3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draft 1Q 2010. Pours hazy deep coppery ruby with off-white head. Nose is fruity, dusty estery, with some rock sugary malt, funk, hops, brown sugar, spice. Tastes rich, with good compexity and a noce balance. Well made and very good.
3.4 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
On tap at Otto’s. Pours a deep, purple hinted amber body with a thin, creamy, tannish head that dissipates quickly and leaves a light lacing. Aroma is blackberry, a light earth, Belgian yeast, and a light, but sweeter caramel. Flavor is similar. Sweet caramels with a touch of bread with a subtle blackberry, more earth, and a nice Belgian yeastiness with a light, estery fruitiness. Finishes fairly dry with a light, earthy bitterness and some yeast that leaves a fruity, somewhat musky aftertaste with a medium length duration. Light body with a touch of carbonation. Overall, a nice beer. The blackberry is clearly present, but remains fairly subtle because there’s enough of everything else to balance. Not the most complex, but pleasant all-around. Not bad.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
On tap at Otto’s. Pours a really nice looking blush and pale currant juice red, with a solid haze and a fringe in rose. Aroma is subtle and low, with a bit of lingering Belgian yeast phenols and some alcohol. Not much. Flavors are more potent. At first, a dry, acerbic alcohol brings some light fruit and a touch more yeast. Despite the intended blend of flavors, there’s not an overwhelming level of complexity to the beer. I’d don’t think anyone could blindly name the fruit added to the beer. By the time this beer warms up, it develops a coarse, grating yeast profile that reminds me, unfortunately, of all of Otto’s previous attempts at high gravity Belgian styles. At least it isn’t overbearingly sweet.
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