7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 3/2016. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep ruby red/brownish color, with a 1-2 finger fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, lime, ginger, oak, light chocolate/nuttiness, light vanilla, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and moderate spice/oak notes; with good strength. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, lime, ginger, oak, light chocolate/nuttiness, light vanilla, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/ginger bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, lime, ginger, oak, light chocolate/nuttiness/vanilla, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate spice/oak flavors; with a great malt/spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Slightly drying from spicy notes as well. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy/bready, and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice spiced brown ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate spice/oak flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. Not overpowering on spices at all, and they compliment the base flavors of the beer really well. A very enjoyable offering.