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Abbeydale Last Rites

Score
456
OVERALLStyle
Brewed by Abbeydale
Style: Barley Wine
Sheffield, England
Serve in Snifter

bottling
unknown

on tap
unknown

distribution
unknown

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RATINGS: 25   MEAN: 3.03/5.0   WEIGHTED AVG: 2.98   EST. CALORIES: 330   ABV: 11%
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COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION
Cask; Regular (but not in continuous production).
Brewed only with pale malts and American hops, this is a pale, fantastically strong barley wine with tons of flavour. It is dangerously more-ish and some people have drunk far more than was good for them.
High A.B.V. beers have been described as "gimmick" beers, to be enjoyed only in small quantities for their hideous potency. They are also often dark - to hide the murkiness. This is not the case at all with Last Rites. Patrick set out to create a high gravity beer which was as pale as it could be, and truly drinkable.
Last Rites really IS a premium brew, unusually pale in colour and full of rich malty flavour to tease and satisfy the palate. At 11% alcohol by volume, Last Rites is more of a wine than a beer and its drinking should therefore be treated with the respect becoming such a solemn undertaking.
It is brewed only two or three times a year. Whenever we can it is lagered for 100 days to give time for the flavours to mature and develop. This gives an unusually smooth beer with strong tones of smooth subtle toffee and a hint of roasted sugar which doesn't overpower the full malt flavour base. The bitterness from the hops keeps the sweetness in check and allows the fuller spectrum of flavours to reach the palate without the cloying burning honey and acid effect of many high alcohol recipes.
In short, in spite of its fearsome alcohol content, Last Rites is a thoroughly delicious drink which has been brewed with every care for it flavour and potability.


3.2
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
tombyars (1102) - Saltcoats, SCOTLAND - SEP 27, 2011
First tasted this at the Paisley Beer Festival in April 2000. Gravity dispense. Orange amber in colour with no obvious head. Strong honey note in the intense aroma. Sweet cloying mouthfeel and no lacing. Powerful malt base leads to a rich booming intensity of sweetness, with golden syrup, fruit spangles, mead and overipe honeydew melon. Hops may be present in the aftertaste but are lost amid the sweetness. Strong alcoholic warmth in the finish. Interesting barley wine but far too sweet for my tastes.

3.5
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 14/20
Svesse (4389) - Hässelby, SWEDEN - JAN 12, 2011
(Cask at White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 27 Nov 2010) Copper colour with brief head. Malty, fruity nose with dried fruit, fruitcake, raisins and hints of old socks. Fruity, malty taste with notes of raisins, prunes, dried fruit, caramel and treacle. Full body with slightly oily mouthfeel. Vinous and warming. Very sweet with some spicy bitterness coming through the alcohol veil. A bit boozy and unrefined, but quite enjoyable in moderate amounts.

3.4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 14/20
weaselkenievil (1093) - Cheshire, ENGLAND - DEC 21, 2010
Too thick and you can taste the strength. Maybe not all 11% but there is something assaulting my throat. Has a decent amount of fruit but the thick caramel like finish is a bit much for me. Would try it again but not in a massive hurry.

1
   AROMA 2/10   APPEARANCE 2/5   TASTE 2/10   PALATE 1/5   OVERALL 3/20
d_a_goody (12) - West Midlands, ENGLAND - MAR 21, 2010
Stonking strong 11% beer that has elements of a Belgian triple but tastes more like fortified beer.

3.4
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
jter9 (12) - Suffolk, ENGLAND - JUN 10, 2009
Cask at Keele postgrad bar april 09. medium amber in colour. Extrmemely alcoholic but thoroughly enjoyable in small doses. worth a try.

3.7
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 8/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 15/20
Gary (1093) - London and(Rochester), Kent, ENGLAND - MAR 1, 2009
cask Bricklayers beer fest putney.Well I like it.I’m surprised by the negtive press this ale has recived but mayb i’m just a juice head and duff who was drinking it at the same time hated this. Heavy and thick malt bomb.Remined me of samiclause .Peachy fruit esters -petrol and shitloads of syrup.Hey I digged it.

3
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 6/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
DonMagi (5599) - bantervile, Bedfordshire, ENGLAND - SEP 22, 2008
Cask at Peterborough beer fest. Alround rating: Wow alcohol, pale malts, actually pritty thin and boring and alcoholic.

3.2
   AROMA 6/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 13/20
fonefan (24928) - VestJylland, DENMARK - MAR 4, 2008
Cask (gravity) @ The National Winter Ales Festival 2008, Manchester, UK. Light light unclear light to medium amber color with a small - small, virtually none head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, fruity / berry. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet with a long duration. Alcohol is very well hiden. Body is medium to full, texture is oily - syrupy, carbonation is flat. (180108)

2.8
   AROMA 5/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 5/10   PALATE 3/5   OVERALL 12/20
harrisoni (10067) - Ashford, Kent, ENGLAND - FEB 26, 2008
Cask gravity at Bricklayers Arms 2nd Annual Yorkshire BF 08. Smells of homemade peach wine. Like peach flavoured turps. Bit of plastic on aroma. Doesn’t taste of 11%, but it’s just too acidic. Aroma has good fruit, but no great body. It’s like my dad’s homemade peach wine.

3.4
   AROMA 7/10   APPEARANCE 3/5   TASTE 7/10   PALATE 4/5   OVERALL 13/20
Carlus12 (361) - London, Greater London, ENGLAND - FEB 21, 2008
Cask @ Croydon BF ’07. Aroma is caramel, honey, fruity alcohol. Taste is syrupy, malty, some hops, dark fruits. Finish is alcoholic and malty.


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