Czechmate Ale
John Harvard's Brewery & Ale House

I'm assuming this is a scrap beer, of sorts. I had no idea what to expect, which is a bit exciting.
The beer is a rather dark tawny brown, which I was rather surprised about. I was expecting something light colored, given the name. A short almond head tops the beer, shrinking to a thick mist after a couple sips. Excellent retention, lasting all the way through, leaving sparse blobs of lace on the glass.
The aroma is mostly sweet chocolate malt. Slightly grainy, with a bit of caramel and toasted malt stuck in for good measure. A very light saaz aroma, slightly peppery. For a beer named czechmate, I was expecting a rather strong saaz aroma. Like all the beers here, the aroma is very clean, with some subtle plum and pear esters. Somewhat simple, but effective.
Based on the aroma, I was expecting a mediocre brew. The flavor is certainly surprising. The first sip was definitely a shock. The second sip provided me with a robust chocolate toasty maltiness, similar to an american brown ale. Great caramel maltiness comes through the middle, with some pear and plum fruitiness making a cameo appearance. Just enough chocolate malt throughout, with a slightly grainy flavor providing a robust feel overall. The beer is great so far, and then the hops come in. Holy crap, dude. I've never had such an intense saaz experience in my beer drinking life. Apparently, the brewer isn't much for aroma hopping. I can picture him cackling evilly as he stirs the mash, thinking of the look on my face (Mr. or Ms. Patron) as I take the first sip. The saaz flavor is so intense it almost becomes citric. Very peppery and spicy, finishing the beer "a little sharp", and lingering forever in the aftertaste. I could still taste it three hours later after the movie I saw was over. Awesome! The carbonation was a bit high, which isn't to my taste. I suppose it worked well with the saaz flavor and added some robustness. I'm just not a fan of really effervescent carbonation in general. Body is light to medium, with an aforementioned bold mouthfeel.
I love saaz hops, and this one's a winner. Unlike any beer I've had before. At the unofficial firedrake barleywine BA meeting the next day, I ordered another one. One of the most pleasant beer surprises in recent memory.