 RCL (855), Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Apr 19, 2008
Dark amber color and a super persistent head. Distinct aroma of caramel. Sticky sugary sweet fruit flavors but just enough hops to keep it from being cloying. Very nice.
el_caballo (85), Beverly Hills, California, USA
May 8, 2008 Updated: May 10, 2008Wow, outstanding, I can’t wait to pick up another bottle to age. The intial aroma on this was sour, much more sour than i expected and the flavor had almost no sourness to it, the ultimate sweetness of the beer revealed itself in the next wiff. The palate is perfect, avoiding the stickyness i find in many barly wines. I can’t say Ill be drinking this often cause I am not huge on barly wines, but this was great, the thick white head was beautiful. A bit more bitterness to balance out the sweetness would have made this near perfect, but overall I am thrilled by this beer
couchand (105), West Amana, Iowa, USA
May 7, 2008 Hazy mahogany, some amber head.
Big malty nose with caramel and strong roast character. Slight alcoholic aroma and very estery.
Very sharp alcohol flavor, some sweetness, light caramel, some higher alcohols (though not too many), and some esters. Probably more estery than I think, but the alcohol masks them.
Light and playful, but somewhat thick, palate, perhaps because it is hardly carbonated.
carruthm (89), USA
May 6, 2008 small white head with a little bit of lacing. clear burnt-orange pour.
very smooth flavor. touch of alcohol noticeable. dark fruits evident. little bit of black licorice or anise.
Ughsmash (2608), Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
May 2, 2008 Bottled, Batch 61. Poured a lovely shade of medium honeyed raspberry golden with a substantial cap of fluffy beige head. The aroma was very nicely layered with medium-skinned fruits, bready notes, and rich caramel upfront, spicy rye and white pepper close behind, and a warm, alcohol-amplified smattering of hop influence rounding out the back (pine, citrus, floral, and earthy notes all make an appearance). The flavor was centered around honey, caramel, and bready notes with rising rye and black pepper toward the back (left a grainy, memorable impression on the warm finish).. moderate citrus and perfumey bitterness also hit back there.. tasty and well-balanced. Heavier-bodied on the palate with creamy carbonation cascading the brew through the mouth.. fine bubbles popped as it rolled along, just coating every square inch with flavor.. one of the best mouthfeels I’ve encountered. This was an awesome beer!
Guerde (373), Welcome, Minnesota, USA
Apr 30, 2008 (bottle, batch 62) Pours out a hazy reddish amber with a towering white head that never fully dissipates and leaves nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is initially somewhat floral and fruity, but as the beer warms, the rye malt really asserts itself, and creates a strong bready scent. There is also some pepper at this point, along with some light oxidation, and a substantial amount of citrus as well. This is quite complex. Taste is sweet caramel, candi sugar, which yields to a fruity (pineapple, tangerine) and spicy hop finish that lingers quite nicely, even though this beer is aged. The mouthfeel and carbonation is spot on. A really good beer from HOTD, and it could definitely age even longer.
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