Before setting off with my own brew I thought it would be inspirational to share it with my mate over some boerie rolls and get some input from him - you can read his brilliant review here. It turns out this beer was a bit of a surprise with its deep red-brown color, surprising lack of head and strong coffee aroma. After the first sip I had to check the label again as I suddenly envisaged in my minds eye a light coffee stout with a deep malty character. It is a pleasant change from the usual sweetish Amber Ale, but - being a major hop head - I did feel it lacked a bit of a bitter balance.
Overall I think it was a pretty amazing beer showing off just what I believe to be the essence of craft beer: expect the unexpected, everyone's interpretation of a beer style is different and that is what makes the beer so good and this industry so exciting. I hope this beer does end up at Roeland as I would not mind sipping down some more of this delicious ale.