jhumphries69 (718), Tyrone, Georgia, USA Feb 7, 2008 12oz bottle. Pours vividly clear with a nice red color: burnt umber with ruby highlights. It pours with a medium-sized, light tan head that doesn’t last too long and doesn’t leave much lace on the glass. The aroma is very malt-focused: sticky, sweet barley malt with some notes of roasted grain and dark toast. There is also a fruity hop tinge to the aroma that, combined with the malts, is reminiscent of fruitcake. There is also a note of ethanol in the smell. The flavor starts with an interesting combination of bitter, earthy, and fruity hop notes along with sweet crystal malts and some roast/toast. By the middle of the tongue, the bitter sweet combination of spicy hops and sweet malts reaches a crescendo - and bitter ethanol adds to the complexity of the flavor. The flavor of alcohol isn’t well-hidden, but at the same time it isn’t rough or hot - it complements the beer nicely. The finish is sweet with alcohol and hop bitterness and notes of dark fruit. The mouthfeel is quite lively - tingly carbon dioxide tickles the palate. The body is medium-full. Overall, a nice strong ale.
thirdeye11 (416), Texas, USA Nov 1, 2009 (draught at Fillmore pub in Plano, tx) pours deep reddish orange brown with creamy head that sticks around forever. Nose of burnt caramel, light hops and some sweet malt. Taste more of the burnt/toasted bread and caramel. Also creamy and finishes with some spicy hops. Alcohol pretty present here too. Nice but very big and alcoholic. beernovice39 (244), South Carolina, USA Oct 18, 2009 Thick red pour tannish white head. Seems very close to a barley wine. i like the hops taste but then the booze follows and kills it for me. GJF (480), Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA Oct 12, 2009 Lovely beer. Pours a deep ruby with a thick white head. Generally sweet with dark fruits and carmel followed by roasted finish with an bracing alcohol warmth. Finish really lasts. Gr0ve (1382), Oslo, Norway Sep 22, 2009 12 fl. oz. bottle. Dark reddish brown. Medium-sized light beige creamy head. Bold caramelly aroma with burnt characteristics (sic). Smooth texture. Raisins, and with a bold maltiness that is only found in American ales. Chocolate and toffee. Delicious! Great balance. ross (1709), weddington, South Carolina, USA Sep 21, 2009 Bottle. Pours out a reddish brown color without much of a head on it. Smell is very hoppy and sweet smelling, full of malts; similar to a barley wine. Taste is sweet and hoppy. Some grass and pine in the taste, but not over powering. No alcohol burn. Really solid easy to drink beer. I would drink this again Fratto (670), Arlington, Texas, USA Sep 20, 2009 Bottle from the Fort Worth Saucer. Really sweet. I’m pretty fond of it, but I’m not quite sure why? bigguns22 (88), Maryland, USA Sep 2, 2009 The first time I had this I did not like it.I let one sit in fridge for about 7 mos. and revisited loved it go figure.Poor with a thick creamy head.Flavor sweet,caramel and molasses with a light touch citrus maybe grapefruit overall good beer. nickd717 (1276), Palo Alto, California, USA Aug 22, 2009 Bottle. Clear reddish-brown color with a small off-white head. Aroma is caramel malt, brown sugar, and floral hops. Taste is like a barleywine and not to different from Brown Shugga, with brown sugar, sweet caramel malt, mild spices, and some floral/resinous hops. Very sweet overall. Palate smooth and syrupy with fairly low carbonation. Pretty good overall.
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