Dark Lord vs. Broadside

Brewery: Batemans (Dark Lord), Adnams (Broadside)

Brewer's Description: Dark Lord - "Brewed to commemorate 'Black Tom' who fought in the English Civil War at The Battle of Winceby, Lincolnshire. It is rich and spicy and goes well with cheese and red meat."

Broadside - "Broadside is brewed to commemorate the Battle of Sole Bay, the fierce battle fought against the Dutch Republic in 1672 off the Suffolk coast. The English fleet was moored in Southwold with Admiral Edward Montagu & most of his sailors drinking in local ale houses when called to action! Broadside uses East Anglian malted barley and only one hop variety- First Gold. This dark ruby red beer is full of fruitcake flavours and is great savoured with some strong cheddar. Delicious served cool.

Alc: 5.0% vol (Dark Lord), 6.3% vol (Broadside)

Overall Rating: 8/10 (Dark Lord), 9/10 (Broadside)

Uniqueness: 8/10 (Dark Lord), 7/10 (Broadside)

Refreshing? 8/10 (Dark Lord), 9/10 (Broadside)

Should you try it?
I've decided to review these two beers side by side. I drunk them around the same time, and was struck by their similarity (not surprising given that they are both dark ruby beers).

Both are absolutely fantastic. Okay, I am biased here - I'm a huge fan of ruby ales and have never found one I didn't like - but these both have a satisfying sweetness to them which makes them very enjoyable to drink.

The Dark Lord has the more interesting flavour of the two, and is a beautiful balance between sweetness and a darker, burnt taste. This gives it a bit more balls than the Broadside, and possibly is the beer you want to linger on for a bit longer. So, why have I rated the Broadside higher overall? Simply this - I am not a huge fan of that burnt taste and aroma. I can appreciate it, but it's a bit like coffee cake - something is not quite right. I prefer chocolate cake. Just like I prefer the overall sweetness and less complex flavour of the Broadside, which is refreshing, drinkable, and satisfying.

As an aside, the Broadside is a fair bit stronger, at 6.3%. The artwork on both bottles is interesting, as are the themes (both, coincidentally, centred around battles local to each brewery). I'd say the Broadside has the slight edge for giving a more detailed description.

You may well disagree with my verdict. Whichever you prefer, it's hard to see either of these as anything short of excellent. I think a fairer comparison might have paired each one up with a block of extra mature cheddar (as both purportedly work well with cheese) - perhaps this can be my excuse to go and buy another bottle of each...