Location: Draft at The Gate in Brooklyn, 5/30/10

Aroma: Aroma has some citrus, grains, wheat, spice, and a bit of hops
Appearance: It pours a slightly hazy golden-orange color with a small white head
Flavor: The flavor is wheat, sweet flavors, and a crisp hoppiness for balance
Palate: This one is very clean, drinks pretty nicely, and is crisp and refreshing
Overall Impression: This must be a brand new one, as I'm only the second rater. Anyway, this beer was pretty decent, particularly for the style. Refreshing stuff, and a good brew for the summer. Probably would work well at a BBQ or out on the beach, but it won't blow anyone away with exquisite craftsmanship.

12oz bottle. Amber-brown color, thick and hazy. Thin, of-white head. Pronounced coffee aroma. Rich coffee taste as well, and the smooth caramel and amber malt tones complement the beer well. Some hoppy bitterness is quickly overtaken by the coffee bitterness. On the lighter side of full-bodied, I found this beer quite tasty but hard to enjoy in quantity. Overall a well done beer, just not my favorite style.

Bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy orange with a moderate white head. Nose has some decent pine and citrus, as well as light, sweet malts. A pretty tame flavor profile, fruity and floral. Medium in body, average carbonation, some light stickiness in the finish. Not bad.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy, light-brown with a thin, fizzy off-white head. Loads of espresso - dark, bitter espresso - in the aroma. Wow, flavor is kind of ridiculous. Wouldn’t expect this out of an amber, but I suppose it works alright. Tons more espresso, quite bitter, some light sweetness, moderate roast. Sweetness comes in a bit during the tail and finish. Medium body, light carbonation. Really, really interesting, and pretty good as well - I just wouldn’t drink more than one of these.

Location: Draft at Ardesia, 5/15/10

Aroma: Aroma has caramel malts, crystal, flowers, and citrus
Appearance: Hazy orange color with a coating white lace
Flavor: Taste is medium sweet with a nice bitter backbone
Palate: The palate is a bit chewy, medium body, somewhat creamy
Overall Impression: This beer was alright overall. I liked it, and I would drink it again, though it was nowhere near the top of its style in my opinion.

Enjoyed on draft while waiting to watch Converge play @ the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. Aroma is non-apparent. If there is any aroma at all, its malt and chocolate. Taste wise, this is a very good dessert beer, but by no means an amber. All I’m tasting is espresso and chocolate, which is welcomed, but its not where this beer is trying to go based on its marketing. Would try again though!

Great hazy copper coloured body with a honey glow, a thick dense tan head and a trillion bubbles rising from the sides and bottom of the glass - definitely a good looking beer! Aroma of dried apricots, somewhat fresh (low a.a.) hops, caster sugar, nice malt and a bunch more apricot smells. Medium-bodied; Sharp hoppy and metallic flavour at first with a large bitter finish more funky and floral than expected, but not horrible. Some malt shows up in the aftertaste, but basically a bitter hoppy, sweet apricot and funky metallic flavour dominates the finish. Overall, a decent IPA, perhaps a bit too herbal/floral and bitter without enough hop complexity. Okay to try, not a great IPA, but that was expected before I bought the beer - about par for the brewery. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits in Washington, DC on 15-February-2010, sampled at home in Washington on 15-April-2010.

Pours clear amber color with off white head. Big coffee aroma. Flavor of coffee and toasted malts. Medium body with moderate carbonation.

Pours deep amber into a shaker. Off-white head quickly recedes to skim surface. Butterscotch aromas. Nuts, caramel and toast upfront turning sour and bitter in the lasting finish.

Pours gold into a shaker. White head quickly recedes to hog rim. Butterscotch and resin aromas. Crisp with upfront sour malt and butterscotch turning to sour grapefruit pith in the lasting finish.