Pours with an amber body topped by a thick, lasting head with lots of lacing. It’s slightly sweet and malty yet bitter and hoppy with notes of pine and a touch of pepper. Medium bodied, smooth and a touch dry.

Rerate 06/29/2004: This batch definetely does not qualify as a Swami light, as my original rating implied. The hops are VERY pronounced in the batch. Citrus and pine in great harmony. Wow, this is a really great beer. Original Rating: On Cask (Solana Beach). Cloudy, golden color. Pine and citrus hop flavors. Agree with jeffc666, that this is a Swami-lite; still bitter but slightly more subdued. Overall a great beer.

Solana Beach. Aroma of big coriander. Appears a medium-light copper, with some effervescence, and with a nice head. Flavor is of a good malt base, supported by big piney fresh hops. Palate is medium to medium-thick, and appropriate. Overall, this tastes like the Experimental Ale gravity’d up a bit.

Draft. Orange, tea in color. No head. Very hoppy, apricot-orange. Evokes reminders of Bells Hopslam. Well done. Sampled @ American Beer Fest in Boston.

draft at solana beach: Yellow brown color with medium white head. Aroma is full of hops, maybe a touch of sweetness, lots of pine. Flavor is very bitter, all about the bitterness. Is there any malt in this? A good brew, not at all balanced, but does the hops thing well. Nice full palate.