Black Sheep Riggwelter (Bottle)

Brewed by Black Sheep
Style: Old Ale
Ripon, England

Excellent first impressions on taste and aroma. Poured out a very nice looking crystal clear deep mahogany beer with a small white cap that leaves a bit of ropy lacing. There is still lots to love for aroma here but after letting it breathe for 10 minutes much of the early charm has hidden itself. Well defined roasted malts and nuts are the most forward but now it’s quickly joined by something that is reminiscent of sweat and corn. OK, I’ve left it for 10 minutes more and things are slowly returning to Happyland. Background coffee, some fruit that seems to be raspberry in nature. I actually think the aromas I though sucked are actually tobacco related and now I accept it. The taste is still pretty fine though: good roast balanced nicely with perfectly strengthed bitterness, slight slight coffee, corn husks, interesting spice that comes out later, mild caramel. Well carbonated, good bitter finish with lingering dull malts. A lot of these would be nice. I did get bored after awhile though...

Good beer. Got this bottle last week at Sam’s in Chicago. Poured with a medium sized tan head and a little lace. Lots of aroma: malty, roasty, caramel, toffee, dark and medium fruit, chocolate and other stuff - seems like I could almost go on forever if I wanted to. Color is an almost hazy dark amber. Flavor is similar to aroma. Is some creaminess there from mild carbonation. Leaves a mild brandyish finish. Could be a session beer if I were going slow as it is a bit rich.

On the palate it isn’t powerful and moving, but it does give a somewhat smooth, sweet, and deep flavor. And overall, that is enough for me to enjoy it. It won’t take a place among my all time favorites, but it is worth trying for the smooth flavor in itself. And on a total sidenote, the cap has a cool design I thought (I collect them).

Another bottle of beer my Dad left at my house after his most recent visit. And this one is....nice. 5.7% ABV is not an ABV appropriate for an old ale; to my mind this beer is more like a nice Bitter or maybe a really mild Scottish Ale. Malty, coppery, with a touch of hop. Color is dark, and head was plentiful at first but faded quickly. Aroma was coppery maltiness, toffee-ish malt, and some light coffee roastiness. Flavor is more of the same, and is pretty good. This beer is a really nice balance of taste and drinkability, but the flavor, while pleasant, is mild and that mildness is a strike against it from my perspective. Mouthfeel is substantial. I liked this beer. It isn’t the RIS, DIPA, Tripel, Berlinerweisse, Flemish Sour or other big-flavor-packing style I usually favor, but it is still good. For the first time since my Dad’s last visit, I’m saying I am glad he left this beer at my house! Recommended.

Deep clear light brown color, beautiful off white creamy head that leaves good lacing in my glass. Light malty caramel smokey aroma, sweet nutty and smokey flavors. Medium bodied with a nice rounded soft mouthfeel, some dryness in the lasting finish, I like this one.

pours a nice mohogany/red with off white creamy head. Aromas of green banana + hops, a bit yeasty, caramel like maltiness. Flavour is intensely malty upon first taste. With a lingering herbal quality. Finish is a bit peppery licorice.

Pours a deep garnet color with a tan head. The aroma was roasty, coffee, malty, a bit of alcohol...much like an English porter. The flavor was more on the malty side...coffe still, and some hops. The finish was pure coffee. Soft, very wet feel.

Woo Hoo! I'm Back! My brother just came back from visiting with his fiance's family in the British Isles and reloaded my sadly depleted cellar. This is one dark gem igniting the cobwebs. It's a beautiful journay of sweet to bitter, with strong molasses and toffee malt action leading a chrage into tealike herbality. Something like walnut shells stain the color and flvaor, too, not unpleanantly so. It's nice to be back in business.