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

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

One of my favorite finds this winter season. This beer pours amber, with a small head, and very little lacing. The aroma is of spice and hops. It has a nice sweet/spice start finishing in a standard hop bitterness. It’s a little thinner in the palate then the beers I truly love, but overall, it’s a nice one to have sitting around.

12 oz bottle, bottle labeled as 7.5% alcohol. Pours cloudy amber in color with off white head. Aroma citrus hops. Taste of hops and malt with bitter finish.

Bottle courtesy of kmweaver. Pours a hazy, deep copper with a fluffy, ecru head and wispy lace. The nose is of toasty, bready malt with a solid, resinous, earthy hop backing. Medium-bodied and creamy with a tongue-squeezing bitter finish. The flavor is of toasted, bready, caramel malt with big, bitter, earthy hops and a lingering resinous finish. This one really pushes the envelope of a style that I enjoy quite a bit (ESBs), and I was really impressed with the result. I wish that I could get this in KC. It would surely become one of my winter standbys. Thanks again for sending this one, Ken!

Another 4-pointer from Clipper City! "Shiver me timbers" says the cubist captain on the label. There is a nice, honey sweetness. They say it is an imperial ESB. I say it is full of hops! Nice, fragrant, piney, fruity hops. Good malt backing. Pretty dry finish with some alchohol in there. They call it a heavy seas / winter storm ale, but this stuff would hit the spot with flat water and warm sunshine too. A hearty, hopping pale ale that reaches the same highs as this brewer’s Loose Cannon.

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.

Pours a copper color, this is a really good winter beer. Great malty aroma and flavor, with a hop/spice finish.

Thanks to Goldtwins for this one. Coppery brown color with a small, light brown head. Aroma is sweet, honey malt, citrus and a bit of piney hops. Taste is sweet, nutty malt with a hit of bittersweet hops and an alcohol bite at the end. Crisp hop finish strengthens as it warms. A good winter warmer.

12 oz bottle. Poured a clear dark amber color. Head was two fingers high and off white with fair retention. Some lace was left on the glass at the end. Attractive malt dominated aroma which was not as powerful as the Lagunitas Imperial Red sampled side by side. Smelled mostly of buttery caramel and toffee. Medium bodied and slightly sweet. The alcohol flavor was evident along with sprucy hops, toasted bread, and caramel. Very good beer.