Reunion - A Beer For Hope 2008

Formerly brewed at Bison Brewing Company
Style: Specialty Grain
Berkeley, California USA

Bottle. Pours a brown/amber with a small white head. Aroma of pepper spices, sweet malt, raspberry and other berry fruits. Flavor of initial sweetness with a spicy finish. I also got coffee grounds and smoke in the finish. An odd watery/harsh palate. This was an odd one and kind of wears on you by the end of the glass.

Bottle. Took me awhile to find this in the database... Aroma of sweet, red-fruity malt, some rye. Flavor predominantly sweet, red-fruity malt. Started out strong and rich, but really just not terribly exciting and kind of weak by glass’s end.

Pours a dark red with a small off white head. Lots of rye in the aroma with some hops as well. Palate of rye and some chocolate and is pretty smooth. This one is pretty good and I am drinking for a good cause.

Bottle from State Line. Pours turbid dark brown with ruby highlights and off-white head. Nose is rye wheat, caramel malt, hops, vinous fruit. Tastes caramel malty, with rye wheat matched by heavy hops, vinous fruit, end even a definite cacao note to the flavor here. Body is full, complex, and very satisfying.

Sampled at the St. Pete Craft Beer Fest. An excellent strong American ale. Flavors of figs, honey, and caramel. Would love to get my hands on this again!

Tasting - Perfect Pour. Dark amber, creamy white head. Soft chocolate and spicy rye aromas warm to notes of citrus and hints of mint. Floral hop and dry rye caramel flavors balance very well on a lightly sweet dusty cocoa malt backbone. Medium bodied with light carbonation. A well crafted session brew that’s for a great cause...

Bottle. Head is initially very small, frothy/fizzy, light brown, fully diminishing. Body is medium to dark amber. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted bread, roasted nuts, caramel), lightly hoppy (apricot), with a note of black tea. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, lightly to moderately bittter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly to moderately acidic, moderately to heavily bitter. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. Seems a little muddled and unfocused, and kind of rough in the mouth, but it’s not bad.

Bomber from Enniskillen; Nose is yeasty ryebread, strong caramel, and light vanilla and clove notes; rust red with a small cinnamon tinged, beige head; flavor of light hop bitterness, caramel, and a little rye; finish is light bitterness and alcohol warmth and more rye; Bison gets no respect because it’s organic; this one is way underrated and is an excellent beer!