Jacobi Brewery of Caio 'Winter Warmer'

When the sun came out a fortnight ago and ushered in Spring we went for a walk in the Brecon Beacons, there is a mountain centre and walks at Libanus, and it includes a tourist shop, a cafe downstairs which serves some excellent food, this time we didn't eat there but I positively salivated over another's steak and kidney pie with some wonderfully aromatic red cabbage.

A good sign is that there is usually queues for the food, and they sell local beers, with bottles from the Breconshire Brewery which I didn't see until I'd paid for our drinks, although those included one from the Carmarthenshire 'Jacobi brewery of Caio'.

This was an English strong ale 5% called 'Winter Warmer'.
This was a deep copper red colour which had a half finger of head that stays, looks good.
The aroma was strong rich and fruity, whilst the raisins, toffee, a very malt sweetness and heavy alcohol body, is matched with good hops providing a lingering bitterness.
Its not a classic heavy winter beer such as Adnams Broadside, it lacks the body of that but it was a good strong bitter that was enjoyed. And it probably would have paired very well with the pie and red cabbage if I'd had that. Missed opportunity!

Newmans Last Lion of Britain

Another from the Caerphilly based brewery Newmans, which I've reviewed here before and mused upon here also.

Its a 330ml bottle, and I suppose comes into the ESB category as its 5%, nice label too.

You can see the carbonation in the photo, and the red brown colouring.
It had an aroma of sweetness, sugar sweetness but also a malty caramel sweetness. Is that right? perhaps not, but sweet full stop.
Sweet but dry, medium body, the alcohol comes through, caramel again in buckets, and a spicy bitterness resides.

Fairly standard ESB, nothing exciting though.