7.6/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
a: dark brown coloured body | thinnish tan head
a: earthy | molasses | aniseeed
f: toffee | peated malts | cereal finish
t: maple | creamy | oatmeal
o: vanilla throughout | quite sweet | rustic ending
12 ounce bottle | Wegman's (grocery): Fairfax, Virginia | 30-May-2025 | US$2,33 | bottled on: 03-March-2025 | sampled: 24-May-2026 at the Spruce Peak Resort here in Stowe, Vermont with my family of five
a: earthy | molasses | aniseeed
f: toffee | peated malts | cereal finish
t: maple | creamy | oatmeal
o: vanilla throughout | quite sweet | rustic ending
12 ounce bottle | Wegman's (grocery): Fairfax, Virginia | 30-May-2025 | US$2,33 | bottled on: 03-March-2025 | sampled: 24-May-2026 at the Spruce Peak Resort here in Stowe, Vermont with my family of five
Tried
from Bottle
from
Wegmans - Fairfax
on 24 May 2026
at 18:57
6.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Dark orange with a large fluffy head that lingered. Bitter and malty with fruity and floral hops. Long finish. Medium body.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 May 2026
at 21:35
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Sampled at Hop On Hop Off Festival, Breda, 2026. Opaque black color, small beige head. Smell and taste are malts, roasted malts, chocolate, soft coffee powder bitterness with a soft sweet touch. Good. 8-8-8-8-8
Tried
on 12 Apr 2026
at 20:30
5.5/10
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Apr 2026
at 01:17
7/10
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Apr 2026
at 01:16
6.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Black with a medium sized foamy brown head. Bitter and roasty with floral hops and dark chocolate. Long finish. Medium body.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Feb 2026
at 20:57
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: semi-cloud red/mahogany color with a one and a half fingers of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: light caramel/toffee malts, Belgian sugar-y notes, some vinous (maybe red wine-ish tones, I'm not exactly sure), light grassy hops
Flavor: sour/funky/tart-ish vibes combining the prior tones; finishes somewhat vinous and grassy
Texture: medium bodied, I have no idea if this is something to session and pound it or if this was meant to be a sipper; not exactly smooth at all, too much wine barrel in the way
Overall: since I'm not a wine drinker and never will be, I'm not exactly sure if I gave this beer it's true respect. Maybe someone else will come along and review this beer better.
However as a Coast Guard vet, I know how the saying goes "Red sky at night, sailors' delight, red sky in the morning, sailors take warning!" And maybe that's Heavy Seas' warning to tell us there's a ton of things going on with this beer.
Bottle to tulip.
Appearance: semi-cloud red/mahogany color with a one and a half fingers of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: light caramel/toffee malts, Belgian sugar-y notes, some vinous (maybe red wine-ish tones, I'm not exactly sure), light grassy hops
Flavor: sour/funky/tart-ish vibes combining the prior tones; finishes somewhat vinous and grassy
Texture: medium bodied, I have no idea if this is something to session and pound it or if this was meant to be a sipper; not exactly smooth at all, too much wine barrel in the way
Overall: since I'm not a wine drinker and never will be, I'm not exactly sure if I gave this beer it's true respect. Maybe someone else will come along and review this beer better.
However as a Coast Guard vet, I know how the saying goes "Red sky at night, sailors' delight, red sky in the morning, sailors take warning!" And maybe that's Heavy Seas' warning to tell us there's a ton of things going on with this beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Feb 2026
at 20:26
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to English pint glass.
Appearance: dark amber to brown clor with a two and a half fingers of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: herbal/floral/earthy hops (guessing Fuggles in this?) Biscuity to caramel malts
Flavor: gently melds those hops to the malts and maintaining that normal bitter malty English vibe to this; malty & earthy finish
Texture: light to medium bodied - maybe a touch closer to the medium side, sessionable, pretty smooth along the tongue
Overall: as an ESB it works and would be one to return to with some fish n' chips.
Bottle to English pint glass.
Appearance: dark amber to brown clor with a two and a half fingers of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: herbal/floral/earthy hops (guessing Fuggles in this?) Biscuity to caramel malts
Flavor: gently melds those hops to the malts and maintaining that normal bitter malty English vibe to this; malty & earthy finish
Texture: light to medium bodied - maybe a touch closer to the medium side, sessionable, pretty smooth along the tongue
Overall: as an ESB it works and would be one to return to with some fish n' chips.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Feb 2026
at 20:05
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to English pint glass.
Appearance: dark burnt orange almost amber color with a one and a half fingers of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: light pine resin, some lemon hops, smooth clean biscuity malts - some toffee, earthy to herbal character
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas together to a malty bitter quality
Texture: light to medium bodied - maybe a touch closer to light bodied, sessionable, fairly smooth along the tongue with that normal English styled malty bitter tone
Overall: I say a pretty nicely done English pale ale worthy to have again - pass the fish n' chips for this.
Bottle to English pint glass.
Appearance: dark burnt orange almost amber color with a one and a half fingers of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: light pine resin, some lemon hops, smooth clean biscuity malts - some toffee, earthy to herbal character
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas together to a malty bitter quality
Texture: light to medium bodied - maybe a touch closer to light bodied, sessionable, fairly smooth along the tongue with that normal English styled malty bitter tone
Overall: I say a pretty nicely done English pale ale worthy to have again - pass the fish n' chips for this.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Feb 2026
at 19:56
7.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7.5
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to snifter.
Appearance: black in color with a quickly dissipating off-white foamy head which didn't leave any lace
Aroma: sweet woody/bourbon notes, light vanilla, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee roastiness, coffee sweetness and a touch of caramel
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a sturdy sweet tone underscored by a subtle woody spice; finishes sweet chocolatey with the barrel notes
Texture: medium bodied, good sipper, light smoothness but also some barrel spicy edges nipping at the tongue
Overall: I thought it was already aged quite a bit though I didn't have a date on the bottle but I could have aged this a bit longer, still an impressionable beer enough to return to.
Bottle to snifter.
Appearance: black in color with a quickly dissipating off-white foamy head which didn't leave any lace
Aroma: sweet woody/bourbon notes, light vanilla, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, coffee roastiness, coffee sweetness and a touch of caramel
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a sturdy sweet tone underscored by a subtle woody spice; finishes sweet chocolatey with the barrel notes
Texture: medium bodied, good sipper, light smoothness but also some barrel spicy edges nipping at the tongue
Overall: I thought it was already aged quite a bit though I didn't have a date on the bottle but I could have aged this a bit longer, still an impressionable beer enough to return to.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Feb 2026
at 19:45