Anniversary Ale 2004
Town Hall Brewery

Dark amber in colour. A great citrus hop and malt aroma combination. Flavor wise, it strikes a much better balance than their anniversary ESB with regard to the bitterness vs. maltiness. I think I even detected a bit of cherry blossom flavor in there too, along with some great caramel and c-hop notes. Could still have used a bit more body, but it’s a small complaint. Of all of the great beers that I sampled at Town Hall in late November 2004, this was the only one that I had "seconds" of.

Purchased in a growler
Aroma presents as a somewhat rich malt with a hint of flowery, grassy hops. A slight caramel and a shot of diacetyl.
Pours with a deep amber of mahogany and brown. Clear. Tan head of 1 to 1.5 inches that shows a creamy quality and good firmness. Good lacing.
Rich full flavor from malt. Sharpness from both the richness of the malts and a hoppy bitterness that moves to a strong dryness and a long bitter finish. As get towards the bottom of the glass a nice little sweetness presents.
Very soft in feel supported by a nice carbonation. Quite smooth. The bite noted before prevents ultimate smoothness.
This is good. The sharpness and excessive bitterness at the finish takes away from the overall pleasure. Also hops flavors are a bit subdued except for the bitterness.

Pours to a Mahogany color with a creamy tan head. Good amount of lacing as well. The aroma is malty and toffee-like with a juicy, resiny, earth hop smell. The flavor is malty, and toasty with a carmel, toffee taste. The earthy, resiny hop flavors come out in the finish. It is medium in body with a drying finish. Very well balanced. I'm glad I got a chance to have this brew.

Well, I loved it last year, but how do I feel about it now?
Barely transparent, deep crimson,/dark amber coloring, thick, frosty froth, a rocky mass of creamy foam...most appealing.
Aroma: a complex mass of flavors, very hoppy, fruity, but no one thing jumps forward from the whole...it's pretty incredible, really, a great, spicy blend of hops, expertly backed by malt...a dream to drink in the nose! Lively, and massively flavorful...
Taste: In full force, right from the start, bold, brisk, and loaded with hops on the palate, but, again, well fortified by malt...downright chewy at times, and dripping, as well, with juiciness...bristles on the palate, just blazes it, eventually mellowing, but never skimping on the taste. Body is medium, never less, and the finish is full of dark fruits, and fuzzy hops.
I love this just as well as last year, maybe even more...(actually, it's the same beer...I asked Hoops, who said it's the same recipe, so, when these two get smooshed together, I'll keep these notes as a footnote to the greatness of Town Hall 7th Anniversary, and all the Anniversaries to come!)
This is often described at the pub as "Celebration Style", referring to Sierra Nevada's seasonal, but I really think they've got them beat with this one!
...and, P.S., if this were available year-round, like Masala Mama...I might have a new favorite beer...

1/2 gallon growler.

Pours a dark shade of mahogany. A big thick crop of rocky beige head is formed with the pour. The retention and lace ability of this head are both outstanding. Aroma is exceptional. Sticky pine resin, cannabis, caramel malt and toffee. Great blend. The flavor follows suit. Great toffeeish tones with some caramel malt present as well. Nice nougat tones. Hops impart a grassiness, a sticky, dripping hop resin, pine needles and a bitterness that has some edge to it. Just a titch of that nice prickly carbonation. But overall, it's more on the creamy side. Drinkability is through the roof for such a flavor packed brew. Outstanding brew.