Vital Spark - Fyne Ales Ltd

Zimbo

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Relatively rich treacly roasty beer with a lightly bitter tang this strong mild type beer's malt dominance is quite morish. Orange and brown amd creates a seasonable dense thickish head which is rocky and clings to glass. Tasty and glowing, it really delivers more kick than its ABV would suggest.

Still to have this on cask.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 19:32:19 | More by Zimbo

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a dark reddish brown colour with a decent looking head, and some lacing.

Smells sweet and a little bit boozy, oddly.

Tastes quite nicely complex, rich dark fruits which are overwhelmed by sweet caramel malts. Slight hoppy bitterness but the malts dominate.

Overall a pretty decent beer, as usual from this good brewery.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 21:05:38 | More by CwrwAmByth

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Gravity halfpint at the Euston Tap.

A: Clear chestnut-red body with a solid, ultrafine head of cream-colored foam; solid retention, tons of lace. Great.

S: Densely caramelized, very sweet malts on top of some roasty chocolate notes. I'm a fan.

T: Follows the nose; very sweet maltiness, and not much else.

M: Creamy medium body. Excellent carbonation.

O: Very nice ale. I would have liked a bit more complexity of flavor, but it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Cheers!

Serving type: cask

03-28-2012 17:35:19 | More by woosterbill

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I would consider this more a dark mild than a Scottish ale.

Dark, cola like head that melts away to almost nothing, leaving tiny, frothy islands in it.

Roast malts, light hops and even a bit of celery (?!) in the nose. This carries through to the flavour: nice malty body, hints of toffee, light fruit hops...and a whiff of celery.

Good carbonation, nice feel to it. Very enjoyable and sessionable, but I still get this weird celery profile. I don't think its the lines or the cask as the establishment's other beers were great.

Serving type: cask

11-18-2011 08:14:56 | More by BDTyre

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

500ml bottle. A bit pricey, but new, fresh (BB July 2012) traditional UK offerings are surprisingly rare around here.

This beer pours a clear, sharp, dark ruddy brown hue, with three fingers of tight foamy ecru head, which leaves some quite attractive honeycomb lace around the glass as it duly settles. It smells of lightly roasted malt, chocolate bar chocolate, a bit of salty meat, molasses, and leafy hops. The taste is soft toasty, bready malt, a mild chocolaty nuttiness, some dark sugar notes, and increasingly bitter weedy, earthy hops. The carbonation is fairly sedate, the body a low medium weight fighter, but smooth and a tad creamy nonetheless. It finishes clean, and just off-dry, the noble hops politely pressing their case.

I'm used to Scottish ales that smack you a bit like a North Sea 'breeze'. This is much more restrained, with more of a suggestive nature of the style, really. That said, it is pretty well flavoured, dark, and mild. Infer what you will.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 22:49:39 | More by biboergosum

StJamesGate

New York

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark chestnut with a creamy deep beige head that fades fast but rims and leaves speckly trails. Smoked meat, melted brown sugar, cola and a whiff of Band-aids on the nose. Soil, prune, and treacle malts with winter spice and leafy hops. Sugary mint finish and tight tingly linger. Light to medium, fizzy, good cling.

"Scottish ale"? Because... it's made in Scotland? This is a dark mild, through and through.

On the dark side of mild, with lots of whiskey-like smoke and molasses notes, almost like coffee hard candy. Stays drinkable, though. Continue to be impressed by Fyne.

2nd tasting has this still as a dark mild, but not so clear cut. The burnt toffee and sour fruit notes are not so far from a Scottish ale, there's touch of musty wood like an old ale, and the hops levels are closer to bitter than mild. Keeps you interested, no matter where it fits.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 20:22:05 | More by StJamesGate

foamer

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lovely deep ruby with a frothy, cream-coloured head which leaves some nice thick foam down the glass. Sweet malts and some hints of roasted bitterness in the nose. Strong roasted malt bitternes with hints of toffee and some coffee notes as well leading to a delicate yet lingering hop finish. Quite a nice balance between the bitterness and the toffee notes, which in other beers can get a little out of control and verging on the sickly sweet. This, on the other hand, is very nicely balanced. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel, not too heavy. A very drinkable beer, although not really in a particular style. Quite nice, and certainly worthwhile.

Serving type: cask

04-26-2005 22:43:02 | More by foamer