Draught at the brewpub. Pours brassy orange with whitish head. The aroma is faint oranges, red tea, and a little bit of cookie. The flavor is surprisingly similar to a red tea, like rooibos, with some orange notes and a citric bitterness. Coarse finish. Ok.

Draft pint at the brewery. Golden rusty orange, 10-20% opaque with a white head on top. Prickly, biting and rough palate, especially up front. Hoppy and bitter on the back, almost reminds me of British bitter. Metallic, aggressive hops, brash and coarse, abrasive, even. The nose is very faint, just some light bread and corn notes, some very light fruit, but overall it doesn’t smell like much. Taste is pretty decent but I can’t get past how assertive and coarse it is up front.

10 oz draft, at brewpub. Pours a clear amber body under just a whispy thin film of white head that disappeared rather quickly. Nose is equal parts hops and toasted, slightly grainy, malt. Just a touch of fruitiness from the yeast. Flavor was pretty close to Anchor, moderately hoppy with a toasted and crackery maltiness, finishing with a little nuttiness and light lingering bitterness. Mouthfeel was watery in texture with just a little too much of a fizzy prickly carbonation level. Very soda like in its carbonation, I wish it were a little more creamy. Overall, a fairly close approximation to the classic.

I’m not very familiar with this style other than Anchor’s steam beer. But it was good. Not exceptional by any means but it was very good