Otter Creek Otteroo

17-Jul-08 (22-oz bottle: Obtained 11-Jan-08 in trade with jjpm74, thanks John!) Expecting a typical pale-colored and easy drinking beer, Otteroo is unexpectedly malty, toasty, earthy and fruity with mild hop flavor and bitterness plus a touch of butteriness. The almost chocolaty earthiness suggests accelerated aging has occurred -- very tasty! The nose is earthy, toasty and somewhat chocolaty, but offers no hop aroma. Again, the impression of a wonderfully cellared beer. Medium-bodied, soft carbonation, smooth and silky on the palate. Golden-amber and slightly hazy with the half-inch of off-white head settling back to a wide ring. Not sure how this beer tasted when fresh, but after six months of personal cellaring, it in no way comes across like an Aussie Sparkling Ale. Very enjoyable.

Courtesy of CigarCityBrew. Pours clear gold with thin off white head. The aroma is sweet crystal malts, light dark fruity esters, musty prunes, over ripe watered down orange wedge and some sweet tart candy. The taste starts nice and refreshing with some orange like citrus tartness that moves toward lemon. I get an under current of mild sugar sweetness and malt sweetness. The flavor notes pull the experience in two different directions and don’t really get along too well.

Good lord, i feel bad for the folks down under if this is supposed to represent a style of their brew. Slightly sweet, the aftertaste made this undrinkable, hard to explain what it was...soapy, metallic, ack, this whole bomber went down the drain.

Bottle. Pours golden orange with a beige head. Sweet aroma, with caremel, floral hops, and grass. Medium body. Flavor has caramel/honey and grassy/floral hops. Actually pretty good.

Bottle, courtesy CigarCityBrew. Pours a dark copper yellow color, not a lot of head, and thick white lacing. Sticky wheat malts in the nose, straw, some vanilla. Basic. Pretty decent maltiness in the flavor, some apricot, bottomed out hops, interesting dry finish. Carbonated mouthfeel, drinkable.