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The Tap Brewing Company

On tap at the tap.

This beer poured a clear medium tan/copper body with a small off-white/tan head.

The nose was a nice mix of malt, caramel with some soft pine and earth spices.

The taste was generally along the same lines. Very easy drinking and medium bodied, especially for a 6.3% beer. A nice classic easy English malt taste with a slight sourness. What really makes this beer though is the hops. Seriously bizarre but amazing. Dann said he used a hop varietal called Brambling Cross. It’s got this spice, mint, earth, pine, wild earth sort of flavor. Very traditionally English but with almost a Belgian Farmhouse sort of touch.

Really quite something. I never get out to Haverhill and I had this twice while there. Also a beer that would probably be amazing on cask. The nice classic English ale with the slightly farmhouse/English hop are a tasty and unique combo. A must try. I could drink this all day long.

Sampled on tap at the brewpub.

This English Export Ale poured a clear, dark copper color with creamy, tan foam that settled but clung to the glass and coated a few centimeters as the beer was consumed. The smell was a modest malty aroma with some notes of caramel and roasted malt. The tast was malty with some tanginess and a bit of fruitiness followed by a slight hop bitterness in the finish. The hop flavor was somewhat unusual and distinct. The mouthfeel was smooth and dry overall with medium body and low carbonation feel. The hoppy/bitter malty flavor lingered on the palate. This was a very interesting and enjoyable pale ale.