Reunion - A Beer For Hope 2008

Courtesy of Tony – Oldsmar Tap House. Pours clear copper with weak off white head. The aroma is malty, roasty and semi sweet caramel malts that move toward mild fruity esters and floral perfume hop notes. Over all a mild aroma. The taste is the same with caramel and roasty to crystal malts along with mild fruity esters and floral and maybe pine hoppiness. Nice.

22oz bomber. Pours a deep, clear brown with strong copper highlights and a medium-sized, light tan head that leaves thin wisps of lace all over the glass. The aroma is malty and sweet with some notes of spicy hops. The flavor is rich and malty: caramel, biscuits, toffee, and spice. It is quite rich in malt character and has a strong residual sweetness - but not cloying. The finish is full but has a decent level of balancing, spicy hops - delicious actually, and enough bitterness so that the aftertaste is hoppy. The mouthfeel is full and rich with a suitable level of carbonation that lighten the body enough to make it dangerously drinkable. Overall, a very tasty, rich, malty, big American Brown ale. The flavors of rye and caraway seed were subtle if even detectable (I couldn’t really tell). It could be that the character they impart is too similar to the spicy hop variety used so that their contribution isn’t as apparent.

bottle. cranberry brown pour with clarity. particulate floating aimlessly. almost no head. hops and rye, rich malts and light dark fruit in aroma. nice roasted malt backbone that leaves a dense nutty aftertaste. nicely hopped with light fruit. a nice drinker.

Pours a clear brown. Slim head. Aroma of rye malt, caramel, spice. Taste is of caramel malt, biscuit, spice, earthy hop. Finishes a little spicy. Mouth is medium body and carbonation.

Bottle from Holiday Wine Cellar. Pours a leather brown similar to a cup of hot tea and has a tiny short lived layer of head. The aroma is considerably roasty with an undeniable toffee and caramel malt back bone. The flavor is a strong dosage of roasted toffee/caramel malt and a light background of nuts such as pistachio or cashew but I don’t find any spices that were promised–oh well.

Nice red amber color with an off white head. Nice malt and rye aroma. Quite sweet. Roast and hops finish. Too much alcohol in the taste for 6.5abv. OK

Bottle. I bought this partly because I thought that I had the 2007 original version, but alas I had not. Red amber. Light head. Interesting warm rye malt aroma. Dark malt (rye) flavour. Not sure what characteristics to attribute to the caraway seeds.

Pours a deep amber brown with a small bubbly head that dissipates almost immediately with very little retention or lacing. Aroma is dominated by the sweet caramel malts. There are significant spice aroma as well with cinnamon and nutmeg. Rye is present but not overpowering in the nose. Sweet malts are also the first taste on this one with a significant rye aspect after that. The caramel kicks up in the aftertaste leaving a slightly sweet finish. Mouthfeel is fairly thin but smooth with good carbonation. Drinkability is fairly high on this one given the subtle hop and rye profile. It’s a nicely balanced brew overall.