Years ago, this was one of my favorite beers. But I quit buying it because I found that too many of them were skunky, a result of being packaged in clear glass. Recently, I discovered that they have finally moved to brown glass, so I decided it was time to see if it's as good as I remember.
Pouring it, it looks beautiful. Deep rich reddish brown, with a dense white head. Looks almost too good to drink, but I'll manage. Sweet malt with a very slight hoppiness on the nose. On the palate, it has a lot of malt, but only a slight bit of sweetness. There is a flavor that I can't quite describe that I think is the result of the hops, and seems to balance out the malt. The hops linger on the finish, giving just a slightly bitter finish. Perhaps that bitter finish is what made this beer work so well with the chicken wings I used to have at the bar, but for drinking it without food, it's a little more than I'd prefer.
Overall, not quite as good as I remember, and I think I prefer the Newcastle from a few nights ago, but still a pretty good beer. As a bonus, it costs no more now than it did when I first tried it nearly 30 years ago.
Recommended, especially with food.
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