Lightning Old Tempest Ale

Brewed by Lightning Brewery
Style: Old Ale
Poway, California USA

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Bottle. Pours a rather hazy amber color with almost no head and quite a few floaties in it. Nose seems a little sweet with a hint of citrus, actually, and reminds me a lot of a tripel. Taste is also slightly sweet and is exactly what you’d think of from the smell. Not a fan of this one.

Hazy orangey copper pour with a thin eggy head. Bright malty nose. Sweet smooth body. Very Clean. notes of banana. Fruity, layered thoughout, not overly spiced or overly boozy. well done.

The aroma is of sweet malts, banana, & alcohol. The flavor has bananas, carmel malts, hops, and alcohol. The palate is hit good. The finish is of very slight carbonation and a has a minimal dryness. This wasn’t a bad drink but it didnt impress me.

My bottle says Old Tempestuous Ale. Big boozy and malty but not overly alcohol hot. Reminds me of a Barley Wine. Glad tried it but wouldn’t buy again at $9.99 for a bopper.

On tap. Pours with a clear bronze hued body with a small off-white head. Aromas are fruity, molasses, dried fruits, dates, caramel, toffee. Rich smelling. Vanilla custard. Low isoamyl acetate. Flavors are sweet, banana bread, vanilla. Soft but noticeable bitterness. Fruity esters and some maple notes. Thicker bodied, slightly syrupy. Low carbonation with a well hidden ABV.

Craft Brewers Conference 2012
Dark brown in color, clear with a thin head. Big Malt and lots of alcohol aroma. This is a big Winter ale flavor. Nice dry finish this was a very tasty brew.

Bottle - called Old Tempestuous Ale. Murky copper with a tall, fluffy tan head. Aroma is sweet and fruity with candied banana notes, booze, caramel, malt and soft hops. Taste is candied banana, sweet malt, caramel, ripe fruit, faint toffee, soft hops and booze. Body is medium with a soft, bubbly carbonation and mild warmth. Ends with candied fruit, banana liqueur, caramel, sweet malt and soft hop notes.

Banana and caramel aromas. Banana and caramel flavors. Overall a pretty decent old ale.

22 oz bottle poured into an imperial pint glass. Pours a slightly cloudy orange/amber with nearly no head at all. Smells of apricots, oranges, some floral hops, woodiness, and stone fruit. The fruits come in the flavor first, followed by some sweetness, followed by the woodiness, floral and grassiness. Ends with a fair amount of bitterness followed by some alcohol warmth. Good level of carbonation and a nice lingering aftertaste. Just a tad watery. Good beer.

22oz bottle from John’s Grocery in Iowa City, IA. Pours a cloudy, orange-amber colored body with a thin, frothy, light tan head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing throughout. Aroma is pretty sweet and fruity. A good amount of apricots, apple sauce, raisin, pear, dates, and orange making up the fruits. Some caramel and toffee to the malts as well as some slightly chewy crystal. A hint of earth and some florals come out more as this warms. Flavor is similar with the hops coming out a bit more. Still pretty malty sweet with lots of fruit throughout. Toffee, caramel, a bit of a brown sugar with some chewy crystal again. Fruits seem to lean a bit more towards the pitted dates and raisins, but there is still some dried apricots, oranges, and apple. A few florals come in at the end with the earthy hops that help balance the sweetness and slowly dry this. Still pretty sweet and fruity in the finish, but the hops are there. A bit of an alcohol warmth in a fairly lengthy aftertaste. Medium-full, smooth, slightly chewy body and a soft, light-moderate carbonation. Overall, not the most complex old ale, but I found this pretty enjoyable. Fairly sweet and fruity, but not cloying and well balanced with enough hops that come out at the end. Nice one.