The smell of liquorice and plums wafts up at you as you pour this deep purple brown beer into your glass.
Saltaire XS is a range of stronger beers from this fine little Yorkshire brewery, and this one is a particularly malt heavy example.
You get aniseed and plums, rye bread and pipe tobacco, burned wholemeal toast and espresso.
There’s a nice vanilla creaminess and brandy heat too, and the Bramling Cross hops add a nice green herbal hedgerow snap.
The finish is long and rich, thick, chewy and delicious.
My only complaint would be that I’d like just a tad more fizz, a little more life.
But that’s just me.
Source: The Beer Hawk