500 mL bottle courtesy of finewinemike as part of the 2010 Secret Santa.

Delighted to get a beer with a sensible ABV for a change, and to be honest this is becoming a rarer and rarer treat. Shame.

Beer pours a fantastic red/tawny port color with a modest head and some sticky lace. With a better head, the beer would be close to perfect in appearance, but out of the bottle a t leas it does not quite deliver. (On draught, I think it may look a bit better).

I was expecting a typical, malty experience and the beer did deliver it, but to be honest it felt a touch on the light side to me. Light caramel and toffee grains interact with the bitterness to produce a beer hat has a LOT of bready character. No problem there, but some depth is missing for me. The beer remains extraordinary drinkable though, and within a few minutes the bottle has disappeared.

Easy drinking, but somehow leaves me wanting a little more malt depth. The brew seems a tad on the light side (and
I’m NOT talking about the alcohol) rather there is a mouthfeel that leaves me slightly dissatisfied.