Bottle at home. Pours dark brown, nose is sweet, nutty, pumpkin? toffee, taste is sweet, dry toffee, light spice, rich, fruity.

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 11/8/2013. Pours moderately cloudy deep ruby red color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, plum, brown sugar, toast, biscuit, brown bread, pepper, herbal, floral, light chocolate, light roast, and herbal earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and earthy hop notes; with good strength. Taste of big caramel, toast, biscuit, raisin, plum, brown sugar, brown bread, pepper, herbal, floral, light chocolate, and herbal/toasted earthiness. Fair amount of earthy herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, biscuit, brown bread, brown sugar, raisin, plum, pepper, herbal, floral, light chocolate, and herbal earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and earthy/spicy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and no cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly slick, bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice old ale style. Good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and herbal/spicy hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Aroma of Christmas pudding and cereal, some dark fruit, brown sugar, taste is pretty similar, nice but like Anchor’s Our Special Ale, can only have one or two at a sitting, not made to be a session ale.

On draft at the Avery tap house. Pours a hazy brown with an off white head. Malty nose. Flavors of caramel, a bit of candi sugar, and toffee. Lingering bitter finish.

On tap at Avery. Poured a clear chesnut brown with a thin white head. The aroma is rich malt yeast and varnish. The flavour is medium to strong bitter with a big liqourice hop palate. The finish was not the most pleasant bitterness but it was good to taste.

Draft sampled at the brewpub. Pours hazy reddish brown with a tan head. Aroma of yeast, dried fruits, apricot, caramel, toffee, raisins, prunes and malt. Flavour is over moderate sweet and bitter. Full bodied with soft carbonation.

Bottle @ DØE tasting. Pours hazy dark amber with a small offwhite head. Aroma of malt, caramel, nuts, oak, oxidation, little winelike. Flavor is malt, oak, oxidation, coconuts, chocolate, fruits. Medium body, soft carbonation, light warming alcohol. 170713

Bottle @ DØE meeting. Clear dark brown with an off-white head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel, dark fruit and oxidized. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and moderate bitter finish. 170713

Bottle. Pours deep mahogany amber with a large tan head that dissipates with decent lacing. Aroma is strong caramel malt. Flavor about the same, lightly sweet, medium kind of unpleasant bitter finish, almost zesty, light tobacco. Medium body. Warming finish.