Aroma: “Munich malt aroma is first note. Light earthy hops. Dark fruity esters—dried figs, plums, and dates. Darker malt character with light chocolate, bread crust, sweetened biscuit.”

Flavor: “Smooth malt base allows restrained earthy hops flavor to come through. Finishes dry while spicy phenols enliven the flavor. The yeast character hews more estery, with enough spice to add a nice note.”

Overall: “Quite enjoyable if you want a slightly less dry bière de garde. Great balance between malt and spicy hops flavors. The Munich and melanoidin malt flavors provide a great background for the spicy hops/yeast character. A fine beer that would be a perfect alternative to the bulking beers that are trying to claim the winter season for their own—I wish more winter beers would return to this level of simplicity.”