3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
6-pack brought back from the States by my GF. Pours a slightly hazy deep amber colour with a big creamy warm cap that creates a thick foam over the brew that sticks by, and to the glass. Hoppy nose with roasted and caramel malts, and hints of spices, nuts and alcohol. This last one is not so much in the mouthfeel, but well-balanced, with mild bitterness over the malts. Pretty good ESB with that North American feel to it (more hop than English ones). Wish there were a bit more spices in the taste, as this is called "Halloween Ale". Great session.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
355ml bottle. Reddish brown copper colour, decent off white head. Not entirely filtered. Mostly biscuity malt, some herbal hops and copper. Tasty, malty taste with a little metal, pepper and resin. Body a tiny bit thin but smooth. Overall, I really enjoyed this. Good for the style.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
On tap at brewpub tried both cask and nitro version. Pours a cloudy dark amber color with very little head on cask and a nice huge creamy head on nitro version. Smell is of caramel and nutmeg/pumpkin. Taste is caramel up front with some pumpkin and a nice smooth bitterness finish.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Sampled at the 2012 Portland Brew Festival. Slight pumpkin flavor and a little spice. Rather smooth.
---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bottled. A way station on the way to porterville. Thick dark pour, nice malrs and pretty mild bitter. Good.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Poured a slightly clear amber orange color. Thin head. Notes of wine, wood, butter, bread,. Aftertaste was sugar, plum, toffee crunch. Smooth, clean, and sessionable. Enjoyable
3.3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 11/20
Reddish amber in color with a tannish white head. Balanced with a good malty base and a crisp and hoppy finish.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Pours a clear copper amber in the glass. Spicy malt nose. Nutty flavor with some buttered toast which turns into a sweet berry fruit as it warms in the glass. Overall, it’s fairly tasty. I wonder what it would taste like on tap... Thanks to BarZigKin for sharing his bottle!
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
strong malt flavours which I wasn’t expecting: roast coffee, caramel some vegetables. root beer comes through as well. medium-bodied. not sure what makes this a "Halloween ale" as I certainly didn’t notice any pumpkin or much for spices for that matter, but a solid ale any time of year.
1.5 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 1/5 OVERALL 4/20
Deep brown body with a thin tan head - not looking like many ESBs i’ve ever seen. Aroma of stale malt, a bit past fresh hops, some cardboard, yeast and not much else - perhaps caramel and nuts - not so good. Medium-bodied; Super pungent nutty flavour with a lot of hops, a lot of nuts and way way way too much bitterness tasting like permanent marker. Aftertaste is earthy, dirty, pungent and a bit too overpowering - not so good, really. Overall, a pretty poor offering, not worth trying and definitely not worth spending a lot of money on. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Oliver’s Beverage in Albany, New York on 18-November-2011 for US$ 2.65 sampled at home in Washington on 20-November-2011.
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