A relatively well balanced ESB, hoppy and malty with a good mouthfeel. Good winter seasonal

Tap at Rattle n Hum way back when - NYC. Pours clear brown with a fine, off-white foam head. Lots of rich malts in here, caramel, ripe fruits, bread, modest earthy bitterness. Full bodied with fine to average carbonation. Sweet and lightly warming to finish, further hefty malts, toasted caramel. Decent.

Bottle shared with Ariel at Beer Market Jaffa. Better Beer Of The Month Club. Clear amber. Aroma of malt, caramel, biscuity notes and dusty and earthy hops. Sweet malty flavor with caramel and earthy and slightly citric hops bitterness. Medium-bodied. Solid.

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before April 2013. Pours slightly hazy ruby red color with a 1 finger fairly dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of raisin, pear, caramel, toast, brown bread, floral, light pepper, light toffee, and toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of raisin, pear, caramel, toffee, toast, brown bread, floral, pepper, pine, light nuttiness, and earthy spiciness. Good amount of spicy pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of light fruits, caramel, toffee, toast, brown bread, floral, pepper, pine, and earthy spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of malt and fruity ester flavors; with a good hop balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a creamy and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice imperial ESB style. Nice complexity of malt/fruity notes with hop balance; and quite smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

12 ounce bottle. Copper color topped by a medium-sized creamy beige head. Aroma is toasted malt with notes of burnt sugar and earthy, grassy hops. Flavor is toasted malt with hints of toffee and spicy hops. Some dryish, peppery hops in finish.

Bottle. Rich buttery caramel malt aroma with just a hint of hops. Chestnut with a moderate ivory head. Caramel malt, harsh weedy hops, a little alcohol flavor. Medium to full sticky body, moderate carbonation. The weedy hops ruined this one for me. It just wasn’t a pleasant type of hops flavor. I was a bit surprised at the bitterness considering I didn’t get much hops in the nose.

On draft at whole foods. Pours a cloudy caramel color with a creamy off white head. Malty aroma and flavor.

bottle - Pours dark amber with a tan head. It has a rich caramel malt aroma and flavor with moderate bitterness that balances the caramel malt well. It’s a good, straightforward, full bodied brew.

Bottle. Pours a clear amber color with a small off-white head. Has a fruitymalty caramel aroma. Fruity malty caramel flavor. Has a fruity malty caramel finish with some bitterness.

Very viscous coming out of the bottle, almost scarily so. The nose is malty but not convincing; not bad, just a little light. Very deep, thick honey malt streak to start things off, yet the hops quickly tighten up the corners, keeping this bottle from turning into a breakfast pastry. Thick feel yet restrained; six months on the shelf helps this beer. Not bad in the late Spring. (4/24/09)