Red Hook 8-4-1 Expedition

Wow, I will get this again.

Don't usually like brown ales, but this is an imperial brown, a ruler of other browns, apparently. There's a ton going on here, some hoppy, rich sweetness, probably the candi sugar, then a bit of honey and smokiness. This is easily one of the most original beers I've had in a long time. The finish and aftertaste is similar to any other brown, with the addition of some hops and a little bitterness from the 9.5% alcohol. If there was some additional crispness, and a stronger sweet note on the finish, this beer could get pretty close to perfect. This is my favorite beer of the one-a-day-tour so far. Plainly and confidently, this beer is Freddie Mercury (on a vacation in the US).

I should add that Walker had recorded "Wipe Out" on ABC and is howling like a monkey at the TV as I write this.