Bottle conditioned from the brewery. Clear mahogany colour lasting beige head. Malty. Spicy esb hoppy peppery aroma. Smells yummy. Yes its a traditional English malt English hopped strong ale. Good malt backbone. Some syrup flavour. Good ale yeast fruity esters of red and dark fruits. Hedgerow. White pepper hop finish. Maybe a little better condition would help. But its bloody delicious. Tastes of England.