A year old. Cloudy copper pour with white head. Strong aroma of citrusy hops — grapefruit and orange. The flavor was sweet and bitter, but mostly bitter grapefruit with a hint of sweet orange and toffee. Fully body and a long, bitter and alcohol peppery finish. Certainly above average, but not spectacular.

Shared by Numenor at the 3rd Richmond Gathering. Orange body with a thin white head. Sweet citrus hops aroma. Sweet floral and citrus hops flavors with some light caramel hints.

Notes from last night. On tap at the Hop Devil Grill, poured into a pint glass. Pours is clear orange/copper but almost looks reddish in the candle light of the dark HDG. Aroma is very present - buttery, creamy, and hoppy (Simcoe?) of course. The taste is a bit of a let down versus the aroma. Too thin and watery. Just hops and bitterness gets in the way of the flavor.

Cloudy, bright orange body, thick buff head, strong carbonation. Heavy citrus hops in the nose, bitter, with sweet breads and caramel providing malt balance. Bitter, grapefruity hops flavor, sugared fruits, caramel, and toast. Alcohol is present but not dominant. Sharp and potent, full-bodied and rich. Very good.

Cloudy, bright orange in color, with substantial head/lace - very piney hop aroma, with some other wood notes and background biscuity malt - this is one of the few MA beers I’ve had that isn’t overwhelmed by their "signature taste" - very lively, bright, juicy, woody hop character - semi sweet fruit flavors of apricot and peach - nice and full-bodied - a semi-toasty, bready malt finish to balance the hops - really quite a nice effort by this otherwise ho-hum brewery.

Lightly hazed golden ale with a thin white head. very sweet malt caramel aroma, light and restrained, a bit buttery. In mouth, rich pinhous hops come out well, with smokey malts, like a fine scotch, long in mouth, warming, and smooth. Rich bodied. On Tap at Blue Tusk, Feb.3, 2006.

Deep gold color under a broken rocky head. Rich malt and fragrant hops in the aroma. Resiny flavor with a good sweet background. Long bitter finish with this full bodied brew. Easily the best offering I’ve had from Middle Ages.

2005 bottle consumed 8/2/2005. Smells leafy-hoppy, with some light fruitiness. Moderately dry oranges and light lemons. Pours a chill-hazed iron-rich clay color (copper to amber orange). Head is initially modest-sized and consists of medium-sized bubbles. Getting some orange-herbal tea out of the aroma. Good fresh hops with some perfume and light alcohol in the background. Smells like I’ve had it before . . . (that is to say, not terribly original). Flavor begins with a rush of bitterness and simultaneously moist, honey graham crackers. Some alcohol sort of detracts at the start, but it’s pretty well-hidden. Oranges and light grapefruit as it progresses, but still a touch of alcohol. Some very earthy, leafy, soily hops. Sort of a numbing/warming sensation on the palate. Pleasant, retronasal amarillo fruitiness (or is that the yeast??). Despite always pouring up a large amount of head, the retention is quite weak. A thin film on top with little to no lacing (filtered). Hops flavor does not get tiresome for me and some bready, biscuity malt adds to the complexity while all along a good enough, sweet crystally malt gives proper balance. It dosent wow me with malt complexity, but the hops are great and not overdone. At 10% abv, it’s pretty well-hidden while chilled, just warming and lightly perfumey. But as I drink more and as it has warmed by the end of the bottle there is a large acidity that grows on the palate (to be expected for the style). But adding to this is a nasty alcohol appearance in both the aroma and flavor. It is almost undrinkable after it has warmed to 60 degrees. I think filtration of this level (and MA HEAVILY filters their beers) inhibits alcohol concealment. But I’ve got nothing with which to back that up, other than what I’ve experienced. Kind of tastes like rubbing alcohol by the end. Why not just do this at 8% abv??