Draft, EBF: Amber-orange color, off-white ring. Bold buttery nature in an almost weizenbock like smell of ripened fruits (citrus, banana, pineapple) and dried nuts. Bockish texture, oily low carbonation. Light sour dough and soft maltiness makes this a pillow on the tongue. Gentle fruits are very diplomatic yet very tasty. Good job there.

The Lure:<br />A veil of foam tops the cooper red garment. Vibrant citrusy, leafy hoppiness envelops the proud caramel and berry veins.<br /> <br /> The Festivities:<br />Dry caramel resting on a bed of muscular resinous hop bitterness and loads of citrus fruit. Juicy apricot and orangey fruitiness completes the engaging presentation of flavors, as a well-fed frame straddles drinkability and nourishment. Perfectly balanced, rich, and very flavorful.<br /> <br /> Transcendence:<br />A hearty broth for the soul.

Cask pint at the brewpub. Muddy light chocolate-brown with a slow-dying small off-white head....chocolaty-herbal nose with tart citrusy hints...alcohol noticeable in the flavor immediately followed by a huge maltiness, chocolate with a bit of licorice, harsh sour/bitter alcoholic finish...unbalanced and not sweet enough, somehow this tastes like a very dry malt liquor to me, and at the moment I’m agin’ it. Major dsappointment.

Strong grapefruit/orange-citrus hops balance nicely with underlying sweet maltiness in the aroma. Clear amber-copper with off-white head that recedes to ring. Grapefruit hop flavour with strong, balancing, sweet, round malt body and some fruity esters. Some toastiness in the finish. Medium body with carbonation that is engaging on the tongue. Very enjoyable! Sampled at the Extreme Beer Festival 2005.

Draught tulip at the brewpub on 3/10/06<br />Deep cherry-red color, with some light gold and tan tints, glassy clarity, is obviously unfiltered, but well-settled. Frothy, prominent, chalky-beige colored head is very well-retained providing light lacing.<br />Smells of a mix of light chocolate matls, touches of sticky caramel and just a hint of crystal malts for color. Not overly dried out or papery from the crystal malt addition, which is a feat in itself. A touch of creamy-sweet pale malt sugars, dry, but lively fruits &#40;apples, cherries, raisins, plums&#41; and a straightforward, but delightfully playful and aromatic hop profile of soft citrus, light soil and bits of wintergreen and controlled pine. The flavor is full of fruity and sprucey hops, at first, with a grainy, unfiltered texture, sticky caramel, near-creamy pale or dextrin malts and tastefully done, lightly drying crystal malts. Some bits of chocolate on the very tail end, with a very tight, low amount of carbonation. Perhaps it dries out a bit too much, with a growing toastiness as it warms, and the hops are only moderately assertive &#40;yet fully flavorful&#41;. No alcohol noted in nose or flavor. Brewers that can make crystally/caramelly, PNW hopped, 8% abv double-red ales taste lively, round and balanced are a rare breed.