3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
UPDATED: MAY 9, 2010
Date: March 25, 2010
Mode: Firkin
Source: Brewpub, North
Appearance: black, frothy tan head, drippy lace
Aroma: sweet wine aroma, chocolate and roasted malts
Flavor: big tart wine flavor backed by dark malts, touch of chocolate, lots of spicyness, light fruityness beyond the wine, long bitter finish
Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *** /4
4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Appearance: Served a murky-looking, dark brown body with a small, ivory-colored head that, while diminutive, has some spirited bubbliness to it.
Smell: Scantly tart-scented red wine leisurely soaking plump plums and grapes with hints of honey wine and sparkling cider as well as dark-toned bready, caramelly malts.
Taste: A start of deep, dark breadiness splashed with a semi-dry mead and coupled with fine fruits (skins on) and a light-handed dose of spices. Bright, shimmering tartness imparted by the wine barrel. Small sliver of smokiness. Late-breaking inclusions of brown sugar and dark caramel sauce. Sip of Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple-Marionberry. Finishes out semi-dry, invitingly warming, and with little final blip of tartness.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high carbonation.
Overall: Very nice! These guys really need to lose kegs more often.
3.6 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Huge thanks to gford217 for this rarity. 750ml caged and corked bottle poured into my De Struise glass... A slight gusher as this pops. Huge carbonation, about 10 fingers of head for about three ounces of beer. Pours a dark copper with lots of amber. The head is medium tan, full of lots of bigger head bubbles. Good retention and full lacing. A touch to carbonated but otherwise looks great... The aroma is a touch light, difficult to pull a ton out. Very vinous mostly, tannic, red wine, spice, oak, and uniquely oranges. A slight sour barrel note. Interesting, I like it... The taste is even more vinous, the most vinous beer I’ve ever had. Almost mirrors a red wine in feel and tannic taste. Oak, red wine, earth, musky, bretty tart...The feel is a bit off, tannic like red wine but this is overly carbonated too bubbly for me.
Pretty interesting, a bit too winey for me with too much carbonation. Otherwise, this is pretty darn good.
4.1 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
750ml bottle.
Pours a deep mahogany that shows copper through the edges with a massive fluffy cream-colored head that shows excellent retention and lacing. Very rocky underside.
Aroma starts the red wine barrel - oak, grapes, light spices. Then there is a different type of fruitiness, much sweeter with lots of esters coming through. Maybe some vanilla and leather.
The taste also starts with a big tart red wine blast and then a little bit of chocolate covered raisins and Belgian yeast. Finish is dry and vinous with some oaky spiciness.
The mouthfeel is dominated by the barrel and is very dry with strong carbonation.
This is a very complex Belgian dark that takes on a ton of the red wine character of the barrel. One of the driest and least sweet versions of the style I’ve had. Another excellent Belgian from Crawford.
4.7 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 19/20
Draft at 5 Seasons West. I was told when I had this at the brewpub (08/08/2010) that it is a "Aged Brown Ale". Served in a Tulip. Poured a opaque, murky brown (almost like melted chocolate) with a dark beige head - visually this brew is beautiful! Aroma is hard to describe: notes of fresh fruits, wood, earth, mellow malt undertones, faint citrus hops... there is a lot going on in the nose. Taste: wood, bright spices, fresh fruits, molasses, mild citrus hops, mellow malts, maybe some smoke... a lot going on in this - almost has a vintage Port quality about it. Medium to full body, smooth mouthfeel, medium carbonation (like a Belgian). The beer left a milky film on the glass when finished. Overall a fantastic beer: complex, very balanced, very unique.
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Dark brown with a creamy off white head. Bright lively palate Mild green apple sourness red wine and subtle oak aroma and taste with chocolate and vanilla notes to the finish.
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