Mayfield Iconoclast Aurora

Brewed by Mayfield Brewing Company
Style: Altbier
Belmont, California USA

Serve in Kölsch/Altbier

Bottle #27 of 216. I acquired back when these were first released (I think in either late 2008 or early 2009). Pour is caramel-colored, with only a little head. Aroma is old grain / caramel malt (shows some age) and some light lemon / acidity. Flavor is actually more lemony than anything else; I assume from the oak and aging. The body is a little thin, and it was probably a mistake to wait so long to drink this.

7/24/09. 750mL bottle, courtesy of joet, #40/220. Clear honey golden with small off-white head, low retention. Aroma of light tangy red wine and some toasted malts. Flavor has stronger tangy wine and lemon, some pale malts, bitterness at a 2 and acidity at a 3. Faint carbonation, light body. Strange, but not bad.

Corked and "double-dipped" 750. Pours a hazy tan-copper with a thin ring of coarse lacing. Light applesauce and honey aroma Dry musty light malts with the wood notes coming though but lightly. Light bodied and lively carbonation Faint sweetness on the trailer. Very pleasent but not necessarily memorable.

On tap at Rose & Crown on Mayfield Brewing night. Large pour for $7, which as I stated in my other Mayfield reviews is a HUGE discount compared to the astronomical price of bottles of this beer. Pours a mostly clear amber color with a small white head and some good lacing. Aroma is caramel malt, apple, wood, and light fruits. A bit of white wine detectable. The description says it was aged in red wine barrels, but I have a hard time believing that. Some floral notes as well. The smell of this is interesting, but whether it smells "good" is another story. For me the jury’s still out on that one. Flavor is woody and mildly vinous, a little oxidized. This beer may have been a little too light to hold up to -bal aging like this, and it seems almost a bit stale because of it. Still it’s not at all bad. I got caramel malt, apple juice, pear, vanilla, spices, and very subtle floral hops. Medium-light body, average carbonation. Fairly dry on the palate. Drinkable if nothing else. WAY too expensive at $43/bottle. I’m not sure where that price point came from, but it’s completely absurd. I wouldn’t recommend shelling out that much for it, but if you can ever get it for a reasonable price on tap (which I don’t think happens very often), it’s worth a try.