Bad King John - Ridgeway Brewery (6.0% ABV)

Happy New Year everyone! I have been lazy of late, and not posted any updates for a few weeks. I did have a have several beers over the New Years period, but I failed to take decent notes as I was in a state of permanent intoxication. So I'm back on the horse today and drinking a Bad King John 'English black ale'.

Pours almost pure black and produces a tanned, soapy head. Looks very inviting

Lots of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, liquorice and toffee on the nose. Gentle underlying yeast note too.

Taste up front is burnt toffee with a ton of roasted malt flavours. Mid-palate offers a delicate mix of bitter dark chocolate, molasses and coffee. More malt sweetness on the finish; syrup and coffee, but there is very little hop flavour. There is a very mild raw leaf and nettle tang, but only very mild.

Medium bodied, but a little thin. Feels slightly oily at the end, but also has a very high levels of astringency - it strips the mouth quite unpleasantly. Could do with a bit more hop to give a bit more balance.

Good flavours, but let down by the lack of complexity and palate stripping dryness