Reviving this old thread. I am living in Japan so it's always an adventure checking to see what type of "import" they have on a given week. This week's was Hens Tooth bottle-conditioned.
My first impression (before opening it) was fear, because it comes in clear bottles. I put two of them in the fridge to settle and once they were cold, I poured one and had a taste. I've gotta say, this is the first "Strong Ale" I've had (6.5% ABV) but it was awesome. I'm a newbie when it comes to developing my palette for craft beers, but I thought it was awesome. It looks just a bit red in the glass, but was not nearly as heavy as the red ales I've tried before. Anyway, the case of 12 bottles was only $28 which seemed reasonable at the time. *shrug*