Craftsman Cabernale

Brewed by Craftsman Brewing Co.
Style: Fruit Beer
Pasadena, California USA

Serve in Flute

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Purplish colour with a thick purple head. Rich cab nose with light beeriness and some pepper. Dry and hugely vinous - a big expressive beer. Nice round beery body, finishing very dry with a huge grapey character. Crisp, fruity finish.

Tap @ FO Culver. Clutch beer! Well-constructed and deftly executed. Deep purple-red with minimal foam and lacing. Full flavor bursting with the cabernet grapes (and likely barrel) used in aging. I suspect the base beer was a stronger ale rather than a brown, which is a sublime move where this is concerned: I doubt the grapes would take hold and marry with anything as dark as a brown.

Sampled @ Strong Ale Fest san Diego

The beer pours a bemused amber color with the head modest in size and a light tan color, frothy in texture and the lace a nice covering sheet for the glass. Nose was sweet malt with a hint of the hop flowers, very fresh and clean to the senses, start is sweet and rich in malt, top middling in feel. Finish was brisk in its carbonation, the hops spicy and pleasant, also something we all remarked about was a “Grape Like flavor”, like “Welches Grape Juice”, not unpleasant, just a bit odd, well at least to me, sampled 3 times to get a handle on this one.

Aroma of cabernet grapes. Purplish red in color. Very fruity and nice. Not alot of "beer" flavor. Smooth and drinkable and very unique. Apparently it was brewed with 1000 lbs of grapes. At least that is what we were told.

So this looks like a foamy and thick framboise. It tastes like nothing I have ever had before. It’s creamy and sweet, similar to a raspberry creamsicle... The grapes were the focus for sure. I would love to have this more often.

Draft at O’Brien’s. Tart vinous aromas off this purple pour with purple head. Flavor was still grape and wine. Very Cabernet. Not as tart as I had expected. Dry finish with some alcohol. Pretty good.

UPDATED: NOV 20, 2008 re-rate 20Nov2008 On tap at Lucky Baldwin’s dark red pour, pinkish head, nice mixing of the cab flavor and the beer. Tasty. -------- this at the ’03 Strong Ale Fest at Pizza Port Amber pour with a large head. The flavor had some citrus undernotes with definite wine influences. Very well crafted, no hint of alcohol

hazy orange-bronz glowing with smidgens of red..big peachy-tan head..delightfully creamy aroma with white grapes, must, and a mist of chocolate fumes..low carbination..subtle grapey sweetness, clean and maybe even a bit cakey...a tad sour with some white chocolate sprinkled grapes..clean, lightly chocolatey...and pretty cool yo'

Medium orange color. VERY large white foamy head. Aroma is malty and orange, touch of wine like tartness. A medium bodied strong ale. Malts are fruity and somewhat sweet. Grapey would be a good description. Sweet without being overly sweet. Well balanced. Very smooth. This would make a good session beer if it weren’t 8%, as there is no trace of alcohol. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and crisp. Aftertaste is slightly sweet with a touch of tartness.

On draught at O’Brien’s in San Diego. This beer pours a deep reddish-purple color with a medium thin and fizzy pinkish head that burns away steadily. Spotty lacing on the chalice. Vinous aroma with notes of sweet malt in the background. Medium, dry body with tart cabernet grape and malt flavors, along with a bit of spice. The finish is fruity with a lingering fermented grape aftertaste. Interesting and pretty enjoyable overall.