Gardens of Gaia
Atlas Brewing

Nice dark golden colour. The smell is a decent tangerine grapefruit smell. The taste is a little underwhelming. It's a dry finish with some slight bitterness and medicinal quality. It's not complex enough to be considered an "extra special ale." It's not the worst beer, but there are much better ones, especially from Driftwood. It looks better than it tastes.

Gardens of Gaia pours into my glass paler than expected, sort of the color of polished copper. Head is cloudy, off white, and boasts pretty decent retention.
As I take that first sniff, I'm met with a surprisingly malty profile. It's a combination of toasted rye bread, hints of caramel and a nutty quality. Fruit esters come through in the center, giving me ripe oranges. This leads quickly into a finish that has a slightly peppercorn quality, reminding me of European hops.
Gardens of Gaia is on the lighter side of medium bodied, with a smooth, almost slick mouthfeel. Flavor starts out with grainy malts, supported by lightish caramel. Hints of orange and just a bit of leather come through in the center before leading into a crisp, lightly bitter finish.
My problem is this just doesn't present itself as an extra special ale which somehow makes me think of English pale ales or strong ales in general. It hits some of the notes, but works too hard giving me citrus instead of more pronounced malt, and a crisper, more present bitter finish.