Hazy golden yellow with a tall, long lasting, white head. Fruity caramel aroma. Building dryness, good balance, nice dry finish.

2006 bottle drunk on 3/20/2007
As much as I hate having to do it, I gotta give credit to those butchers at Olde Saratoga for this one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not great by any means, and there’s nothing unique or particularly well done about it either. It has too much sweet-and-sour maltiness, hard breadiness on the finish and a very washed out texture. But, even being an older bottle, it does produce moderate lacing, there’s definitely a fair amount of enjoyable hop fruitiness and overall character. Bitterness isn’t over-the-top and some softness does break through from well-extracted honey/caramel malts. Plus, it seems free of flaws, especially DMS and heavy metallic notes, which seem to run rampant in this brewery. In the end, though, just another uneventful, by-the-numbers pale ale. Peachy-apricot-amber body has an off-white head that shows modest retention and light/medium lacing. No alcohol noted.

Dark golden colour with a thick creamy white head. A chalky malt aroma with light crisp hops. A crisp malt in mouth, lightly sweet, mineral notes, lightly oily mouthfeel, pear notes in finale. Medium bodied. Free sample, with kprobst, Oct. 22 2006.

Hazy blonde with a thin creamy white head. Light citrus/mandarin wheat with bananas and coriander, and sulfur notes. In mouth, straight coriander, very light, unbalanced. A very boring wit. August 26,2006 at the pub.

12 oz bottle poured into a Hobgoblin tulip glass. Pours dark golden with orangish tints. Cannot see through the beer. No head but some lacing. Aroma is strong - hop dominated - citusy, orange creaminess with some grapefruit. Taste is hoppy grapefruit (Amarillo?) heavy with a decent malt character. Spikey mouthfeel. Very present bitterness at the end. In the vain of most hoppy pale ales I taste now. Oh, first rating in new apartment.

A golden ale with a thin off white head. Surprise from SHBC! A pleasant aroma of caramel malt over good floral c-hops and classic citrusy notes. In mouth. the same. A good malt base with well balanced hops. A bit thin but this the strongest SH offering I tasted to date. One of my coup de coeur at the CNY Brewfest 2006.

On tap, July 17, 2005. Deep dark stout, brownish hues, thin moka head. Faint chocolate aroma, with light caramel. Roasted coffee taste with faint chocolate. Very thin and boring.

On tap, July 17, 2005. Hazy blonde with a thin lacing white head. Bubble gum and lemon (slug) with light sulfuric notes. Refreshing wheat malt, bananas and bubble gum, tingling citrus. Creamy light body. Refreshing.

Deep black porter with a thin moka head. Fragrant chocolate aroma with lactic notes. Good chocomalt base with lingering light hops. Light bodied good porter, but where is the smoke? Tap at brewpub.