Pours dark amber with thick fizzy head. Aroma is malt with some pine/resin hop aroma. Flavor is okay, I was not blown away. Good balance. Tastes a bit like the scotch ale I just finished... with a bit more hop balance. Decent drinkable beer.

Appearance: This ale poured a rich mahogony with a gorgeous, rich thick pillowy head. As I swirl the beer in my tulip glass, the head continues to refresh. Aroma: I am a bit surprised that there is not a greater intensity. The beer smells fresh and green, but doesn’t possess a huge aroma. Taste: The first flavor I notice from this beer is a slightly bitter hop taste that lingers on the palate. The hops are definitely present, but it seems to be missing some malt presence. Some slight chocolate malt flavors make themselves felt, but the hoppiness dominates. Mouthfeel: Lighter than expected. The hop oils linger on the palate long after the beer is gone. Overall: This is a solid brew, but I have had other amber ales that I find better, most notably Terrapin’s Big Hoppy Monster and Lagunitas’ Lucky 13. This beer is more on the lines of Troegs Hopback Amber. A good beer, but not the best I’ve had of this style.

22oz in Liefmans glass. Pours deep amber with low cream-colored head. Plum, raisin, grass, alcohol, and pineapple nose. Big sweet pine and crystal taste that brings me right back to One Horse Town at The Old Vic. Some yeast character after the gulp. And drink it. "People who like this beer LOVE this beer." --Jon Plise

Orangey caramel nose. Amber reddish color with a thick frothy head that lasts forever. Huge malty toffee sweetness, but excellently balanced with sharp bitterness. Full body, big carbonation, smooth finish. This was a fantastic huge malty beer with great balance!

22 oz bottle. Very bready, pumpernickel like flavor with strong resiny hop bite at the finish. I detected some sweetness as it warmed. I can appreciate this as an innovative brew, but I found the taste a bit harsh and aggressive, like their Racer 5 IPA which I’m not a big fan of either.