6.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5

Draught pint at RB Boston on 2/8/07
Very full buttercream-beige colored head sits atop a auburn-tinted-mahogany body with some brighter orange hues. High clarity, plentiful carbonation, light lacing.
Sweet crystal malts produce plenty of toffee and caramel notes in the nose, with a hard candy dryness and bits of buttercream and vanilla underneath. Malt seems to crowd out any fruitiness rather than complement it. Very clean, with a bit of spicy hop notes on the finish and a touch of bready dryness. Not too sweet though, but overall, only a moderate strength to the aroma. No alcohol perceived, no flaws.
Hard crystal malt texture gives it a snappy/crunchy finish, but some breadiness, lightly spicy hops and fair attenuation keep it from getting too sweet. Dry toffee and sweet caramel are about the extent, with perhaps, some vanilla and cherry notes. Alcohol well-controlled for its strength. Extremely clean, maybe they should have upped the fermentation temps just a little to get some more yeast playfulness and a bit higher attenuation. Medium carbonation, smooth texture.