and I just popped one... I'm curious!
brewinhard, you might be on to something with the hops. What's throwing me off a little is in the aroma and flavor... and it might be that "minty" descriptor of the NB hops.
I had a six of Anchor Steam not long ago, and I do recall it being "different" in flavor, and attributing it to the NB hops. Now with these homebrews, I may not be getting the exact same flavor as Anchor, but maybe it is the style itself. There's a minty aftertaste on the back of my tongue.

