Jasper Murdocks Whistling Pig Red Ale

Brewed by Jasper Murdocks Alehouse
Style: Irish Ale
Norwich, Vermont USA

Serve in English pint

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22oz bottle picked up at the brewpub in Norwich, VT. Pours a murky, deep amber colored body with a thin, beige head that dissipates quickly and leaves a moderate lacing. Aroma is caramel with a light sweetness, some toast, and a somewhat dry earthy hop backing with some fruit notes. Flavor is similar. Lightly sweetened caramels with a touch of bread alongside a dry, toasty, earthy, light bitterness. Finishes with some fruit notes before leaving a medium length aftertaste. Medium-light, smooth body and a light-medium carbonation. Overall, this isn’t bad at all, but its fairly boring. Dry and easy drinking with a light caramel, toast, and earth. Eh...

On draft at the brew pub. Amber in color with a light red hue. Light white head. Not much on the nose. Light hops maybe a little caramel. Malty red ale taste.

On tap at the Norwich Inn Pours a deep brown with ruby highlights and thinnish off white head that says goodbye after the first sip. Smells of toffee and caramel with some earthy bitterness that barely cuts through the sweetness. Slightly fruity esters add a touch of complexity to the aroma. Taste is sweet and malty with toffee and caramel mixed with a hint of mineral water and earthy hops. Surprisingly dry finish for the medium bodied ale. Moderate carbonation level with a sweet sticky mouthfeel. Of the 4 I had at the Norwich this was probably my least favorite. It’s an ok English style ale but not really to my liking.

Bottle thanks to Jcwattsrugger. Pours reddish amber. Nose/taste of sweet malt, gummy bears, hops and resin. Very short dry finish. Medium body.

on tap-pours a thin light tan head and dark amber color. Aroma is fruit/slight floral, medium malt-slight caramel. Taste is fruit/slight floral, medium malt-slight caramel, 2nd herbal/tea hop bite. Drying finish.

Bottle; poured an amber color. Aroma of red and sweet malt, earth, bread and caramel. Flavor was basically the same; a bit on the sweet side; but solid.

More chestnut, even brown, than red. Clear body, good foam head, vanishes with very little lace. Taste is malts, maybe some hops, but principal sensation is a bone dry ale. I’ve come to demand more from my alcohol and from my empty calories. The rest of this bottle is for cooking.

In short: A basic toasted and moderately sweet dark beer with nothing standing out
How: Tap at brewpub
The look: Clear dark amber body topped by an off-white head
In long: Shy and basic toasted nose. Taste of dry fudge, toasted bread, brown sugar and some fruity notes. Sensation of a dry toasted fruit cake. Subtle hops presence with some dry orange peels. Overall rather dry. Could pass as an Irish Ale. But that’s just mixing two boring styles together, like the tv reality show “America’s Accountant”.

En fût. Pinte dégustée directement à la brasserie. Arôme: Odeur de caramel avec une pointe de noix. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel et de cérérales grillées avec une pointe d’houblon. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture huileuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement houblonné. (Rating #1683)

UPDATED: MAY 20, 2008 My Bottom Line:
Tepid toasted malt and its subtly baccate caramel brethren lead to a leafy supporting hop bitterness. This is another well-malted Jasper Murdock ale, yet is does not shine in the brewery’s lineup.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam lingers atop the copper-tinged burgundy.
-An earthen dryness seems to be concealing a mineral character.
-Carbonation is active and a little frothy at first.
-This remains a relatively well-done version of a boring style, but it is not interesting enough for me to have more than a pint.

From the bottle and on tap at the brewpub .