UPDATED: FEB 19, 2019 14-Jan-12 (330-ml bottle: Gift purchased at Pembroke Wine & Spirits in Wanaka, New Zealand and received 23-Dec-11, thanks Melissa!)
This beer pours very hazy and amber-brown in color, with half an inch of creamy, pale-tan head that settles to a thin, nearly unbroken layer, leaving plenty of spotty lace on the glass. In general, it's not especially aromatic, but the nose is dominated by somewhat sweet, very toasty malts that smell like bread crust and a bit of earth and mushroom. The earthy, toasty malts are the focus in the flavor as well, as lightly sweet, toasted, cereal malts have a distinct flavor of bread crust and honey, while the grassy hops are gently bitter and just a complementary, background flavor. For me, that's good news because it's very malty and very delicious. The weight is medium, carbonation is light-medium, and though a bit sweet to the taste, there is enough toasty dryness on the palate that the sweetness is held at bay. As such, it's a very drinkable beer, one that makes you think it's a session beer, but the 7% ABV will sneak up on you. I know it's 'only' a brown ale, an oft-maligned style, but I'm really enjoying this!

From notes. Bottle. Hazy orange brown color, medium tan head. Aroma of raw bread and licorice. Taste has light spice, burnt caramel and toast. Interesting.

Bottled. New Zealand holiday 2011-12. Old notes. The aroma has raisin, some spice. Clear, red-brown coloured beer with an off-white head. The taste is sweet, has caramel, raisins, plum and some clove. Good.

(Bottle) above average beer. Nice brow to dark amber colour, thick white-brown head. Caramel, malt and brown sugar with little bit of syrup in the aroma. Caramel and sweet background. Bitter with earthy undertone and warming alcohol finish. Full body, medium carbonation.

For me, a swing and a miss. I’ve avoided this for a while but it’s been in the fridge and demanding attention. All the flavour via the caramel and that’s not good enough,

very sticky fruits in here, which is nice, but the hop bitterness in this one seems a bit off. but otherwise the deep caramels are quite nice, along with that stickiness.

Flavoursome & full with just enough bite to make a statement without overpowering. Almond notes with a lemon undercurrent. Very enjoyable. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Aromas of sweet malt and roasted nuts/chestnut. Loads of sweet thick caramel malt character. Very rich, one for the armchair

Big beer from Mr Pink. Good deep colour and this shows through in the beer. Little raisony in the palate

Definitely not my style. Shocking taste, too bitter and floral, a seemingly unnecessary abuse of hops. The beer seems to have its legion of admirers though, by the scores below. I was actually eager to love it, but I must say that I found it disappointing, to say the least.