One of the better ambers out there, even thought this was brown in color. A little roasty, some nuttiness, and moderate malt. Good for what it is.

Golden colour. Rich saaz nose, with hints of pale malts. The flavour is thin on the malts, but yet they impact the mouthfeel a bit anyway. Hop bitterness is moderate. It lacks the voluptuous tang of the best Czechs but its a solid, refreshing American example.

12 oz Bottle Pours out a dark amber topped with a light tan head. Nice malt aroma. Tast of 9% NO WAY alcohol very well covered up.

Draught pint at Redbones on 11/30/06
Light peachy-orange body has just a hint of melonskin tone to it, while the white head is medium in size, but moderately well retained, frothy and providing of a moderate amount of lacing in rings. Clarity is medium-high. Not 100% clear, but nearly so. Well-carbonated.
Floral hop bouquet in the nose is quite intricate, not quite gentle in bitterness, but not overdone with it either. Spiciness and light citrus (lemons, tangerines) are present as well, with a supportive malt sweetness in the background. Sweet white bread, bits of graham crackers and a touch of fresh dough on the end, it dosent obstruct the hops, but helps temper the bitterness. Fruitiness follows, especially with warming, adding light pears, cherries and more citrus notes. Medium to medium-high strength of aroma. Fairly standara American pale ale under the guise of the ESB tag. So an American ESB, pretty much, though it’s not heavy-handed on the IBUs, nor does it have any hard citrus or pine. Definitely a good mix of European and American hops. No alcohol, flaws noted.
A light tea-like astringency is found at the beginning, with orange and minor grapefruit hints. This quickly gives way to a honey and vanilla like softness/sweetness that deepens and adds light caramel and richer honey malt notes. It comes right up to the point of getting too sweet and then stops, cut off by a brisk, but mostly engaging carbonation and hop bitterness. Some spicy and more floral hop notes dot the palate throughout, with light fruitiness combining with the maltiness as it warms. Very supple texture, the malt is soft and round. In that way, it’s quite British, but the hops are decidedly more bitter and of the American variety. A very well-done American ESB or whatever you want to call it. Fresh and flavorful.
Surprised by the relatively low ratings of Maritime’s stuff. Looks like the bottled versions of their beers are inferior to draught?

Draught pint at Redbones on 11/7/06
Very pale-gold colored beer is mostly clear, with just a slight chill haze. Some hay and platinum tints add to the striking lucidity, while a creamy, well-retained white head, bountifully tops the liquid, leaving a fair amount of thick lacing as it recedes.
Fruity, heavily dry-hopped nose is wonderfully aromatic and lacks any obnoxious bitterness or malt interference. This keg was specially dry-hopped for Redbones, so the score might be a little higher than in the bottle? Not overly complex, but I must say, I love cascade hops. Medium sweet, juicy orange and red grapefruit notes provide both vigor and comfort on the nose, backed by light pale malt sugariness. Growing more dry, and with a more reserved fruitiness, as it progresses, the hops remain, nevertheless, very juicy and "green". Clean, no alcohol showing through. Nothing that hasnt been done before, or done with more complexity, for sure, but it still shows promise and even a slight hint of tropical fruitiness (mango, mostly). At the very least, it is greatly focused on aromatics and not bitterness.
A medium-full body is quickly noticeable, though it’s not full of overly sweet/sugary malt notes. Dextrinous and quite dense, it’s well-matched by the frothy carbonation that processes the malt, adding juicy bits of citrus hop notes in its place. Green, flavorful and with a wholesome drying nature (no alcohol or heavy acidity used to dry), it continues to add orange and grapefruit notes, with very light mangoes, yellow cherries and some nectarines. After the hops begin to assert themselves, aided by the carbonation, the malt never seems too heavy, though it certainly is present all the way through, making quite a meal out of the beer. Well-done stuff, if slightly uninspiring in hop complexity. No alcohol or flaws notable.

Bottle. Amber beer with a nice off-white head. Big sweet orange aroma with some backing caramel. Grapefruit and orange hop flavor with a bit of resin and some underlying vanilla. Lots of hop flavor with decent hop bitterness. Grapefruit bitterness lingers. The wheat helps make it a bit too drinkable.

Draught. Wow, I love this beer. I haven’t had it in a couple of years. I’ll have to re-rate soon. The malt complexity comes out and balances the hops. Yum. A very drinkable tasty beer.

Draught Slightly hazy red-foxy beer with telltale full whipped cream nitrokeghead. Bitterish, and just a slight bit bready. Whiff of diacetyl. Woody bitterness in the taste, going over in hops. Not very assertive pale & coloured malts underneath. Deceptive creamy feel from the nitro hides a rather watery texture. Well, ho-hum ale. The "Alt" moniker is totally usurped.

Draught Just a little white rim over clear foxy ale. One wants to be the nose bi/uttery, but it isn’t really. Some malts, ever so slightly bready and chestnut flour. Soft sweet taste with just a suggestion at diacetyl. Has some discreet bitterness hiding in the shadows, but not really hoppy. Soft creamy MF, nearly medium bodied, only very restrained burning, alcohol nonexistent. Quite drinkable actually, just not very assertive, let alone great.