The 1 pint can states "Agressively Hopped. Mightily Malted. Pour a Pint." Don't mind if I do! The front of the can features a rather evil looking jester-type guy meditating over a globe of skyscrapers. Creepy, if nothing else. The brew is quite a bit darker than I expected - dark orangish brown, hazy but no sediment visible. It leaves a nice full 2 inches of dense cream-coloured head that laces well. The aroma brings a hint of pine, fresh chopped flowers, some lemon peels and a hefty amount of sweet caramel malts behind it. The flavor starts off with faint pine and some sweet bread crumbs, pretty subtle and clean. Then we enter Stage 2 - Blammo! Intense bittering hops appear out of nowhere and bring loads of gritty, earthy, spicy pangs on the palate. Caramel malts make up the backbone of the brew, almost a Vienna malt characteristic to it. The alcohol is well incorporated into the flavor profile and hardly noticeable. The carbonation is on the heavier side, quite prickly. The finish leaves a lingering sensation of musty, woody, herbal flavors that hang around almost to the point of festering.
Overall Rating: This Double ESB/IPAish brew was spot-on as advertised. It dropped a nice anvil of hop bitterness, but countered it well with a sturdy balance of malts. Spices are definitely the star of the show. A nice brew - especially for the hopinistas! A-
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