4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
On tap. Great Barley Wine with lots of complexity, and dry enough to make it a pleasure to drink. Hazy (one of their murkier beers) bronze hue with a lasting off-white head with good lace, and some stray alcohol legs. Aromas are hoppy, citrus, pine and spicy. Alcohol, very rich malt with caramel and melanoidin caramelization. Some bready notes. Dark fruit esters, prunes, ripe plums, resins and mild vanilla. Flavors are mildly sweet up front, dark fruits, plums, dates, figs. A mild booze smack. Caramel, alcohol, medium to high bitterness, fruity, citrus hop flavors. Mild resin. Very nice balance with a rich caramelization. Lingering flavors. Creamy carbonation, warming, fuller bodied. Finish is a balance of alcohol (not a harsh alcohol), and bitterness. Very good.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
On tap in Long Beach. It pours dark amber with a khaki head. The aroma is toasty with hints of cocoa, caramel, raisins and cherry candy. The flavor is thick and chewy with lots of alcohol, raisins, cherries, toast and a bit of spicy hop bitterness in the finish. Nice warmer with huge flavors.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draft. Ruby beer with a dark cream head. Dark fruit and malt aroma. Alcohol and caramel flavor with dark fruits. Medium bodied. Alcohol and dark fruits linger with caramel and backing PNW hops.
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
From tap at Brouwers. Pours clear and golden dark amber with a small white head. Aroma is toasted malty and caramelish. Sweet, caramelish, dark malty and light spiced hoppy. Dry and bitter finish.
2.1 AROMA 4/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 4/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 9/20
On tap for Hard Liver ’12, pours a clear dark amber with a small tan head. Aroma of stale malts, wood and sawdust. Flavour is the same with a bit of caramel underneath, but dominated by the stale malts and sawdust. Tastes quite off - not good.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 12/20
UPDATED: APR 27, 2012 On tap at Brouwer’s Hard Liver ’12. Pours transparent red-orange. This has absolutely NO aroma. So bizarre -- I smelled it for a minute, passed it to my brother to confirm, and sure enough -- it smelled like water. Maybe a *tiny* bit of fruit in there. Flavor is like a boring pale ale on steroids. This was a seriously underwhelming brew for me. RE-RATE 04.27.12: From a hand-bottle, thanks much to Julian! The brew does admittedly have an aroma, but it’s still quite faint. Caramel-soaked dark fruits and medium roast -- actually smells similar to a sweet Belgian quad. Flavor adds a boatload of booze to those caramel-soaked fruits, and brings the balance way back toward the bitter side of things. Between the alcohol and the hops, it really does annihilate your palate. This might be delicious with a few years of rest, once those two notes had a chance to mellow, but they really overpower everything else when it’s fresh. Better than it was at the Brouwer’s festival, but this one still needs some work.
3.8 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours an almost perfect copper color with a frothy off-white head. A pleasant toasted malt aroma and a strong pine and resin hop character. There is also some grapefruit peel and lots of toffee and caramel. The flavor has an almost woody flavor initially from the intense pine hop character. Lots of toasted malt as well as caramel, toffee, and a touch of brown sugar. There is a pleasant fruitiness that comes through as the beer warms up. Full bodied with medium carbonation.
|
