The final hop impact on aroma was surprisingly subtle, and incredibly pleasing, with a delicate citrus floral and fruity perfume that played with the nose. Flavor-wise, the beer is extremely smooth and creamy on the palate with an even and full body. As the hops hit the taste buds, it runs a bit coarse, with hop tannins, floral, citric, slight aspirin, mild spiciness, and a soft twang of rind that sticks to the palate and hangs in there for quite a while.

This segues into pronounced esters and suggestions of sweet blood oranges that meld with a balanced malty sweetness, with grainy and bready notes from Pale and Pilsner malts. As for the bottled version, it was noticeably maltier, sweeter, with more grainy characters. Balance and refinement were pronounced, along with the carbonation due to a variation of CO2 levels between the bottle and keg; the keg version being lower so that publicans can actually pour the beer. The 9 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) in both was well hidden.

Pours fizzy, creating a beige/eggshell-colored foamy head that’s dense image and wonderfully laced, sticking to the glass and also retaining magnificently. In fact, the lacing stays until the end. Beneath, a deep brown brew with rich tawny hues. This beer has some serious legs. Complex aromas: soft and powdery on the nose, with aromas of malt, chocolate chip cookie dough and a deep-rooted fruitiness, notes of plum skins, spicy phenols and a soft bready yeast character.