The unexpected find of two bottles of this sealed my fate for this afternoon's England v. Italy game. I thought a lot about this beer when it was released late last autumn by the local government store. I was particularly happy as Boak and Bailey¹ had reviewed the beer and, somewhere, asked what a few more months would mean for this beer. Going from the notes I have on hand, there is a bit less of the marmalade and a bit more smoke or even oak. The bitter nods to both astringent garden greens and drying black tea. Plenty of raisin and apple in the beefy malt bracing rather than covering the comforting heat of this 7.5% brew. BAers vote good rather than great.

We opened light sweet moscato d'asti for our garden lunch as a nod to Italy but this wall of ale may better reflect to game to half time. Congesting mid-field, a lot of the Italian finesse has been beaten down by Engerland for now. Yet still a but chunky, even clumsy in attack. Second half is about to start. Stonch is giving live updates from the Gunmakers.

¹from whom I gleefully nicked the photo above so as to not have to get out of my chair.