North Coast Brother Thelonious

750ml bottle served into a snifter. Pour is deep ruby with a fluffy caramel colored head. Aromas of roasted malts, caramel, toffee, and chocolate. Flavor is rich and full with rasins, chocolate, sweet fruits, and caramel. This is the perfect after dinner brew to sip on.

I’m not sure of what to think of this stuff... it comes across very in my face and oversweet immediately. Poured out a nice tan head of noteworthy size but it survives by a ring only. The beer is sort of near to a mahogany and very clear. The aroma is very sweet with a huge fruit presence - cherry, raisins, wood, vodka-like alcohol nose, caramel (tons of malt) - tons of aroma but nothing that really grabs my bag. The taste is quite malty and totally lacks any obvious yeast. The taste is quite similar to the aroma except the aroma seems more on the caramel side. There are more... K, I just let it sit a further 30 minutes and here’s what I can add: the aroma becomes more refined but keeps more of a vermouth smell, the taste has also improved making this a malt bomb with good fruit, mild candy, the spice has mellowed significantly but there is still notable alcohol which isn’t that bad but it does not mix well with this burnt sugar taste. Nears full bodied, thick feeling on the mouth, smooth otherwise, very fine carbonation but I’m still on the fence with the type of bitterness I’m getting. It doesn’t last long though. Odd, this beer is completely chuggable now. I guess I like this more than I thought. I put Rime of the Ancient Mariner on permanent repeat while consuming this. Up the irons!

500ml bottle (Systembolaget, Stockholm) - joint venture with Mirjukka - thanks!
Deep brown, fizzy head. Gluey alcohol aroma, toffee too. Pleasant carbonation, but a bit fizzy. Toffee taste too, some glue, some alcohol. Spicing is non-descript and stale. Messed up and mucky.

355ml bottle on a lazy Saturday afternoon at Naboen in Bergen. Very nice appearance with a deep red-brown coloured body supported by a modest, but lasting, off-white head. Aroma of dark and dried fruits with emphasis on raisin. Comprehensive taste of malty and candy sweetness partly offset by spiced hops, yeast and a satisfying bitter twist to the finish. Heat from the alcohol. Pleasing stuff (20.06.2009).

Nice dark brown pour with a bubbly cream-colored head that fades rather quickly, leaving a thin layer. Aroma is extremely malty with some caramel, dried cherries, and a pretty sturdy alcoholic base. Lots of malts and brown sugar on the tongue. Palate is a tad too alcoholic. Good scores in each individual category, but overall I’m not extremely impressed.

When poured, is a rich dark brown with a almost yellowish head. Absolutely beautiful. The beginning aroma is one of apricots and alcohol, certainly a new one on me. The taste is strong, one of various dried fruits, raisins, apricots, Aftertaste is of brown sugar and alcohol (not surprising, considering the 9.4%). The beer retains great head, which is sticky and remains on the side of the glass. North Coast has done a great job basing a beer on my musical hero, my personal favorite, and also a portion of the proceeds go to a charity for children’s jazz programs. The world needs more jazz, just like it needs more great beer like this.

bottle 355ml EXP 31/12/2009 from Systembolaget shared. Amber color sweet dried fruits plumes raisins sugar again malty. Alcohol can’t hide at all. Sticky aftertaste. Disappointment for me after six months waiting from purchase. Please Americans do your own style beers and let Belgians do their own styles.

Dark, muddy brown with a generous tan head and good retention and lacing. Apricot, fig, cherry and grape up front on the nose, with brown sugar coming through as well. Flavors are similar, featuring a strong malt sweetness and a sourness as well. Full bodied, generous caronation and a very pleasant malt-dominated aftertaste.