Appearance: Very dark brown, but not quite black, with a lightly tan off-white head that has decent persistence. Lacing sticks to the side of my glass.Aroma: Bready and roasty, but not intensely so. Malty but not sweet, and a little chocolatey. Hop aroma is present but subtle, and probably not quite the right type of British hop aroma. I don't get any yeast esters.
Taste: Again kind of bready, like the crust, and roasty-chocolatey. Sweetness is low-moderate but it's not dry. I don't really get much nutty character or a strong impression of biscuity Maris Otter character that would have come from using more of that malt, as was called for. No yeast-derived flavors that I can really detect. Bitterness is pretty evenly balanced with the malt, but I would say it is malt forward more than bitter. Smooth tasting, similar to a dark mild but more intense in character.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, low-moderate carbonation. Thinnish mouthfeel but the bready quality and sweetness prevent it from being thin. Like a dark mild but less watery.
Overall: Pretty pleasant, easy drinking and tasty. Would like to brew again but with more MO malt, and with a more characterful yeast expression.
