Clipper City Heavy Seas Winter Storm (2005+ -- Imperial ESB)

Brewed by Clipper City Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Baltimore, Maryland USA

12oz bottle pours clear copper with nice white head. The aroma has notes of medium roasted malts, sweeter malts, a mild pulse of grapefruit hops and faint caramel. The taste begins sweet with malts that slowly turn more and more roasty as the taste moves forward. The grapefruit hop note noted in the nose begins a bit timid but grows to become nearly tepid in hop bitterness as the finish approaches. This beer leaves behind mostly pine and grapefruit hop bitterness along with some crystal malt roastiness lingering into the after taste.

sweet amber aroma, hops stay on tongue, sweet but not sickly so, alcohol not real prevalent, nice option

Pours a gold to amber color with not much head. The aroma is overpowering, with a very fruity scent. Sweet, with a lot of hops evident in the taste. one of my favorites

Deep amber body with a light khaki head that lasts. The aroma has some rich toffee and grapefruit. Some almonds and fresh baked bread are nice complements. The taste has good amaretto with some booze in the finish. Nice grapefruit tartness comes out as it warms. Good stuff.

12oz Bottle – mwelsh13 - Trade
Aroma – Dark malt with a light bitter hops aroma.
Appearance – Deep Amber brown in color, clear with a thin head.
Flavor – A decent winter ale flavor with some god hops and lingering spice flavors. Light to the taste not over the top high winter alcohol beer.
Palate – Good Mouthfeel, dry and light finish.
Overall – A nice beer this was not over the top came across very light. I was hoping for more. Needed mre flavor and more hops and higher alochol.

1/5/08: Bottle.
Hoppy aroma with some caramel malts. Body is reddish brown with an almond colored lacing. Fresh Christmas tree- like hops which are balanced out with a nice amount of malt. Fresh, bitter finish.

Poured from a 12oz bottle and served in a shaker. This beer poured a dark reddish/brown color with a quickly fading head of beige foam. A small amount of light lacing was left behind. The aroma of the beer was made up of strong grassy hops, pine, toffee, and also some notes of grapefruit and peach. The flavor included earthy, herbal hops, followed by a light tea-like bitterness, and some mildly sweet notes of caramel and toffee. The mouthfeel was slightly resiny and medium to full-bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Decent, but not all that interesting.

Typical american strong ale. With West Coast hops, but a bit too sweet/malty and cloying. Not my favorite. Looks and smells good though.