Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Draught tulip at the Shed on 3/11/06
The beer quickly settles out to a medium-dark, amber-bronze, actually rather clear, though still a slight haze to it. Beige head rapidly fizzles to nothing, with no lacing. Rather still-looking, though swirling produces a fleeting ring of bubbles.
The nose has a sharp, almost band-aid/medicinal peat note, with ripe red and black berries, some sticky toffee and light minerals. Sweet toffee really sticks to the nose as it warms, but there is plenty room for the light peat dryness, with some vanilla and salty buttercream notes. Rather rough though, even with the passing sweet toffee, and seems to foretell a very dry flavor.
And indeed the flavor is dry, but just well attenuated, with a sticky texture of well-extracted malt residues, dry, toasty grains, caramel and toffee suggestions and a drying peat note on the end. No indication of alcohol at all. Dry berry skins continue to provide dryness on the palate, but as it warms, aided by the lightly sticky texture, it just proves quite drinkable, with no thought given to it needing more sweetness. Dusty, mineralic note is again present, but as a house character, I really don’t mind. Low carbonation, but not too low, with plenty of toasty malt, and lightly sweet toffee/caramel.