UPDATED: JUN 5, 2020 Cask at GBBF, Earl’s Court on 05/08/2009. Very nice ESB, of the American persuasion. Big and malty, but also with nice peppery hops and just a bit more cereal savoury flavour.

DATE: February 3, 2018... OCCASION: celebrating a great showing at Phillipsburg's Quiz Bowl tournament... GLASSWARE: Hop Devil nonick... pours a dark amber body, lightly effervescent, and clusters of bubbles notch up and down the glass... the head retention flattens at a half-finger of off-white head that sends solar flares upward... presents as a nutty, lightly roasted aroma, fresh from a growler poured mid-afternoon today... caramel is notable, as is the toffee... a solid representation of the style... sips at a ridiculously easy rate, with a sweet and creamy mouthfeel that rewards the palate... the finish holds but doesn't overwhelm... nuts, toasted malts, light aromatic noble hops, and flowery hints--a righteous, agreeable, comfortable beer to eat/chill/watch TV with... a quality ESB, and possibly an entry pass to trying more Cricket Hill... and at $6 a grunt, a great buy at Liquor Fcatory...

From Aug 2008 got this bottle in a trade with jwc215. Thanks Joe! A cloudy orange coloured brew, there's close to a 1 finger head of foam that shrinks quickly leaving a couple of small islands and a ring around the glass. Lacing is minimal. The smell has good notes of caramel sweetness and citrus and grassy hoppiness. The taste starts off with that malty sweetness but is quickly overtaken by a big floral and fruity hop bitterness. The fruitiness I taste is apricot and it works pretty well here. A good medium mouthfeel with lightish carbonation, it finishes with more fruit, a slight bitterness and some earthy tones. This is pretty tasty and quite drinkable and seems to grow on me the more I sip. Give it a shot if you find it.

Draft Third of a Pint at GBBF 2010 (Day 2), Earl’s Court, London Aug 2010 - Orangey Amber in colour. Malty; toasted biscuity malts. Hoppy; resiny herbal hops, slight earthy taste. Fruity; citrus orange & lemon. Solid malty backbone and moderately hoppy. Not too bitter. Easy drinking. (2010-08)

Pours copper with off white head. Caramel malt aroma with citrus, floral hop and pine. Flavor is caramel malt start with some floral hop flavor and dry pine finish.

It pours amber with a fluffy off white head. There are aromas of bread and moderate fruity esters. The flavor is sweet with fruity esters, plums, dominated the flavors with a bready malt backbone. It has a light-moderate feel with low bitterness. Overall, it is a highly fruity rather easy drinking beer.

Bottle. Buttery caramel malt aroma. Hazy amber with small head. Sweet lightly tangy butter toffee malt and mildly bitter hay flavor. Nice body.

Bottle: Hazy, amber-orange with a small, beige head. Sweet caramel, fruit aroma. Caramel malt, bread-heel, grain malt taste. A bit of herbal hopping...... Not bad.

undated 12 oz. bottle with updated label (versus photo). A bottled cask ale is an oxymoron; a point hammered home by the large head. But ignoring this ... Poured moderately clear amber with a large, creamy tan head that had good retention and left patterned lacing on the glass. A thin coat of sediment remained stuck to the bottom of the bottle. Aroma: earthy-herbal hops dominate, creating a dank, rather unappealing brew. Flavor: mild and less hoppy than the aroma suggests. Modest complexity with hints of roasted nuts. Very mildly bitter. Feel: (Cask ale character at last). Medium body with a very smooth texture; ample soft carbonation.

Transfer from BA review on 1-15-14- Served on tap in a pint glass Appearance – The beer is served a very hazy amber color with a one finger head of a light cream color. The head has a good level of retention, slowly fading to leave a moderate level of lace on the sides of the glass. Smell – The aroma of the beer is on the grainier side with a lightly toasted bready smell mixed within. Along with these smells are some aromas of caramel and a little bit toffee as well as the slightest hint of a citrus hop smell. Taste – The taste begins with a toasted bready taste with some sweeter flavors of caramel and toffee. The sweeter flavors begin losing ground as the taste moves on with the bready flavor taking on a more roasted cracker like taste. As this occurs some hop flavors of a citrus and grassy nature come to the tongue. While the sweetness lessens from the start, it is still quite detectable with it never really leaving a “dry” beer. In the end with the transitions in the taste, one is left with a very lightly hopped, moderately sweet, cracker taste to linger on the tongue. Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is average in terms of its thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is on the average side. The average carbonation and body are both quite appropriate as they uphold the lightly hopped flavors of the brew, all while still maintaining an easy drinking base for the sweeter flavors of the brew. Overall – Nothing out of this world, but nothing wrong with it either. A nice easy sipping pub brew.