 grant (760), Martinez, California, USA
Jul 3, 2005
My second Drake’s beer, and I continue to be impressed. This and their IPA both have phenomenal malt character, particularly in the aroma. I’m not sure what this beer is, but I really like it. It’s a very dark brown but is hopped like an IPA. Aroma is lightly doughy with molasses and some bourbon notes. Smells very woody, slightly floral and with a very rich freshly-baked dessert bread (raisin nut bread?) character. Starts off with a round mouthful of the wonderful base maltiness hinted at in the aroma, followed by a slightly charred sensation from the darker malts (roasted barley? darker crystal malts?) Hop flavors blend in very smoothly, consisting mainly of piney and apricot/peach notes. Nice body which coats the tongue well on the finish. My only complaint about this beer is that the sharpness of the dark malts and hop bitterness combine to make the finish very dry, but well, that’s just what you’re going to get when you make a beer like this.
Ofortuna (307), Grafton, Wisconsin, USA
Aug 15, 2008 Many thanks to Ughsmash for the bottle! I completely agree with your review in that it hardly fits an amber style.
Anyway, yeow! Great amount of kettle caramelization which I’m a whore for. Gorgeous head retention. Thick lucious mouthfeel. How is this only rated at a 3.7? I’m guessing if this wasn’t called an amber that it’d be rated higher. Reminded me alot of Bells third coast old ale with that burnt malt taste. Hops were a bit odd and really stood aside the malt backbone. You think IPA in hop bitterness and then think old ale with the caramelization. Odd, but very tasty!
doubleo (751), San Diego, California, USA
Aug 13, 2008 12oz bottle, won at a poker game. What a surprise! Great brew. Pours clearish dark brown with red highlights. Thin, crisp, offwhite head. Smells slightly malty with a nice, sweet, fruit hoppy nose. Tastes sweet and slight grassy hoppy. Red fruitsweetness with a good balance of caramel malt flavor as well. Medium body, good carbonation.
Nik925 (127), California, USA
Aug 6, 2008 Awesome front taste of overmalt and overhop somehow balanced. Mellows to slightly overmalt taste overhop aftertaste. Pretty good, but a little bit too under fermented ( = to much syrup texture).
dmac (848), Toms River, New Jersey, USA
Jul 18, 2008 12 oz bottle from Padrefan98, thanks buddy. Pours a deep dark red with a very large creamy on top but foamy on the sides off white/light beige head. Aroma started with a big hit of citrus hops, then the chocolate malts start to kick in followed by a slight hint of smokiness. Medium bodied with aggresive carbonation a very full mouthfeel and a bitter finish. Flavor of chocolate and burnt malts, citrus from the hops and touch of smoke. Really good stuff. This is like a stepbrother of Arrogant Bastard or at the very least a cousin.
hopscotch (4477), Vero Beach, Florida, USA
Jul 13, 2008 Bottle... Very dark ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. When held up to light, it’s mostly clear and is the beautiful color of an extremely ripe cherry tomato. Good retention. The aroma offers up a lot of earthy black tea along with tropical fruit, dark fruit (maybe fig), a touch of chocolate and a smidge of caramel. Full-bodied and fatty with laid-back carbonation. Hearty caramel and chocolate malts are overpowered by a heavy hand of earthy, herbal, tannic hop bitterness. Lengthy, sweet, but then heavily bitter finish that soothes the middle and sides of the tongue for five minutes after each pull from the glass.
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