It's a bit hazy and a light golden color. When the head gives way, a semi-sticky film rests calmly on the top like a parent slumps back in their chair after the mayhem of unwrapping present has subsided. The aroma is a spicy mix of hops, citrus, and malt. The malt there is as sweet as the candy cane on the tree (without the mint). Really, it's mostly citrus.First sip is... not as good as I'd hoped. The lemon taste is way too much for the rest of the beer, and the malt overwhelms the hops. I really expected more from Sam with an ale, and this really doesn't showcase the hops as well as I wanted it to. The lemon is so pronounced that it give the impression of dirty dishwater.
A bigger swig improves matters only slightly. Tip-in is more muted than before, with carbonation dominating the whole mouth. The light spices add to the prickle as it flows across the tongue, and then it leads to a sweet malt middle with a light lemon added to the mix. The finish still lets the beer down with its lemon and spices kicking the tongue in the face and rushing down the gullet while spreading its ill temper all around.
I wanted to like it. I hoped to like it. I expected to like it. I don't really like it.
1.5/5
