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

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

Pours slightly hazy copper colored with a nice stand of off-white head which leaves nice sticky lacing. Aroma is generally sweet with caramel malts along with a good dose of fruity, flowery and sometimes earthy/spicy hops. Very flavorful and bitter, with a nice base of soft, complex caramel malts under loads of citrusy and earthy bittering hops. Well-balanced throughout and into the finish. Smooth and medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Excellent beer all around. Seems reasonably true to style for an ESB (a style open to considerable interpretation), with the slight exception of its strength. Including it as a Strong Ale here unfairly lowers its style percentile rating, IMO.

Pours Copper color with a thick off white head. Malty aroma with floral hops cutting through. Thick very hoppy malty ESB on steroids taste. Very much and English style ale, but all phases are amped up, from the aroma to the taste and finishing with a english hop bitterness on the tongue.

Pours clear copper with a beige head. Aroma has lots of hops with a sweet undertone. The aroma is a great balance of hops, sweetness and alcohol. Great lingering bitterness. Really liked this.

amber brown color with a solid light tan head. Nice malty aroma. Very rich malt and spice flavor. Very smooth and satisfying. finishes slightly sweet and fruity. A great beer.

Bottle (big thanks to Jonas !) Almost clear, copper coloured, small, slowly collapsing off-white head impressive mix of resinous, herbal-hoppy aromas, sweet dark malt and dried fruit in the nose; almost dryish solid bitter-sweet flavour, medium bodied; lingering dry bitter finish, accompanied by herbal hops and dry fruits. Superb stuff, very well balanced, very well hidden alcohol........

On tap. They were giving out free glasses with this one at Max’s, but I forgot to take it with me. The pour was dark but clear copper with a scant, white fizzy head. No real lacing. The aroma was sugary sweet malt with some faint hops cutting through. The flavor was thin malt and some dry, grassy hops. Kinda blah.

Little in the way of carbonation. What it lacks in bite it it makes up for in taste. Similar in hoppiness to an IPA but also sweet. Not a disapointment for a winter beer.

From the bottle, poured into a thin pilsner. Nice dark cloudy orange-brown appearance, with a very thin head. Nose is piny, and very hoppy. Tastes more like a IIPA, a bit sweet to be considered an ESB. Not even as bitter as Heavy Seas’ Loose Cannon. Still, I enjoyed it just fine.