3.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Growler from brewpub
Thanks to Jeff for bringing this back from his trip to the West Coast. Bend Brewing shines once again with a stunning old ale. I don’t know that I could drink a whole growler alone but bring a couple of friends and you could knock this off without any problems. Should I ever find myself in the area Bend Brewing is at the top of the list of places to visit.
Aroma / Appearance - The semi-transparent body sparkles with a reddish maroon tone. A fuzzy white head like the color of soap scum sits on top. Caramel, cherry pie filling, and sweet chocolate like Hershey’s chips balance the malt out. This is a great example of the style done right.
Flavor / Palate - Caramel and chocolate wash across the palate. The mouthfeel is thick and borderline cloying but still very drinkable. Creamy and oak it carries a series of nice flavors. The warm finish is like an aged barleywine that has lost its hoppy bite. Overall this is a nice example of an old ale that does everything right and very little wrong.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
[Vintage 2007] Tap @ Barleywine and Big Beer Fest... Poured a dark burgundy with a thin white head. Aroma of yeast and diary-like, candy sugars. Mildly carbonated palate. A lot of cocoa flavors and rich malt characters and some ash or chalky flavors. It had gotten a little dry towards the finish.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
GABF 2007: Poured a lightly hazed chestnut color with an off-white head. The aroma had a sweet start with light fruity malt. The flavor was full of toffee malt with an earthy and piny hop finish. Mild-moderate bitterness. Medium body. Semi-dry finish with some warmth.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Ruby with a thick, off white head and good lacing. Nice blend of hops and spice. All spice perhaps, but that doesn’t seem right. Sweet underlying caramel as well. Spices again in the flavors. I started out thinking anise, but realized it was more like tarragon. Slightly sweet licorice. Lots of malts in here. Caramel and some roast. Thick and sticky with a finish of spice and sweet caramel.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draught at Belmont Station. Musty aroma and taste. Some brass. Not exactly an old ale but more like an English IPA to me. Decent and tasty.
3.2 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
on tap-pours a light tan/red head and red color. Aroma is earthy, medium malt. Taste is earthy/herbal, sweet medium malt, fruit. Finishes alcohol and drying.
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Date: 10/13/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewfest, GABF
cloudy dark amber, fine beige head,
sweet malty aroma,
rich chocolate flavor, nice fruity dark caramel sweetness, earthy hops leave a light balancing bitterness,
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4
3.1 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Bottle at Beer Revolution. Clear copper in color with a medium-sized white head. Slightly herbal aroma with sweet caramel malt, not too exciting. The flavor has nice sweet caramel and toffee, with mild roast and dried fruit. Medium-full bodied with softer carbonation. Overall pretty average.
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