North Coast Brother Thelonious

25 oz bottle, via several traders. Pours a clear reddish tinted amber under a fizzy long lasting beige head. Lots of visible carbonation retained the head for the duration. The nose is strong, malty, fruity, with a noticable alcohol content. The more it warms the more the fruitiness and yeast character emerges. The flavor is heavily malty with a nice contribution of flavors from the yeast. Lots of dark fruits and figs, heavy caramel, some candi sugar, moderate alcohol. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly thick texture and moderate fizzy carbonation. Overall, decent and drinkable, I pretty well liked it.

750 ml bottle. Dark reddish brown. Clear. Light beige small head. Peppery aroma with a bold background of rich malts. Lots of münchenermalts. Smooth texture with lots of malts. Nutty, malty and sweet. Notes of alcohol as the beer is clearly potent. Alcohol aftertaste that is long-lasting. Plummy araoma. Neutral hops. Carbonation balances the warmth.

Semi-clear garnet with luscious head, lacing. Slightly sour, fruity nose. Berry but also tropical fruits. Flavors include caramelized sweet potato, sour cherry, currant. Slightly tart and slightly sweet. Palate is oily and HEAVY. Slow-going shit. Interesting beer but not one that could be a daily bread. Too heavy and cloying and prone to triggering monologues and depression.

Bottle, St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco, 18th Feb 2008. Pours a deep ruby colour with a diminishing head. You can tell instantly from the aroma that it is a Belgian style beer - lots of rich dark fruit and malt. As you’d expect, the taste is fruity and sweet but with a nice tangy finish. The mouthfeel is firm with the alcohol well hidden. This isn’t going to give any of the Belgian breweries sleepless nights, but it’s not bad either.

Bottle-Memphis. Beautiful auburn brown pour with a tan head. Aroma of toffee and butterscotch. Smooth palate with silky caramel and faint hint of chocolate.

ruby amber color, decent beige head that is gone in a flash, caremel molasses nose maybe some alcohol and a touch ??? maybe a little hops. When you get the flavor its big vanilla, some dried fruit, and some burnt caremel. nice finish good beer

750 ml. corked bottle, didn’t have the proper glasswear, must be filtered (no sediment), almost no head. Has some of the stereotypical American pring when compared to true Belgian beers, but is more similar to them than others I’ve tried. Doesn’t stand out as truly divine, but doesn’t have any big negatives either. The 9% alcohol isn’t overpowering. The is one of the best American made ’Belgian style" beers I’ve had, and it gets a bump overall for the label and support of jazz education.

Bottle @ Burgers and Brew in Davis. This one reminded me of La Terrible from Unibroue. It was sweet and malty with a noticeable alcohol content. Overall, an excellently made Belgian Strong.