Ringwood Old Thumper (USA)

Brewed by Shipyard Brewing Company
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Portland, Maine USA

Great bready aroma...Nice amber/brown color with a neat,thick, tan head perched a top...Very rich maltiness that is nicely balanced by the lingering hops in the finish

Pretty solid ale, but coming right on the heals of sampling their Chamberlain it stands in its shadow.

One bottle. Unpleasent bitterness at the start. Some hops,malts and fruits detected with a decent body for the ale.

Pretty good bitter, light copper color, decent white head, very little lacing though, sweet & malty nose with a slight hint of grass, very smooth body, very drinkable, excellently balanced, nice hop character in the flavors, lightly sweet finish, malty aftertaste

Nice dark orange color. The head on my beer was 1/2 inch and long-lasting. Malty flavor, yes I too can identify the peach tones. Hoppy finish.

Light tan head, dark orange body. Mild fruity and malty aroma with peach and orange tones. Peachy flavor, rather thin with a harsh end.

A hazy orange beer with a small disappearing beige head. The aroma is sweet with notes of peach and hints of strawberries. The flavor is sweet and sour with notes of garlic. A weird beer.

On my first encounter with this ale, my judgements were rather harsh. As the word "Old" This or That is most often used in the names of barleywines and imperial stouts, and with such a menacing boar fiercely glaring on the label, I’d been geared for something exciting. I was let down to say the least. But bottle #2 was taken in more judiciously. Amber color, small off-white head. Aroma: nutty and malty, caramelly, traces of vegetal notes, and sweet, overall. Taste is nice, body light/medium, and residual sweetness rides through the finish. Good malt taste, but I couldn’t pick up on any hop activity at all. It’s called "Extra Special Ale", is it meant as a slightly tastier ESB? Quite drinkable, and an easy candidate for a session brew, but lacking in any zip or zing that would make it a choice for me.