beer_name: Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale
text: It pours a chestnut brown, clear and rather listless, really. A finger of beige head settles promptly to mere frothy vestiges. Lacing is sparse and uneventful. The aroma is chiefly malt, roasted and malty, along with black cherry and prunes. Ginger, more of gingerbread than the root, and a citrus touch of orange come about as advertised. Upon tasting, the credibly sweet malt swings the biggest bat, impressing as fruity and nutty, and bringing along general dark fruits and toffee. The orange is less notable here, and the ginger takes on a more floral image, a less compatible version than in the aroma. The finish is citrus-zest bitter and dry, lingering shortly. It's different, with a tasty note or two, but it's not enticing or edgy. Medium bodied, the malt lays softly on the palate, but the lack of carbonation lends a flat feel to the legacy. This beer seems to want to be more than it is, but when all's said and done, it's an above average, averagely spiced warmer that suffers from a lack of above-and-beyond TLC. Perhaps some vanilla creaminess or winter spice melange might have given it some real life, but as it is, the lasting image is one almost of ennui. It goes down well enough, but I turned off the Jets-Dolphins game for the same reason I won't likely drink this beer again: it's not painfully so, but rather fairly boring.