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

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

Bottle. Orange-copper with a medium white creamy head. Floral aroma has earthy hops and mild sweetness. Bitter astringency and mild sweet flavour in a somewhat watery body. Average.

Dark amber brown, small off white head. Moderate hops in the aroma are a bit leafy. Moderate bitterness in the flavour, earthy malt, vague hints of celery. Alcohol is not at all prominent. Average to medium palate (3+). Servicable.

Imperial ESB? Why not! Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, Jerc, MDS, Harry’s bottle. Dark orange, small frothy white head. Spicy hop aroma, some malt. Nice hoppy taste - lots of bready malt. Soft, some alcohol. Very drinkable. Nice stuff.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with jerc, mds and tupalev - my bottle via trade with DocLock. Hazy amber, decent creamy off-white head. Dusty sweet malt and floral hops, dry, light. A bit of alcohol and sharp hop bitterness in the flavour, citrus pith, less malt character - average body, slightly astingent, alcoholic and sharply carbonated - pretty decent; Imperial ESB? Well, it’s bitter, I guess.

Cloudy red colour, white head with nice lacing. Bitter hoppy aroma. Very bitter taste with a hint of caramel, but lord, is it bitter.

Transparent and magnifying amber-mahogany in color with a booming, dense tan head that’s audibly fizzing to boast its fluffiness to anyone who’ll listen. Green hops come flying out the gate, pursued by pumpernickel, caraway seeds, cleansing pine and pollination everywhere. Light caramel and dryer sheets make a late aromatic entrance, confounded by a unique element of nutty pipe cleaners. Flavor comes crashing down with a lick of stainless steel to hustle away every other flavor precursor. Looking back, we’re dealing with mulberry, pine and cedar bark for earthy intonations and chloraseptic caramel lozenges for sweetening. There’s a grassy quality as well, but it’s layered with warped maple sugar and diluted caramel. Intimate and intimidated hints of cocoa and toffee. Effervescent and mouth feel are holistically wonderful, and I’d like to give a nod to balance, but the unsavory metallic twang holds me back. Dry, pressing English toffee joins cedar sap and basement paneling before rounding out an aftertaste of pecans out of the ol’ aluminum tin. Thanks for the bottle, bstill!

Bottled. Via trade with DocLock. Best by Mar ’06 (so I’m assuming this is the ’05). Pours a clear, garnet color with an ivory head. Fruity aroma- both citrus and some darker fruits, caramel, yeast and honey. Flavor is bitter with a thin mouth feel. A bit of caramel, toffee, and phenols in the flavor. Bitter finish.

Best before March 06, enjoyed on May 06. Pours a clear, dark amber with a medium sized, off-white head that fades to a loose collection of whisps. The aroma is citrus and pine, with a heathy dose of sweet caramels. The flavor is resinous pine, grapefruit, toffee and bready. Medium body with a bitter and soapy finish. Big flavor, relatively low ABV and highly quaffable, great job!!