Bottle.You know I have to give Abita credit for an original beer, which is not very common today. (It's not a freakin IPA). Tasty, spicy, just good.

Can't believe I haven't had this yet. It's a tasty like spicy beer. Doesn't really last long though.

12oz bottle pours with a clear gold body that supports a thin near white head of foam. The aroma offers up apples, a faint molasses note and then vague chili pepper meat. The taste delivers sweet annoying apple followed by thin mildly heat inducing chili peppers. Nothing all that off but the level of sweet sugar malted apples is distracting.

Bottle, gushed when lid was popped. Yes, has the mildly enticing smell of spicy food. Looks like pale lager. Taste is a little disappointing, was expecting some heat, you know, like franks red hot er sumthin? Drinking yields maybe, just maybe, a little bit of spice; but you really have to look for it. Tastes pretty much like any cheap pale lager. Even the ale attributes are muted. Man, I’ve had so many other beers that really did provide a heat kick, this is a little bit of a let down; false advertising!

12 ounce bottle from Wegman’s Lake Manasas, 5/27/16. Hazy orange yellow with fine floating particles. Large foamy off-white head. Good retention. Aroma of palty malt and an umami-ish Old-Bay-ish spicy note. The taste is pale malt, spice, a bit of pepper. Thin bodied. Some merit here but not greatly executed.

Aroma is mainly some skunk with circus peanuts, caramel, hint of spice. Lots of foam but I suspect foaming agents. Flavor’s mainly corn sweet, a little heat, no other spices and nothing savory. Finish is watery.

Celery, pepper, tomato nose, not really welcoming aromas for beer. Hazy amber, thin head. Fairly strong flavor of paprika, mild chili pepper, lemon zest. Light body, moderate carbonation. As I’ve mentioned often in my ratings, the high carbonation clashes with the peppery heat. Chili pepper beers need to have the carbonation dialed back, in my opinion. Of course, once upon a time I said peppers only work in malt forward beers. Dozens of excellent hot pepper pales and IPAs later, I admit that I’m wrong. What do I know? Uprated for creativity and the tribute to Abita’s indigenous cajun cuisine.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 7/23/2016. Pours fairly hazy/cloudy golden yellow color, with a 2 finger dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of celery, lemon peel, paprika, bay leaves, wheat, cracker, biscuit, light orange citrus/cayenne pepper, and herbal/floral earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of spices, bready malt, and light citrus/floral hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big celery, lemon peel, paprika, bay leaves, wheat, cracker, biscuit, light orange citrus/cayenne pepper, and herbal/floral earthiness. Light herbal/spice bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of celery, lemon peel, paprika, bay leaves, wheat, cracker, biscuit, light orange citrus/cayenne pepper, and herbal/floral earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice robustness, complexity, and balance of spices, bready malt, and light citrus/floral hop flavors; with a great malt/spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Minimal pepper heat/spice lingering as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and slightly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.2%. Overall this is a very nice spiced blonde ale style! All around nice robustness, complexity, and balance of spices, bready malt, and light citrus/floral hop flavors; very smooth, flavorful, and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.