Craft Beer Happenings

     With a new brewmaster, a new line up of brews, and a new look, Otter Creek has truly reinvented itself and is quickly becoming a well respected brewery in the Vermont craft beer scene.  Mike Gerhart became the brewmaster in 2009 and his since given the brewery a completely new vibe.  With big names like Dogfish Head and Magic Hat on his resume, he clearly knows what he is doing. This knowledge is reflected in the almost completely new line up of brews offered by Otter Creek.  The packaging features cartoon drawings of either Mike, his dog, and or his VW bus; and are very eye-catching and inviting.  As we know, packaging is certainly not everything and the real question is do the beers measure up?
     The answer is most definitely yes.  Mike knows what he is doing and this shows in his final products.  He has a small line up compared to many other craft brewers but he uses it well.  His flagship beer, Backseat Burner, is of course an IPA.  With vibrant grapefruit flavors and a pleasant, hoppy bitterness that doesn't overwhelm, this has quickly become one of my go-to IPA's.  Over Easy, which is his take on a session ale, is flavorful and easy to drink.  It's for the most part a toned down version of Backseat Burner yet retains the qualities that many session ales tend to lose.  The current seasonal is Fresh Slice, which is a White IPA brewed with Belgian yeast, clementine, and coriander.  With tons of funky fruit flavor and a refreshing finish, it's a great summer beer and a great alternative to those lemon flavored beers that dominate the market.

     The other Otter Creek seasonals worth checking out include Kind Ryed, a Rye IPA; Citra Mantra, an India Pale Lager; and Over Grown, a Pale Ale.  All are generously hopped and have tons of flavor. Also, keep an eye out for collaborations with other highly notable brewers which appear from time to time.  Mike has pretty much resurrected a dead brand and made Otter Creek new and exciting again as it was when the brewery first hit the growing craft scene back in the 80's.  All of these beers are definitely worth a try! 

Craft Beer Happenings

      New from Sierra Nevada is Hoppy Lager, which was a favorite from their Beer Camp collection that was available last summer.  The Hoppy Lager replaces Ruthless Rye as this years spring seasonal.  This was Sierra Nevada's collaboration with Ballast Point Brewing Company and as expected doesn't disappoint.  Clean, crisp, refreshing and hoppy all in one make this beer hard to put down.  It has that good malt flavor found in any well-made Lager style beer, but it also has that trademark Sierra Nevada hop flavor that has made them one of the most respected craft brewers in America.  Since they have opened a new brewery in North Carolina that also means fresher beer for us here on the East Coast!  Right now we have 6 packs for $8.99 and 12 packs for $17.99. So get your hands on this seasonal while it lasts.  Also...stay tuned for some exciting Sierra Nevada news that will bring something really cool to the shelves in February.

Colorado, Vixnu Imperial IPA

What we have here folks is the first Brazilian craft beer being imported into the United States. This is a Brazilian take on the very popular craft beer style of Imperial IPAs or as we call them DIPA (Double IPA). This Brazilian beer is named Vixnu after the Hindu god Vishnu the creator. It is brewed with a load of sticky hops and local rapadura sugar that kicks up the alcohol to 9.5%. The sugar provides a nice ABV without giving it a malty richness. This beer reminds me of the first IPA's that got me hooked on the hoppy bitter brew that has become my go to craft beer style.

The aromas on this beer are all tropical: pineapple, mango, passionfruit and a hint of lime zest. It is not very aggressive on the hop aromas, in fact I gave a sip to a few non-hopheads and they loved the smell but the hoppy, bitter finish did them in. The finish has a nice sticky, resiny finish that is not very long, but enough to satisfy. This would be a great session beer if it were not so high in alcohol. This didn't pose much of a problem for a professional like myself, as I downed the 600ml bottle in less then 15 mins while watching a great Eagles game (which doesn't happen every Sunday).

Overall this is a really unique beer that showcases the different takes on our American Double IPA style. The use of a local sugar and the fact that it is the first craft import from this country make this a high recommendation in my book. If you have some friends just dipping their toes into the IPA world, then this is a must for them. Look for more varieties from this brewery coming soon!

Personal Rating: 8.5 /10
Style Rating: 9/10

Wanna try it now? Order it online at: 
http://www.whitehorsewine.com/proddetail.php?prod=7898925943808

Tröegs | Perpetual IPA

 

Tröegs Perpetual IPA, a beer meant to be a tribute to the Tröegs brother's desire to continue exploring. Keeping in sync with what Chad just mentioned a day ago, this beer also clocks in at 7.5% ABV. Perhaps that is the magic number for an IPA.

Poured into a Dogfish Head snifter, Perpetual shows its pale golden straw color with a nice big fluffy pillow of white foam on top. The aroma is full of citrus fruit and spice, while the sweet crystal malt adds just enough to the hop aroma to make it smell like delicious hop candy.

The flavor is along the same lines as the aroma, with a little more bite of hop bitterness up front. It actually makes the beer more crisp and refreshing than you might get from the aroma. The all around light body and choice of pale malts in Perpetual IPA make it easily sessionable, and a joy to drink, even at 7.5%!

I'd be lying if this was my first bottle of Perpetual IPA. Since Tröegs began releasing this in 6-packs in the fall of last year, I've probably started on my third case of this stuff. In the ever expanding world of craft beer (especially IPAs), this is one that will always be a home run. Bold hop flavor with just enough light malt to compliment, but not get in the way…. My kind of IPA. I wish I could have had this side by side with that Union Jack IPA.

Personal: 10/10 (extra points for being East Coast)
Style: 9.5/10

Live in the Atlantic County area? We'll bring this to your house!

Port Brewing | Wipeout IPA

Please pardon my bad photo, I didn't feel like stealing one from Google this time.

Port Brewing Wipeout IPA, first off it needs to be said how great it is that Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey are now available in New Jersey. It was only two months ago that I had my friend from California stashing bombers of the stuff into his luggage when he came to visit.

In case you're unfamiliar with the name, Port started as "Pizza Port" in the 90's as a couple of pizza brewpubs around San Diego that gained a lot of attention for their locally crafted hoppy beers. Their popularity grew so much that in 2006 they decided to open up a real brewery. One year later, Port Brewing was named 2007 Small Brewery of the Year & their brewer Tomme Arthur was named brewer of the year at the Great American Beer Festival. Then only 6 months after that, they won Champion Small Brewery & Brewer at the 2008 World Beer Cup. Lets hope the coming years will bring more rare and delicious beers from Port Brewing to the east coast!

Poured into a chalice glass, Wipeout IPA has a hazy golden amber color with a big fluffy cream colored head. A good amount of sticky lacing is left all over the glass, and there is still a generous amount of froth atop the beer after sitting for some time. The aroma is very hoppy, with lots of resinous pine and citrus fruit. There is a mild sweetness accompanying the bitter aroma, but it's more of sweet mango and pineapple than malt sweetness.

The flavor is of juicy tropical fruit; mango, pineapple, grapefruit, as well as resinous pine. There is a slight bitterness that does more of balancing the sweetness rather than get too astringent. Lingering hop bitterness finishes each sip. The hop flavor in this IPA is honestly... incredible.

With a medium body and mildish carbonation, it's hard not to drink this beer in 1 minute because of how delicious it is. Depending on your tolerance to bitter hoppy beers, you may disagree, but I find this to be refreshing and very drinkable. Not to mention, one of the best examples of a west coast IPA I've ever tried (it's hard to believe this isn't a DIPA). Here's to hoping we have some bottles left when I get back to work tomorrow! Personal 9.5/10 for an IPA 10/10.

Firestone Walker | 15th Anniversary Ale

Firestone Walker's 15th Anniversary Ale is a once-brewed beer that is a special blend made from many of their other popular ales. This year's blend consists of:
18% Helldorado (11.7% ABV) Blonde Barley Wine.
17% Sticky Monkey (12.5% ABV) English Barley Wine.
17% Bravo (13.5% ABV) Imperial Brown Ale.
13% Double Double Barrel Ale (11.5% ABV) Double Strength English Pale Ale.
11% Good Foot (14.3% ABV) American Barley Wine.
10% Velvet Merkin (8.6% ABV) Traditional Oatmeal Stout.
9% Parabola (13% ABV) Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout.
5% Double Jack (9.5% ABV) Double India Pale Ale.

Yeah... that's a lot of stuff, and a lot of STRONG beers. As you might expect, this one is quite heavy (12.5%abv) and rightfully so, is in the style of "American Strong Ale."
 
Poured into a Stella Chalice, this ale has an opaque dark brown color that gets to a dark amber around the edges. There is a minimal amount of light tan head that falls to loose bubbles on the edges of the glass. The aroma is of strong alcohol, coconuts, licorice, coffee, and vanilla. It sort of smells like a blend of coconut rum and bourbon.

The flavor is strong and overwhelmingly intense. Sweet boozy vanilla and coconut start it off while it blends together with dark fruit, candied sugar, and licorice. Getting towards the finish there is a drier roasted malt espresso flavor mixing nicely with charred oak bourbon. In the end it finishes very smooth with lingering alcohol sweetness.

15th Anniversary Ale is definitely an experience, and I'm glad I had a chance to try this one (thanks Chad!). With that in mind, as delicious and complex as this beer is, I think it would be very difficult to finish it by yourself, at 12.5%abv in a 650ml bottle, this is a real sipper. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up before it's gone, and to offset the high price, split it with a friend. Personal 8.5/10, for the style 9/10.

Troegs | Hopback Amber Ale

Troegs Hopback Amber Ale, which they claim to be their flagship brew. Not too surprising to hear considering we all love their seasonal classic, Nugget Nectar, which is an imperial version of Hopback. This beer gets it's name from the (optional) brewing stage called "hopbacking," which is no more than a little airtight container filled with hops. The brewed wort flows into it, and essentially gets filtered through the hops before heading out towards chilling and fermentation. As you can imagine, this extra stage of hopping adds a significant amount of aroma and flavor to the beer.

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle, Hopback has a deep amber/copper color with a moderately thick light-tan head. The aroma is of sweet and bready malt with some floral and pine hop. Smells pretty balanced, slightly more on the sweet side.

The flavor starts rather smooth and malty sweet, but hop bitterness starts to creep in. Citrus, pine, and floral hops shine with a slightly bitter finish. The malt really holds up well here and keeps the beer very drinkable despite noticeably aggressive hopping.

All in all Troegs Hopback is a very smooth, almost syrupy ale, with LOTS of flavor. Simply put, it's smooth and sweet, with a crisp citrus & pine hop bite. Personal: 8.5/10 and for an amber ale: 9/10.

Caldera | IPA

Caldera Brewing's IPA, coming from Ashland, Oregon, is yet another small craft brew offered in a can. Boasting Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo hops, at 94 IBU's, this one is sure to please.

Half poured into a pint glass for Pat, and half into a Stella chalice for Eric (fancy man), this beer has a very nice golden amber color with a good amount of fluffy beige colored head and good retention. Lots of lacing around the sides of the glass too, especially on that chalice.

The aroma is rather bittersweet with a decent amount of pale and crystal malt. Lets not leave out the wonderful hop aroma too, lots of citrus hops, both sweet and floral and a ton of bitterness.

The taste is where the hops really come through, starting out somewhat balanced, and then getting more and more bitter towards the finish. At the first sip the bitterness is almost overwhelming, but as we keep drinking, it mellows out some (or destroyed our tastebuds) and is quite smooth. The hop flavor is very citrusy, with tons of grapefruit and a bit of grassy flavor.

This one is a typical west coast style IPA, not a lot of sweet hop flavor that is common on the east coast, just a bold, bitter hop bomb. For how bitter it is, it goes down quite easy and there is little evidence of the 6.1% abv present in the taste. A very enjoyable IPA from a small tap house brewery. Personal 8/10 & Style 8.5/10.

Brooklyn Brewing | Local 1

Brooklyn Brewery's Local 1, the American made "Belgian style strong pale ale" with German malts & hops, raw cane sugar from Mauritius, and a Belgian yeast strain...... yes please!

Poured into a Chimay chalice glass, this ale has a slightly hazy golden straw color, and a big puffy cloud of thick white foam on top. The lacing is very thick, almost like a bubbly spider web coating the whole glass.

The aroma has a very German scent; bananas and spice (clove/coriander) with a yeasty funk to it. Grassy and citrus hops also play a role here, which isn't all that common for the style, but then again this is America, and we love hops. Although the nose is loaded with complex aromas, the variety of fruit is what stands out the most here: banana, orange, lemon, apple, and pineapple.

Very smooth and subtle on the palate. Banana and spice up front with the rest of the fruit bouquet following closely behind. Moderate alcohol sweetness (thanks to that raw cane sugar) is present with a little warmth, but only adds to how delicious this beer is. There is a definite yeast funk in the taste that might be off-putting to those unfamiliar with the style, but it's one of those things that the more you drink it, the more you like it. There is just enough European hop character in here to keep everything perfectly balanced, not too bitter, malty, or sweet.

As light and fluffy as it appears, Local 1 has a decent amount of body to it, and plenty of fizzy champagne-like carbonation. Honestly one of the best examples you will find of a bottle conditioned Belgian pale ale in the US, not to mention on the east coast. If you're taking your beer game to the next level, do not pass this one up, an incredibly exceptional brew. Personal 10/10, Style 9.5/10

Southern Tier | Unearthly Imperial IPA

Southern Tier Unearthly IPA...poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass from a 22 oz. bomber.  What differentiates an Imperial IPA/Double IPA from an IPA?  Let's just say hops, hops, higher alcohol content, and oh yeah...more hops!  Imperials/Doubles are much more aggressively hopped and will always have more alcohol than regular IPA's.  This is usually a good thing for us hop lovers considering that these ales usually push the limits of hop flavors and IBU's.  For anyone who doesn't know, the IBU (International Bitterness Unit) is a scientific scale used to rate the bitterness of a given beer.  A beer rated at say 35 IBU's will not be bitter at all, where as a beer rated at 75 will be quite bitter.  Many Imperial IPA's take it a step further and may top the 100 mark.

Ok, enough about that stuff, let's get to the good stuff!  Unearthly is an unfiltered Imperial IPA which pours a very hazy golden hue.  About an inch of head was left behind which quickly begins to disappear.  After a few minutes there is some retention with a thin layer still remaining.  The lacing on the sides of the glass after a sip or two is quite impressive.  The aroma is of sweet hops and alcohol.  Not too much citrus here as it has more of a resinous pine smell.

Before we continue, another point to touch upon is the difference between West Coast and East Coast IPA's.  There are always going to be some exceptions to the rule, but for the most part West coast versions tend to have more of a bitter taste where as East Coast versions tend to have more of a sweet hop taste and are slightly less bitter.  This offering follows along with that rule.  This ale is sweet hops to start with a slightly bitter finish.  Not too much in the way of bitter citrus, just more of a sweet resinous piney taste and sweet malts as well. If you prefer your IPA's to have this style, this one will not let you down.  Just an all-around almost perfect representation of an East Coast style Imperial IPA!  This one is highly recommended!  Personal: 9.5/10, for the style: 9/10.

River Horse | Oatmeal Milk Stout

River Horse Oatmeal Milk Stout... you might be saying to yourself right now, "what makes an oatmeal milk stout different from just a stout, or an imperial stout?" Well, (obviously) it's as simple as, this beer contains... you guessed it, OATMEAL. Brewers add oatmeal to the grain bill because it is known for creating a silky smooth mouthfeel and mild hints of sweetness. Next the "milk", which is an addition of unfermentable sugars, namely, lactose. Since the lactose sugars can't be fermented by the yeast, they essentially go straight to the bottle, making your stout nice and sweet. Now, lets drink this thing!

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz. bottle, this stout is an opaque black color with a foamy tan colored head. Not much head on this beer, just about a cm or so, and tiny bits of lacing. The aroma is of dark roasted malts, with scents of sweet milk chocolate, lactose, oats, and the slightest hint of coffee.

The flavor starts smooth, sweet, and chocolatey. Hops start to kick in and add some bitterness to the flavors, giving it more of a dark chocolate taste. There is a lingering milk sugar sweetness from the lactose in the finish.

Wow, this is one smooth beer. Medium-full bodied with mild carbonation, and a full on silk mouthfeel. When you see those lame commercials about over-priced chocolate or yogurt or whatever and they keep saying "smooth, rich decadence" ooolala. Well.... River Horse Oatmeal Milk Stout is like that. Personal 8.5/10 For the style 9/10.

Rogue | Yellow Snow IPA

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA, poured into a pint glass from a 12oz. bottle. This one has a cloudy golden-orange color with a foamy off-white head. There is a fair bit of sediment floating around too. Decent head retention and lots of soapy lacing around the glass. The aroma is of bitter citrus fruit and a good amount of sweet caramel malt. Almost balanced, but leaning towards the hoppier side of things.

The taste is of bitter citrus fruit, grapefruit really dominates with hints of pine resin. The pale malt tries to mix in but the dry bitterness of the Amarillo hops are really overpowering it. The finish is almost flavorless with nothing but bitterness riding over the taste buds. Medium bodied with a decent bite of carbonation.

Rogue Yellow Snow IPA is a real showcase for the Amarillo hop, which might hint at where the beer derived its name. If you're a hop head looking for a kick in the mouth, this is the beer for you! It's loaded with crushing hop bitterness (pretty intense for 70 IBU). Personal: 7.5 / Style: 6.5

Weyerbacher | Hops Infusion IPA

Ahhh Weyerbacher.... a rather local brewery (Easton, PA) known for their bold "Double Simcoe IPA" and their many European style ales. This one however, seems to have slipped under the radar a bit, so lets take a closer look at Weyerbacher's Hops Infusion IPA. 6.2%abv, brewed with 7 hop varieties, and a "strong foundation of toasted caramel malts."

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a pint glass, this IPA has a deep amber color with the slightest bit of haze, and a thick fluffy white head. Decent head retention throughout sipping, and little bits of sticky lacing. The aroma is really interesting on this one, with all the hops that are in there you get your standard IPA aroma (pine, grapefruit, other citrus), but there is a strong aroma of sweet sugary candy. It's different than sweet malt, more of a sugar coated hop.

The taste is a barrage of hops from all angles, ranging from juicy and sweet to floral, to bitter and citric. A dry bitterness rides in and out through the middle, mixing with flavors of juicy fruit. Hints of malt come into play, smoothing it out in the finish. There is a certain twang to the flavor in this ale, as opposed to most IPA's, which can only be attributed to the sweetness that is present, or the overabundance of hops. It's definitely not a bad thing! Just a unique characteristic of this beer.

This IPA has a light-medium body with carbonation on the low end, adding to its smoothness. While there is a lot of hop flavor going on (there are still hops resonating in my mouth 10 minutes after finishing the beer), it's not overly bitter, and this one goes down pretty easily.

All in all Hops Infusion is an extremely unique IPA that deserves a try from any hop-head, especially since it's brewed only a couple hours away along the Delaware River. If you're looking for a hop forward beer, well, almost a hop-only beer, pick this one up, and get it while it's still fresh! Personal 6/10, for the style 7/10.

Mikkeller | Barrel Aged Chipotle Porter

Mikkeller Barrel Aged Porter, poured into a pint glass from a 12.7oz bottle. This will be our first review of an import; and this one comes to us from Belgium. The story behind Mikkeller is that he is a Danish roaming brewer. He does not own his own facility and he actually uses other brewer's facilities to concoct his creations.

The appearance is of espresso: a very dark brown color with minimal head and lacing left behind. The viscosity is of used motor oil. This is so thick that if you tilt your glass it takes a good few seconds for the beer to make it's way back down the glass.

The aromas are reminiscent of coffee, chocolate, chili peppers, slight alcohol and slight oakiness.Being that this was aged in Speyside Scotch Whiskey barrels, there is definite smoky aroma that compliments the alcohol smell.

Above everything else that is going on in this complex porter, the taste is most dominated by smoky, chocolatey, chili peppery coffee flavor, with a semi-sweet finish that lingers mostly as a dark chocolate. With just a moderate ABV for a barrel aged ale and for as thick as it is this was highly drinkable and would go well with a nice slab of red meat.

If you are looking for a dark beer with more complexity than your standard porter, you should definitely give this one a try. There is just a ton of flavor in this one! Our score for style is a 9 and for personal preference also a 9.

Troegs | Flying Mouflan

Troegs Flying Mouflan, poured into a pint glass from a 22oz bomber. This barleywine style ale is a dark ruby red with a frothy light amber head, the color is reminiscent of transmission fluid, yum!

The aroma is strong BOOZE and candied sugar, as you might expect from a 9.3% beer. Dark fruit and candy up front with little to no hops at all. The sticky sweetness from this beer is so strong it's almost sickening; completely typical of a barleywine. It's not for everybody, but those that love this style will not be disappointed.

The taste, like the nose, is strong sweet booze, dark fruit (raisins, plums, figs, etc.), darker sweet malts, and molasses. This beer is definitely a sipper, I dare anyone to chug this. The mouthfeel is heavy, syrupy, sticky, and lower in carbonation.

Cellaring this beer for a year or so might do wonders for the flavors to fully develop and mellow out, as the sweetness from the high ABV can be a bit much at times. That being said, the beer is still enjoyable if you take it easy and sip, or it will kick you in the ass. We give this one a 5/10, but for the style: 8.5/10. Not for the faint of heart (ie: Coors Light drinkers).

New Holland | The Poet Oatmeal Stout

New Holland The Poet, poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle, this stout is pitch black with a frothy, one-finger tan head. Chunky bits of lacing are stuck all around the glass. Excellent head retention.

The aroma is full of toasted oats, semi-sweet chocolate, coffee; all things typical of a well made stout. Chocolate and oats are the most dominant in the aroma, but hints of very slight alcohol and roasted dark malts are also present.

The flavor starts out slightly dry with coffee and chocolate mixing together, followed by a mellow toasted oat and sweeter chocolate finish. This is a great, and highly drinkable representation of an oatmeal stout. Slightly lower ABV and smooth/complex dark malts add to the mystique of "The Poet." This is a beer Edgar Allen Poe would appreciate. If you're looking for a good stout, without venturing into the high alcohol content of Imperial Stouts, do not pass this one up. We give this an 8 out of 10, based on the style, 8/10.

Schlafly | Christmas Ale

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. This Christmas ale pours a deep copper color with a minimal off-white head. Very slight lacing left on the glass after a short time. The nose is overpowered by the spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and coriander and orange peel). The sweet boozy smell of the high alcohol content (8%) is just detectible. Smells like your typical high end spiced holiday ale.

We both agree that this one smells better than it tastes. Once again as with the nose, the spices are at the forefront in the taste. The spices mask most of the hop taste, and the malts are now more detectable and rather sweet. Or is that the cinnamon and nutmeg? It's hard to tell.

This is a smooth drinker with low carbonation and leaves some what of a warming effect from the alcohol. If you are looking for a Christmas ale of this style you will not be let down. This type of seasonal ale is not our cup of tea... oops I meant beer. But if we had to compare it to other beers of this style, we would give it a 7 out of 10. Personally, 4/10. That being said, this would be a great beer to share a 6 pack with friends and family during the holidays. It's just not much of a session beer, and is a little too spicy for our liking.

Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale (Brown Shugga' Substitute)

We were both very excited about this one. This ale is a first brew from one of our favorite breweries. Immediately upon smelling it we knew we were not going to be let down!

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass, this ale has a pale amber color with a minimal foamy white head. Bits of sticky lacing are left on the glass after each sip. The aroma is incredibly hoppy....almost sticky with fresh sweet citrus fruit, floral, pine, and some sweet sugar, this beer has got it all. Wow!

This ale tastes like chewing on a bitter version of Juicy Fruit gum. The sweet citrus hops and the floral hops really come through separately but mesh together perfectly. There is a very slight hint of pale malts, but this one is pretty much completely dominated by hops. Offsetting the fruity up-front taste is a slightly bitter and dry piney finish. This brew really showcases the complexity of hops and how you can get many different flavors out of them. The balance between the hop flavors and bitterness is almost perfect. If you're a hop head looking for that blast of hop flavor, this is the right choice for you... tons of hops, but still insanely drinkable. Hurry up before it's gone! We give this ale a 9 out of 10 for both ratings. Very impressive.

Anderson Valley | Boont Amber Ale

Upon pouring into the pint glass, (out of a can) this ale has a slightly hazy amber (hence the name amber ale) appearance. The color of the beer actually was quite similar to the color of the can. It started off with one finger's worth of off-white head which quickly receded. Very minimal lacing was left behind. The nose is reminiscent of sweet caramel, dried raisins and sugary dough. This is a very malt forward ale with not much hop intensity. The hops are detectable but are over powered by the maltiness.

This is a highly drinkable version of an amber ale. The taste has a very smooth mouth feel with bready/doughy malts. The hops didn't show through when smelling this brew, but they were more noticeable upon consumption. Not overly bitter with hints of floral and herbal notes. This ale wants to be more intense but it just doesn't quite make it over the hump.

Overall, this would make a good entry-level Amber Ale for someone not familiar with the style but is looking to try something new. Personally, 6/10, for the style, 6/10.