Rastacouere (5409), Montréal, Quebec, Canada May 4, 2008 Objectively speaking:
A beefy anniversary ale that adopts the bigger is better philosophy and fortunately fails at it.
I like:
Firm rich mouthfeel, albeit a bit loose. Fair fit between the strong brown ale like malt base (roasted caramel, chocolate, vague fruits, almond, stouty...) and the herbal, leafy concluding hops. Well concealed alcohol - quite impressed with that. Soft smokey whispers. By far my favourite from the Hebrew line. Sweetness kept under control.
I dislike:
Almost headless. The whole gimmicky obsession with number 11. Not as complex as its recipe. Hops lacking in aromatic definition.
GRM (872), Aylmer, Quebec, Canada Oct 10, 2008 Brown bottle, 1 pint 6 ounces, purchased at Beers of the world (Rochester) on August 16 2008 via Karl Probst, savoured on October 10 2008; eye: dark brown with burgundy reflections, beige head that turns into a tiny ring, a bit of lacing; nose: molasses, liquorice, roasted malt, light fruity, caramel present throughout, finale in molasses with an enjoyable presence of hops, alcohol is well hidden, mildly bitter, lightly sweet, full body, syrupy texture, not much carbonation; overall: quite likable
FRANÇAIS
Bouteille brune, 1 pinte 6 onces, achetée chez Beers of the world (Rochester) via Karl Probst le 16 août 2008, savourée le 10 octobre 2008; œil : brune foncée avec des reflets bourgogne, mousse beige qui se transforme en un petit anneau, un peu de dentelle; nez : mélasse, réglisse, malt rôti, léger houblon, chocolat, pin, cassonade fondue; bouche : mélasse, pin, houblon résineux, malt rôti, léger fruité, caramel présente tout au long de la gorgée, finale en mélasse avec une agréable présence de houblon, alcool est bien dissimulé, moyennement amère, légèrement sucrée, corsée, texture sirupeuse, peu carbonatée; en résumé : bien aimé blutt59 (796), Dallas, Texas, USA Oct 2, 2008 bottle, dark amber color, head is thin and soapy, slight lace, nose is nice chocolate and plum, flavor is raisin, coffee, chocolate and some spices, finish is dry cocoa DougShoemaker (2614), Toronto, Ontario, Canada Oct 1, 2008 Fine roast coffee aroma, a bit of cocoa powder seems to be here too, deepest brown, red at the edges, small, lasting tan head. Flavour is roast mocha, with some hints of pitfruit. Medium bodied, very well balanced, beatifully bitter.
L’Chaim!
ChainGangGuy (1602), Kennesaw, Georgia, USA Sep 28, 2008 Appearance: Pours a dark brown, near black body with some ruby-tinted edges when held aloft to the light. Topped with a two inch, beige-colored head.
Smell: Initially roast, toasted dark bread, and charred walnuts. Then some chocolate and sweet-smelling fruits. Then some pine sap, grapefruit, and fresh wood bark.
Taste: Roast, dark malts and a taste of toast coasted in honey and dark caramel. Flecks of milk chocolate-covered nuts and coffee follow. Then some sugar-sauteed dark fruitiness that also lends some tartness to the taste. Slight bready, multi-grain rye character. Warming throughout. Piney, woody, fruity citrus hops flavors with a moderate bitterness. The initial sips finish bittersweet, but the cumulative hoppiness finally gets things ending with a dry bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Somewhat chewy mouthfeel.
Drinkability: A rather powerful brew, but very tasty and rather enjoyable. There’s alot going on there, tons of complexities. It’s something to keep a close eye on... patrick767 (1449), fort wayne, Indiana, USA Sep 25, 2008 bottle at Ft Wayne locals tasting - Pours dark brown with a thin, lingering tan head. It smells of sweet roast malt and a little alcohol. The flavor is of roast coffee accented malt with a good balance of moderately strong hops. It’s full bodied and lightly carbonated with a roasty, rather bitter finish. Nice.
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