This style ranges from deep gold to dark brown in color with excellent clarity and a dense, creamy, persistent crown of foam. Paler examples are deep gold to light amber and typically topped with a bright white head, while darker versions are copper to brown and often reveal ruby glints beneath an off-white foam cap. The aroma showcases a pronounced malt character of toasted bread, cereal, honey and light caramel in paler versions and notes of brown bread, dark caramel, molasses, nuts, chocolate or dark and dried fruit in darker examples. The flavor profile is richly malty with some caramelized notes and residual sweetness. Some examples may have hints of cocoa powder, mocha, almond, pecan, sugar cookie, or dark fruit like plum, raisin, or date that add extra layers of depth. Hop bitterness is moderately low to moderate and tends to be more noticeable in paler examples which also may have low floral, herbal, minty, or peppery hop flavor. A medium-full to full body and moderate carbonation accentuate the rich overall impression. While malt is the focus of the style, it should be well-attenuated enough to avoid being syrupy or overly sweet. The finish is clean with variable alcohol warmth that is smooth and never harsh.
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