4.2 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
At Holiday Ale Festival in Portland. Pours light brown with a cream head. Aromas of cola, cherries, spices and whisky. Tastes of rye, sour, chocolate, dark fruits, has a bit of an alcohol burn...think it’s more than 7%
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
12 oz. bottle; thanks alex for cracking this one; clear dark brown; no head; caramel and oxidation; smooth drinking and a little harsh; oxidation is there plenty; smooth, old, creamy texture
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
UPDATED: DEC 7, 2010 Tap @ Holiday Ale Fest... What a historic beer to have by such an innovator in craft beer. Poured hazy/cloudy dark brown/ruby-ish with an off-white head. Way past its prime here unfortunately. Leafy, oak, mild yeast. Oxidization lent towards caramel and berry fruit juice.
3.8 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Appearance: Pours out a very dark, garnet-hued body with a scant, bubbly head (though it’s a bit of stretch to call it that).
Smell: Sweetish dark caramel malts, touches of toastiness and woodiness as well, and a fruitiness of cranberry and cherry compote. Tiny sniff of chocolate, too.
Taste: Modestly sweet maltiness akin to dark caramel and brown sugar rounded out with a nice level of toastiness. Subdued cocoa hints. Subtle herbaceous, though the hop bitterness has all but deteriorated over the last decade. Punchy fruitiness carrying over from the nose. Little spritz of sherry. Very light alcohol warmth on the malty finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-low carbonation.
Drinkability: Though time has tired this one out somewhat, it’s still a pleasant, decade-later sipper. Now, then, on to the 2010!
3.9 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
tasting on 7/30/10. deep red pour with no head. big aged malts and caramel on the nose. medium to thin body - dark fruit throughout with caramel, apple and yeast. past its prime in my opinion.
3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
Pours an amber red color with no head. Aroma is fruity, tobacco, roast, coffee, toast, chocolate, and a touch of roast. Flavor is caramel, roast, chocolate, toffee, some tobacco, and a chocolate roast finish.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Bottle Side by side with the 2010. A huge hanks to JohnGalt1. Pours out brownish amber topped with a small head. Aroma was of sweet cocoa, caramel, and some dust. Taste had faded quite a bit but still was drinkable. I wish I had this a few years back when it was still in it’s prime. Still thanks so much Toby for this rare Deschutes brew.
4.3 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Another GWW offered up by Chris at M&M’s tasting party. 12 oz bottle bought at auction in 2001. Hazy brown with minimal head. Beautiful malts and oaky aromas. Light cherry notes, with toffee and caramel. Still has some subtle hops in the finish, but sooo nicely balanced. Taste is heavenly, with just the right amount of sweetness. A rare treat.
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