Appearance:    “Dark golden—or maybe that should be amber. There’s a good head, which is ‘maybe an ‘off-white’ color.”

Aroma:   “At first I smell a maltiness-sort of like caramel—then the hops come through. It seems piney . . . maybe like bitter orange peel.

Taste:   “The percentage of hops must be substantial, but the hoppiness doesn’t blot out the smooth malt. Seems like a big one to me, but it’s not overly ‘hot’ or seeming high in alcohol in an unbalanced way. It’s a mouthful and seems very tasty so far. Definitely no ‘session’ beer, this Beachcomber seems powerful like the elephant seal on the label.”

Food Affinity:   “Hard to imagine pairing this with any dish I’d be cooking. Maybe thinking up a food to come up to the power and presence of this beer would be an oblique way to answer the question. Good jalapeno poppers (peppers filled with a creamy blue cheese, wrapped in bacon, than grilled) would taste good. Maybe Mexican dishes accompanied by a mole. The malt component could be an interesting offset to spicy Szechwan food, too.”

     --Guest reviewer Sal Hernandez is a culinary consultant for a catering compa