2.7 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 1/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20A beer like this is built on the belief that sweet n’ hot spices like cinnamon and clove will contrast with caramel malt in a satisfying way like hops can. Any spiced beer steps far enough out of the mainstream to make it hard to rate. On first pour I didn’t think the additive went well with the sweet malt aroma, but found that it quickly mellows out. After a few initial sips this beer feels like a heavy strong English ale. It has the appearance of one of those premixed black and tans. The body is unfortunately too thin for what the beer intends. This makes it about as easy drinking a a strong spiced beer can be. So it has FDR painted on the can. This is a brewer all wound up in nostalgia.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Can. Pours a clear dark amber body with a one finger frothy beige head that had pretty nice retention and left some light lacing. The nose is sweet, lightly nutty, and subtly spiced with a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon perhaps. The flavor is on the sweeter side as well, but not overly so. A nice balance between the spices and the malt, there’s plenty of spices, but not one single spice dominates. Finishes with just a touch of warmth and an almost peppery like spice kick. Medium bodied, almost chewy, with fizzy prickly carbonation. I pretty well liked this one, should have saved it for a night when I was sitting by a fire maybe.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Brought back from San Francisco by a good friend. Pours a dark ruby brown with a tan head that recedes quite quickly, some leggy lace clings to the glass walls. Nose is sweet and spice, like nutmeg etc. Tastes sweet, a touch of bitterness and malty.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 15/20
Deep brown pour thick foamy head. Malty spicy aroma. Hoppy flavor with spruce notes. Fairly potent worth a try.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Can. Medium-thin body. Taste of burnt hop, spices, oak, caramel, raisins. Tastes like burnt toast, with raisins.
2.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 8/20
Poured from a 12 ounce can. Pours a darker amber to brown with a large beige head of foam. Pretty good retention. In the aroma I get notes of gingerbread, vanilla, spice. Taste is at first sweet and spicy, but moves to a weird bitterness that’s overall offputting.
2.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 10/20
On tap at Archer Ale House, pours a dark copper brown with a small beige head. Aroma of perfume, vanilla, and winter spices. Flavour is similar, bringing out notes of vanilla, nutmeg and other spices, along with some perfumey notes. Too perfumey for me, but nothing overly offensive about this. Decent.
3.2 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
Aroma is dominated by spices: cinnamon or cloves. Appearance is dark clear ruby color with tall head that fades quickly. Taste is more of the spices from the nose and a large amount of bitterness and a hint of raisin/dark fruit. Overall not my favorite beer but the spices are complementary to the malts used and it doesnt just taste like a spoonful of cinnamon/clove. Not going to try it again.
2.8 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 12/20
Pours brown with small light tan head. Smells spicy. Taste is sweet roasted malts and barley and lots of spice and some cola. Med body. Sweet bitter after taste. Intersting.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
On tap at the Town Hall Tap (Minneapolis, Minnesota, 7/12/12)
Aroma: Spices, brown sugar, and sweet malt.
Appearance: A darker brown color with a medium white head.
Taste: Slightly sweet and slightly bitter. A bit dry, with a mostly bitter finish.
Palate: Light bodied, thin texture, with an average carbonation.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Overall I liked this beer, smooth and great for a bwwr fest so nothing too crazy happens to you
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