My first stout review! It pours a squid-ink black with only the slightest trace of a reddish tint visible. A thin, light-tan head persists for a few minutes and leaves a temporary lace behind. The aroma is full of roast malt, sweetish chocolate, cocoa and raisins. The taste is of gooey chocolate, fruits of the forest and jam. A sweet, caramel, banana finish is tempered by the drying alcohol. Hops are present but take a back seat to the chewy malt. Needless to say the mouthfeel is extremely thick and viscous. A stunning stout! Beers like this really do it for me. If I was being picky I'd ask for a little more dryness but that's just personal preference. At 8% it may as well be labelled an Imperial Stout rather than Export Stout as I couldn't tell the difference if I tried. I wonder if there is a technical difference between the styles?
Its a little difficult to find much information on Ridgeway Brewing as they appear not to have a website. However, I do know that its the brainchild of the ex-head brewer of Brakspear (a company which closed in 2002 and then re-formed as part of Wychwood Brewing Co.), Peter Scholey. They have a fairly large range of bottled ales available including; Bad Elf, Very Bad Elf, Criminally Bad Elf and Insanely Bad Elf. The alcohol level rises with the elf's increasingly bad behaviour :p
- MALTS: ?
- HOPS: ?
- IBU: ?
- ABV: 8%
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