Sample at the brewpub. Pours amber with a medium off-white head that recedes steadily. Spotty lacing on the glass. Aroma of bready malt and hops. Medium body with flavors of sweet malt and hops along with a touch of pine. The finish is toasted malt with a lingering sweetness left behind. Decent overall.

If I tried this beer in an EPA tasting rather than against RR’s big IPA’s, it would probably receive higher marks. I adjusted my score a few times, trying to figure out what exactly I was comparing it to. While I wait for my call to judge pale ale competitions, here are my thoughts on this beer. The beer pours a pleasant golden color with an okay head. The nose is malt and grain with some of RR’s usual hoppiness, floral and pine, in the background. There is some bitterness in the finish but the taste was sweet fruit, grain and malt. As the style seems to dictate, the hops are toned down, especially compared to RR’s big IPAs. The mouthfeel is a bit light, and the beer is easy to drink. While I didn’t give it a go, it’s probably an easier beer to drink for the evening than most at RR.

Cask at the brewpub. Copper color with a fine white head. Floral/fruit aromas. Medium body with frothy carbonation. Flavors of roasted caramel and floral hop. Finishes nicely bitter.

Draft @ the brewpub. Pours a clear golden color with a small white head. Has a slightly malty caramel aroma with some hoppy hints. Sweetish malty hoppy caramel flavor. Has a slightly sweetish malty caramel finish with some hoppy hints in the aftertaste.

(10/28/08) Draught sample at the brewpub in Santa Rosa. 5.75%. Clear deep golden color. Aroma of malt, slightly earthy hops, flowery notes and buttery hints. Sweet malty flavor with caramel notes and buttery hints. Continues with light bitterness. Medium-bodied.

Tap @ RR. Clear orange color, short head. Aroma of hop, bit fruity, english hoppy. Bitter and malty taste. Quite decent.

On Tap at the BP Clear medium amber with a small offwhite head. very soft light malt aroma and a more woody bitterness I the flavor Fairly light palatte. Those crazy Limeys !

Draft. Amber beer with an off-white head. Earthy, grassy, citrus aroma. Grassy, citrus hop flavor with some caramel. Lingering grassiness. Medium bodied. Slight astringency.

Growler shared courtesy of Enniskillen who brought it back from the Brewpub yesterday. Transparent amber with a small off-white head. Malty aroma with a small note of currants. Flavor is nice and hoppy.