4.3 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 17/20 kramer (3376) - Sunbury, Pennsylvania, USA - MAR 22, 2008
12 oz handbottle, via Dickinsonbeer. Pours a very dark brown body under a nice foamy tight bubbled head that slowly receded to a foamy ring. Much darked than I expected. The nose is huge, heavy, Weizenbock like with earthy wet hay. Notes of yeast, vanilla, dark fruits, an odd herbal note, and surprisingly, no alcohol. The flavor is a great combo of heavy wheat, slight coffee, light black strap molassas, a little vanilla, lots of yeast influence, and minimal alcohol. Mouthfeel is full bodied and well rounded with a rich velvety texture and nice minimal soft carbonation. This was a great beer, I compare it in my mind to the BA Livery Wheat Tripplebock, and this blows it away! I hope that they never put this in a Bourbon barrell!
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20 decaturstevo (3387) - decatur, Tennessee, USA - MAR 19, 2008
Handbottle courtesy mgumby10. Deep brown pour with no head. Semi sour aroma of malt and light coffee. Sweet flavor of toasted malt. ABV is covered very well. Very caramelly flavored brew. Thick full bodided beer that has good mouthfeel and carbonation. Solid all round beer that is full dodied full flavored with a toasty nice bitter finish.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20 kmweaver (3025) - Santa Rosa, California, USA - MAR 14, 2008
12oz handbottle, courtesy of BrianK. Thanks, Brian! Pours a dark cola-brown color; medium tan head with fine-bubbled lacing. Lots of candy sugar, cotton candy, caramel, and a touch of overripe fruits (or corn?) in the aroma; sweet and generous. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: somewhat light carbonation; dense, chewy candy sugar and overripe red fruits; some banana and cloves and solid esters coming through; the winter wheat underneath definitely shows through; a solid, chewy Belgian-infused eisbock. A lot of flavor here, but still seemingly a bit messy; alcohol remains very well-hidden. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: bread, Belgian sugar, bananas, and a touch of clove.
3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20 pnista (1007) - Bloomington, Indiana, USA - MAR 4, 2008
Thanks for sharing Yaniv! Handbottled, and doesn’t seem to be any worse for it. Very dark brown with a light tan head. SWEET nose! Cotton candy. Lightly fruity, but the candy is unmistakable! Simple, but effective. Creamy full mouth with small little bubbles. Sweet cotton candy and alcohol in the flavor dominate. Light fruit. No real dark malt character beyond some hints of chocolate and maybe some slight caramel... that mostly tastes like cotton candy. The sweetness is intense and lingering and enjoyable. A fun beer, unlike any other I’ve had yet.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20 Ughsmash (5631) - Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA - MAR 3, 2008
This is one of those long-time Want List beers.. extra thanks to Paul for hand-bottling this and sending it my way! Poured deep, raspberry-tinted brown with an awesome creamy cap of deep tan head (too bad it settled down rather quickly). The aroma is rich and seductive with molasses and some dark spice that I really dug (but can’t name) interlaced with drawn caramel and chocolate.. warmth brought out a layer of plums and nutmeg.. this was endlessly-complex! The flavor opened with the faintest tartness from plum skins and Turbinado sugars.. sweeter chocolates and drawn, toasty caramel grasp the center of the palate, and release a sweet blend of chocolate and caramel onto the back-end, which found those spices from the nose.. the warm, long finish was just exquisite. Heavier-bodied with creamy carbonation on the palate, and the right components found the right parts of the mouth. One question, though.. where the hell do they hide all that supposed alcohol?!? And another.. Where has this been all my life??
4 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20 JMFG (1582) - Florida, USA - MAR 1, 2008
Courtesy mgumby10. Dark chestnut brown, very little soapy white head. Aroma of fresh cut wood, sharp dark malts, tannins, plum. Lightly carbonated. Tastes more mild than aroma would suggest. Oak, dark fruits, light alcohol. A great match with the aroma. Nice.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20 Beerlando (3276) - Orlando, Florida, USA - FEB 28, 2008
Handbottle, courtesy mgumby10 via Dickinsonbeer. Pours an extremely dark chocolate brown color with purplish hues. Very little head or lacing noted. Aromas showed dark, rich malts, plums and figs. There was also a strong presence of scorched sugar, almost like the hard surface you would find on a creme brulee. Flavors followed down that same path, with plums and perhaps a touch of overly ripened banana in the fruit profile. Burnt caramel weighs heavy on the tongue, seemingly enhancing the smooth, medium body. Well blended as it is, the sweet fruity element is balanced out by the burnt sugar. Very interesting brew. Solid.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 15/20 bierkoning (7777) - La Tropica, NETHERLANDS - FEB 22, 2008
Hand bottled with care by Dickinsonbeer. Almost black colored. Milk chocolate and some roast in the lactic aroma. Very malty sweet lactic flavor with roast, tobacco, cacao, molasses. Full bodied. Thick and velvety mouthfeel. First signs of an upcoming sourness. Some pleasant warming alcohol pushed away by the overwhelming sweet maltiness.
Very pleasant beer, surviving the long journey although hand bottled. This is a sign of quality. Thanks Paul!
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