3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20Bottle on Amtrak Train 27 - The Empire Builder ( from Binny’s South Loop) - 05/11/12.
Slightly obscured amber/seville orange with a decent off white head that soon thins.
Nose comprises yeast, toffee, dates, prunes, orchard fruits.
Tastes of dark toffee, caramalised sugars, apple tones, raisens, prunes, toffee apple, touch of spice. The alcohol is well disguised.
Fuller end of medium bodied with soft carbonation leading to a sweet fruity finish.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
22 ounce bottle
This release was on my radar as soon as I saw it on the shelves. I have a couple of others to drink very soon as well. Writing up this review makes me want to crack one open right now. Hoppin’ Frog is still hitting it out of the park though this is not quite as good as Naked Evil.
Aroma / Appearance - The ruby red base is rich with virtually no carbonation or head except the occasional trickle. Candi sugar, English malts, and cotton candy are almost like a carnival in a bottle. The base is thick as if tea grounds were left too long in the mug. Thick, boozy, and strong, it lives up to expectations.
Flavor / Palate - Southern style iced tea with a generous amount of candi sugar and yeast sweetens the palate. The body is heavy yet surprisingly not overly boozy. It might be full and robust but not over the top. One drawback is that it does get to be cloying after a sip or two. However this is true of most aged barleywines. Buy a bottle now and one to open in two years’ time.
2.4 AROMA 5/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 5/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 9/20
22 oz. bottle, sent from jmikolich (thanks a lot, Jim), pours a clear amber / copper with a small beige head. Aroma is very sweet, full of sweet green apples above anything, some candied sugar and a bit of Belgian yeast. Flavour brings out sweet candied apples, loads of caramel, candied sugar, and Belgian yeast. On the border of being cloyingly sweet. Dominated by the green apples, seeming like a bit of an amateur attempt here. Doesn’t hold a candle to the BA version.
4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20
Beautiful crystal clear deep amber pour from a 22oz bomber. Slight off white head. Viscous and thick, you can tell this is high gravity goodness. Malty nose - on the sweet side for sure, but also a few pepper notes and big juicy fruit. Very nice!
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
22 oz. bottle via trade with fatknitty - Pours a clear copper color with a thin off white head. very light lacing. Light carbonation. Aroma is toasted malt and light perfume. Flavor is sweet toasted malt and esters. Finish is sweet, almost cloying. Medium to full body. A nice beer. Thanks Joe.
3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 12/20
Bomber. Poured clear, brilliant lighter orange with a short-lived yellowy-beige head. The aroma picked up a bouquet of tart, lighter fruits (apricot, mango, and golden raisins come to mind) with sweet caramel support.. peppery spice and alcohol warmth accented.. it didn’t quite make sense to me (or strike me as enticing). The flavor found tart fruit skins and peppery alcohol on the tip of the tongue, with cloyingly-sweet fruits, caramel and lesser molasses following.. sweet fruits, biscuity notes, and tangy fruit skins on the dense finish. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation on the palate.. way too sweet for me, and the tangy and spicy elements didn’t cut through well enough.. this was kind of a mess.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle, pours a medium brown, aroma is of dark fruits, flavour is very sweet and could use some age. overall, it was pretty tasty tho
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 15/20
Poured from a 22 ounce bottle. The pour is fairly dark brown, but has good translucency and just a thin head of white foam. The aroma has a caramel apple thing going on that I really enjoy. The taste is sweet caramel and dark fruits and some apple. Pretty good despite its current ratings.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
22oz bottle, purchased at Antioch Fine Wine and Spirits. Pours a clear, reddish brown color with little to no head. Aroma is fruity, black cherry, a little nutty. Heavy on the palate with soft carbonation. Flavor is sweet, holy lord is this sweet, some caramel, raisin, brown sugar, toffee, with a sweet toffee finish. Too sweet.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Bottle - courtesy of GandGKevin. Thanks! Dark amber pour with a short, gold head. Aroma is overly sweet and fruity with ripe tropical fruit notes, soft hops, light citrus, booze, soft yeast notes, sweet malt and caramel. Taste is abundantly sweet. Lots of sweet malt, caramel, brown sugar, over-ripe fruits, booze, soft yeast and soft floral hops. Body is medium and slightly syrupy with a soft carbonation and moderate warmth. Lots of stickiness to this as well. Finishes with more booze, caramel, brown sugar, sweet malts, ripe fruits, flowery notes, light yeast and fruit cake. Very sweet beer. This might be a diabetics nightmare!
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