Burton's Beer Tasting Notes - Young's Winter Warmer

Ah, dear readers of my manifold wandering, truly many of us can recall the Young's of old. Brewed in Wandsworth, the Special in particular was a kind of revelation when you drank it. I remember the odd pint, on the way back from particularly strenuous audits, in the Square Tavern in Tolmer's Square, London. A decent pub in a surprising location. And handy for Euston Station. Which, if you're heading back to Milton Keynes from Central London, is the place to be. Oh yes, you can go to Liverpool Street, but you won't end up in CMK or Bletchley.

But by the late 90s Young's were clearly in a downward spiral. They weren't the brewery they were. And so it was no great disaster, given where things had got to, when all the production moved to Charles Wells at Bedford. A stronger financial base, a collaboration of brewing and pubs companies - and all brewed with the gentle water of the Great Ouse. The Great Ouse, holding the record for the widest river in Bedford.

And so what, gentle reader, do we make of Young's Winter Warmer, as brewed in Bedford? A dark beer - that is the first thing that strikes the eye. With an aroma of - is that liquorice? You think it may well be. Then a strong foretaste of liquorice is followed by a dominant taste of liquorish. With the after-taste being... well, liquorish, frankly. As an ale, it's an experience that is not unlike drinking boiled-up "Imps" sweets.

But as you get into the experience you realise that the liquorice is not an unpleasant taste. The roundness of the beer starts to soak into your soul. It is a full-bodied dark ale, of that there is no doubt. A resolute mouth-feel. And just the hint of - what? Liquorice? And the beer is indeed a warmer. You set out on the trek through the snow knowing you'll make it.

Overall: A rating of 6.2 on the Dasset scale.

Best music to drink it with: "I need you" by N-Dubz.