All About Beer Magazine

Beer Talk

Sand Creek English Style Special Ale

Available: WI, MN, IL, IA

• Roger Protz

  Not certain which style this is referring to — Extra Special Bitter? — but this is a well-crafted, penny-bright beer with a massive spicy hop aroma balanced by dark, nutty malt and berry fruits. Juicy malt, chewy burnt fruit and tangy hops dominate the mouth while the deep, complex finish offers dark malt, a hint of chocolate, bitter hops and a quenching dryness.

• Fred Eckhardt

  There’s a really talkative head here, accompanied by rich aromatics and a magnificent mahogany color. What a great way to start. But wait! There’s much, much more: the hop-malt balance is so grand, even irresistible. I do like this beer, and it is really worth lingering over — more than that: one must linger. How wonderful: flavor bursting forth across the palate with refined elegance.

• John Hansell

  A very sociable beer. It's nicely balanced, easy to drink and full enough in flavor to satisfy. But it's not so demanding to require a lot of attention. Those notes of caramel, toffee and toasted malt will do just fine mingling in the background of fine conversation.