The beer pours dark brown, near black, with ruby hues. Tan foamy head with a decent amount of clingy lace. Loads of complex roasted and smoked aromas, pear, grain and husk beneath. Smooth and creamy on the palate.

Medium body, with a nice malty base. Light fruity grape flavors add some nice balance to accented smokiness. Pear-like flavors and feel. Bitterness is balanced and allows the Weyermann rauch and chocolate wheat malts to flex. Nice hints of chocolate smooth things together quite nicely. A raw leafy character leaves a tannin feel on the palate, along with some smoky husks. Slightly dry finish with smoky lingers.

Poured from the can, Sea Hag is a copper-colored brew, with tawny hues and a touch of chill haze. The head is slightly off-white and healthy, with a good quarter-inch lacing and sticky sides. Toasty nose, preceded by a big floral hop bouquet, but resting to something a bit more dank and resiny. Very smooth, with a slightly watery consistency and a low level of carbonation. Malt character is also toasty, with some breadiness and hint of caramel. The hop profile is intriguingly odd. There’s no real bitterness, not like you’d expect from most IPAs, and what’s there are muted notes of citrus and pine. Also unexpected are more subtle flavors of earth, wood, slight resin, hop oil with some background pith and an herbal edge. Vegetal undertones. Wood and earth linger in the semi-dry finish.