Top Tastings 2008. A shorter version was first published on facebook January 2009.
ABV: 3.9%
Origin: Millom, Cumbria, England
Website: http://www.beckstonesbrewery.co.uk/
Beckstones Black Gun Dog Freddy Mild Ale
When this won gold in its class and silver overall at the 2008 Champion Beer of Britain you could hear people muttering “who?”. But it was well-deserved for this tiny brewery housed in a barn beneath Black Combe in a remote corner of Cumbria, started in 2002 by home brewer and long distance drayman Dave Taylor.
Named after Dave’s own dog, this is a complex mild, very dark brown in a colour with smooth and creamy off-white head. There’s a notably roasty blackcurrant and caramel dark malt aroma, a slightly smoky and yoghurty berry fruit palate with definite bitterness turning ashy with a slight caramel hint, and a long, moreish, slightly tart finish with subtle roast and strawberry fruit. Cask at Great British Beer Festival.
Read more about this beer at ratebeer.com: http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/beckstones-black-gun-dog-freddy/66179/
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