Airdale Homecoming

Airdale Brewing Company
Formerly brewed at Bayhawk Ales
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
San Diego, California USA

Serve in Lager glass, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Sampled at GABF. A - Dark brown, with a rich 3-fingered head of dirty vanilla. S - Strong, rich smell of roasted coffee and chocolate, with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon. T - Dark flavors of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and creme brulee. M - Full bodied, with layers of flavors, but with a refreshing acidity and effervescence that leaves you wanting another glass. D - I could drink this all night. It’s probably on the border of being a stout, but the effervescence keeps things from being too heavy. I’m really bullish on this beer as well as their Hefe. They’re both nice entries in a town full of overly hopped beers.

Draft. Pours a mostly clear dark brown with a creamy beige head. Nose holds some baking spices, roasted malts and faint herbal hops. More vanilla picked up on the palate.

The flavor of the beer doesn’t really plant a flag on your tongue that necessarily indicates cinnamon, nor does it bloom with the pedals of vanilla. It’s no doubt drinkable, and has a smooth mouthfeel, but this beer’s lasting appeal has a short hour glass on it. Pretty average. (Also, the label on this bottle looks like the cover of a Nintendo video game.)

Served on tap at Downtown Johnny Browns. The appearance is a dark brown, not too much head. The aromas are spiced with a fair amount of nutmeg, cinnamon, anise. The flavors are the same more nutmeg, cinnamon, anise. Not a tone of malts coming forward which is strange. This reminds me a lot of Anchor Christmas Ale but it’s dark. That’s still throwing me off.

Dark brown with no head. Faint malt and spice aroma. Taste of chocolate nutmeg and cinamin with a clean finish.

From the Jug at the GABF Colorado Convention Center, Denver 09/10/2008 Some spice aroma. Black and smooth on the palate with a little spiced ginger flavour. Crisp and dry malt finish.

On tap at PP Carlsbad. Pours a dark brown with thin tan head. Mostly chocolate, roasted malt, and coffee, with hints of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. It’s quite dry, with a nice mouthfeel. I like it, the spice is not over done.

UPDATED: JUN 21, 2009 On tap @ Pizza Port Carlsbad: Pours as a dark brown with small topping of tanned colored foam head. The aroma is medium with slight scent of spice with an up front nose of roast malt. Flavors consist of heavy dashes of cinnamon as well as light touches of nutmeg and vanilla in the mix. This porter came across subtle and pleasing and i think it could taste just as good from the bottle if they decided to make it available.

A new addition to the taps at The Local in San Diego. Very dark brown with ruby highlights. Coffee and smoke aroma dominate. Bitter coffee and chocolate, some asht smoke and a minerally clay note in the finish. I couldn’t appreciate any spiciness in this beer, but it was an excellent porter regardless.

On tap at the Ballast Point Anniversary Beer Festival. Pours with a dark brown body topped by a thin to medium thick head with a good amount of lacing. It’s sweet and malty with a nice coffee note and a touch of bittersweet chocolate. Medium to full bodied, smooth and well carbonated.