3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
8oz, $4 at Stone Bistro. Clear orange with a 1 1/2 finger light beige head, creamy with fair retention. Oak and coconut bourbon dominate--but it isn’t all that crazy strong overall, not oxidized, either. Smells like Anchor Steam beneath--toadty with some light malt sweetness. Flavor follows suit, the barrels not overpowering at all. Tastes a lot like Anchor Steam. That’s all I can say. Finishes dry with bitterness at a 2. Moderate carbonation that’s a little prickly with a medium body. Tasty, if not all that complex--lightly bourbonated Anchor Steam.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Sampled at the First Inaugural Raleigh Rare and Vintage Beer Festival. Near clear amber pour with decent offwhite head. Sweet citrus nose. Flavor was more bitter. Some whisky notes in there. A little alcohol. Meh.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
Soft copper amber pour with a sandstone tan head. Nose is rich and caramel forward with hints of toasted oak and diacetyl. Caramel and bitter tannic oak. Musty and lightly oxidized. The barrel is not as forward as I would have expected. A nice enough strong ale.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours a dull chestnut brown with a thin off-white head. Mild roasted grain aromas along with a hint of spice spice support a softly fruity, oxidized, dark caramel notes with some earthiness as well. The flavor is fairly light with some spicy whiskey notes, soft vanilla, toasted grains, and a touch of earthy hops. Fairly light bodied with a somewhat short finish.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Nice clear golden brown with a creamy white head. Vanilla oak Whiskey and alcohol aroma. smooth whiskey and strong cereal grain taste with oak notes.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Woody-malty balanced aroma. Copper in color with an off-white head. Nice woodiness (vanilla notes) and ver balanced. A fantastic ale; not too strong but flavorful and balanced.
2.7 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 11/20
GABF 2011. Murky dank yucky copper but with a generous rocky head. Has an aroma of whiskey oak barrels, bitter heavy toffee, and dark fruits like raisins and figs. Flavor of exactly the same--whiskey barrel, oak, dark fruit, dark toffee. Just couldn’t get behind it.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
Awesome to get to try this at GABF 2011. Pours a mahogany color with a large off-white head. The aroma is fruity, some apricot, oak, maybe stronger spirits. The flavor was a nice and easygoing but robust mix; akin to a strong ESB in some ways, sweet fruits including darker ones, some oak, light whiskey, burnt caramel. Very nice.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Gabf. Hazy, darkish orange appearance with a foamy, cream colored head. Sweet, caramel, vanilla, toasty oaky aroma. Quite oaky, vanilla, light toffee, caramel malty flavor. Pretty tasty.
2.9 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
In short: A tired cheesy and nutty sweet beer. Meh
How: Magnum shared at RBSG 2011 grand tasting
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The look: Cloudy light burgundy body topped by a very small
In long: Strange nose… I noted something strangely moldy and farmhouse (almost cheesy) over the sweet malts. I’m not sure it was supposed to smell like this. Taste is nutty caramel, a bit buttery, maple syrup, coconut, other. I didn’t pick any oxidation per say but this sure didn’t taste fresh. Two years old is usually not so old for a barrel aged American strong ale but this bottle just tasted tired. At this point this beer is N.V.G. Not Very Good.
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