Nimbus Scottish-Style Export Ale

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours with a thin, frothy, pale tan colored head. Brilliantly clear, deep reddish to concentrated amber color. The aroma is a nice mix of caramelized malt, toast grain and lightly herbal hop; Aromas of biscuit-like malt and cracker like grain provides a slight drying effect to offset the sweeter malt character. The sweet malt aromatics remind me of a mix of rich caramel malts, a touch of rich fruitiness and even a touch of toffee.

Sweet, without being cloying; malty, yet has a hop character to it as well. Herbal hop flavors with a fairly solid bitterness to it (despite the advertised 15 IBU). The dominant character is that of caramelized fruit; berry notes, perhaps a touch of citrus. The finish has a nice rich maltiness to it with a caramelized, fruit accented sweetness and a touch of viscous heft that lets the beer stick to the palate. Very nicely quaffable, the beer does have some body to it (not surprising given the residual malt sweetness). A touch of toasted malt character in the finish seems to add just a hint of roast, though this is very soft and I may just be imagining it.

I am quite surprised by how hoppy this is; I almost wonder if my taste buds are playing tricks on me. Either way though this is a really tasty, lower alcohol brew. The beer is really hitting the spot right now. I could easily quaff a few pints of this in an evening (and in fact did).