Cozy dark amber augments subtle rye dryness with spruce-pine buffer and pleasant lemon-hopped spicing. Juicy orange-ripened red grapefruit tang entwines sugared malts countering oncoming raw-honeyed black tea bitterness.

Aromatic malts beget cracked wheat, honeyed biscuit, and sweet Scotch insinuations leveraged by sour yeast undercoating.

Mild musty fruits, peaceful organic hops, and sourdough yeast reminiscent of delicious Wolaver’s Pale Ale. Flowery citrus notes enliven soft-grained crisp-watered finish. Brewery defunct: 2001.

Astringent dark amber English pale ale inconspicuously soft-bodied enough to be labeled ‘session bitter.’ Vegetal barnyard waft informs earthen nature as dry-hopped grassy wheat formality, husked barley aridity, and meager tangerine hint deplete toffee malting. Undesired diacetyl acridity ruins bland finish.

Light-bodied top-fermented copper-toned bitter gains deep grain pungency, hop-charred bitterness, and dry malt ebb abruptly countering sinewy yeast sweetness. But indistinct finish lowers appeal.

Highly regarded, widely touted amber-red ale with formal, efficient palate novices will appreciate alongside professionals. Rich caramelized grains embolden long lasting bittersweet (never harsh) finish confronting dry hop relief. Hidden beneath creamy butterscotch fizz lies subdued black cherry hints. On tap, its silky flow, sinewy yeast pleasantness, and sweet malt overtones rate a perfect five. In the bottle, yeast residue is lost. Canned version relies on ester-y apple nose, burnt sugar frontage, and dry grain backbone, turning tinny by caramel finish.

Immediate dry wheat husk tempers mild hop formality, iffy barley strand, and sweet tobacco spell, picking up slender lemon-orange bitterness and banana souring by light Scotch finish.

Adequate rocky tan-headed chestnut amber pale ale (given boost by costly ’08 ad campaign) maintains dry spice-hopped barley-roasted theme, but distant lemon-peeled orange-singed fruiting gets diacetyl. Caution: befuddling ‘full body’ labeling.

Toasted honey-fortified amber-hued moderate body pits prickly hop stead against sweet yeast, cracked wheat, and butterscotch before overripe orange effervescence sidles acidic oak-dried finish.

Turbid rocky-headed pale ale skewers floral hop dryness with fruited honey malt surge, almond-pecan tether, and biscuit-y breading. Musty peach-cherry-quince tartness picks up herbal coriander-clove nuance mid-palate, but creamy finish subsides hastily.

Problematic coppery crud tosses rusty nail waft inside nasty stale-breaded citric-soured honey-malted skulk of medium-bodied flop. Cotton-candied orange tartness never reaches fruition.

Fine dry-hopped maple-malted caramel-nutty medium body swallowed up by watery mineral-grained finish, yet quite sturdy despite coarse astringency.