Pint at WoB Belmar. This is a beautiful red ale with a crystalline body and a picturesque white head. I’m always truly impressed with Hogshead. It’s hard to find anybody using British yeast and malt the way they do. Double Chin Wag has a hefty aroma of malty notes like biscuits and caramel balanced by fresh wood, pine needles, and soil. The body is rich and full, though never too sweet. It’s a little hoppier than you’d expect a classic ESB to be, but not way over the top. And the hop flavor is rich and genuine in a woody, spicy, citrusy way. Sturdy maltiness provides impeccable balance. I hardly ever reach for a British ale, but I always go for Hogshead when I see it on a menu.

Draft at the brewery. Pour is deep caramel with a big eggshell colored head and great lacing. Big grassy, herbal hoppy, fresh baked bread, light caramel, somewhat earthy, and doughy aroma. Taste is herbal hoppy, grass, spicy hops, rye bread, fresh dough, caramel, and lightly toasty with a light bitter finish. Medium body with high carbonation. I could chug this stuff.

On cask at Hogshead. Deep copper with a large off-white head. Aroma is of sticky caramel and toffee, pound cake, light bread dough, marzipan and light coconut. Taste is of rich toffee, caramel syrup, apple butter, and bread dough.

Tap. The look is reddish, off white head, and slightly cloudy. The smell is doughy, fruit, malt, rich, and good. The taste is similar, fruit, dough, yeast, good.

Clear beautiful dark Amber with a rocky light beige head. Musty English ale yeast Nose with a touch of mineral water and grassy hops and dirty toasted malt. Full body with some chewy toasted malt, stern grassy hoppy bitterness, bright and complex esb malt and some toast. Meh. Regular chin wag is better because I feel like it has some more complexity that this one is hiding underneath a more stern alcohol note. Though in the flavor I wouldn’t say that alcohol is a primary flavor.

Caramel brown pour, white head. Smooth and creamy, lightly bitter, toasted grain, honey, doughy malts. Nice stuff.

On cask at the brewery. Deep reddish amber appearance with a lacy, lasting tan head. Darker, mildly sweet malts balanced by a mild earthy hop bitterness. Notes of light caramel and light chocolate malt. Smooth and creamy feel with a medium body. Pretty tasty.

Draft at the brewery - something that I have always loved about Hogshead’s beer when it is at its best is how vibrant and expressive the malt character is and how well it plays with the earthy, musty English ale yeast - that quality is really on display here - lovely mix of dry, earthy, whiskey-like malte character, with a countering cherry sweetness, a mild mineral presence, and a musty yeast character - even on draft, I love this.

5 oz sample draft at Colorado Plus in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The pour is clear brown golden with not too much off white head. The aroma is sweet caramel malt, grass and some earth. The taste is a nice balance of crystal malt, soft honey sweetness and grassiness. The palate is medium bodied with soft carbonation and the lingering sweet earth. Nice.

Very sweet, with nice malts. Towards the end it got a little overly sticky, but the flavor made up for it. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone