Sames and Differents
Atwood Farm Brewery

Pours a clear bright yellow with long-lasting foam in the Hopleaf goblet. Brewer says they used Nugget and Tettnang hops with Belgian abbey yeast. They call it a strong golden ale. Warm and rich with a Belgian-style drying finish. There's a candied taste, like pineapple and cherries. Or Mexican sugary pumpkin candy.

Aromatic with spice cake and fruitcake. Overall this is one crazy brew that everyone should try. It's clean and full of unusual flavors but highly sippable. The yeast is more restrained than so many Belgian stle brews. Atwood, always following their own crooked road, is producing some excellent and sophisticated brews. From the 500 ml bottle purchased at Elizabeth Station.

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a hazy, medium golden amber with a fizzy, half finger white head that dissipates to a thin film with light lacing. Aroma of pale malt, Belgian yeast, apple, light stone fruit and a little clove. Flavor is candi and pale malt, apple, pear, mild light stone fruit, clove and coriander, Belgian yeast and light grassy hops. Medium bodied with sharp carbonation. Labelled as "An Ambiguous Ale", and that's accurate. Definitely Belgian, but has some character of Belgian strong pale, tripel and even Belgian IPA. Starts very much like a pale ale with clove and hops developing to give it a spiciness that lingers for quite a while, with the spice and hops interacting to be a little stark in the finish. An interesting and different domestic take on a Belgian ale with a definite ambiguity between the hops and Belgian spices. Worth a try for a novel Belgian inspired, well carbonated ale.