7.9

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 10/9/2014. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy deep orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big toasted bread, honey, light caramel, pear, apple, light banana, pepper, herbal, floral, grass, and herbal/yeast earthiness. Very nice aromas with good complexity and balance of bready malt, earthy hops, and yeast ester notes; with good strength. Taste of toasted biscuit, honey, light caramel, pear, apple, light banana, pepper, herbal, floral, grass, and herbal/yeast earthiness. Good amount of earthy herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of toasted biscuit, honey, light caramel, pear, apple, light banana, pepper, herbal, floral, grass, and herbal/yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and robustness of bready malt, earthy hops, and yeast ester flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, crisp, and fairly sticky/bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice Dusseldorf style altbier. All around good balance and robustness of bready malt, earthy hops, and yeast ester flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A very enjoyable offering.