderae bitter with a average to long duration. Bitternes is malt burnt bitter. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20081005]

33 cL bottle, courtesy of fonefan. Pours dark brown with a light orange glare and a diminished white head. Roasted malty and light fruity aroma. Sweet caramel and roasted malt flavour with a mild acidic note and quite dark fruity, yet not heavy. Mild infection it seems. Lingering roasted malty and light fruity finish.

Draught. Low and quickly disappearilng fluffy off-white head. Very dark red brown body. Mild caramel coffee aroma. Flavor mild creamy coffee, little hops bitternes, low carbonation, short aftertaste.

Appearance: Dark brown. Absolutely flat, no fizz. Aroma: Winey, fruity. Malty. Raisins. Taste: Pretty malty. Fruits. Info: 330ml bottle, 3/4-2006, 99/300

I was very disappointed with this beer! Woodfordes normally has super beers. This one is vastly overrated in my opinion. I finished it, although it was hard to do. Thankfully it’s 8.5% ABV so at least I got my money’s worth somewhat. It was hard to describe to flavor, other than blah. The beer looked and smelled good. It just didn’t taste too good.

33cl bottle. Pours a deep, slightly hazy red with a passing layer of sparse, bubbly head. Aromas of raisins and prunes with some oak and an apparent alcohol undertone. The tastes vary from a predominant dark cherry character, with molasses to a slight woody, nutty flavour, finishing with a tobacco aftertaste. Not much bitterness at all. Smooth on the palate with little carbonation, and quite warming. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Aroma is of Oak, fruit, earth, and some alcohol. Flavor is oak, dark fuit, caramel. Finishes sweet with slight alcohol burn. Nice old ale. ’05 Vintage, I believe. Bottle says "Best before Oct-08.