Our Tastes-- SweetWater The Gimp

"A Wide Open Old Ale", The Gimp was quite a beer to start brewing ESB with. Old Ales are best served in English pints or snifters and the class itself is muddy with regards to characteristics but I think this one brings the high notes of the style to light. The color is a spectacular mahogany with ruby highlights that shone in the 80F sunshine. With the abv at 10.3% there is of course no head. The nose gave out plummy, tannin, currant notes and refreshed with each swirl of the glass. It had aged since December 2012 and taste was a complexity of heavy raisin and currants because of the outrageous malt bill for this one that seemed cloying on the tongue. I'm not sure how the guys at SW gt their label approval for this one but check it out at the above link when you get a second. I've got a couple of bottles of this and plan on having the other soon. It seems to be right on for this very broad style?