Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #4

Formerly brewed at Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Houston, Texas USA

Serve in Thistle

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Pours a dark chestnut brown with a firm khaki head. Aroma is dry roasty malt, some brown and black patent, and a hint of earthiness. Taste is again earthy and malty, with smoked grain evident. Does have a not-so-subtle coffee/peat flavor riding on top of a semisweet brown ale base. The coffee/peat flavor could be mistaken for oak barrel aging, and at times it might even dip into the bacon arena. Some light yeasty esters emerge about halfway through the glass, some dark fruit like raisins. Not a lot of hops or hot alcohol elements, very well attenuated. Mouthfeel is moderate, not as heavy as I expected. Hits its target style fairly well. The ABV is very well hidden and it may be a real contender with a few years in the cellar. My favorite style but not my favorite of the DR series -- but that could change depending on how this ages.

what better time than fading aned half drunk at the tail end of a long week might be better to rate a beer that is NOT of my favorite style, but has in return a somewhat favored review? I was not awestruck, but did enjpy the bitter richness. there’s more than one layer here for sure and glad to have a handful of test models to take their long last walk across my tongue. so there it is - another half cocked rating to be further embellished as more time and divine intervention pervails ...

Bottle… Very dark, lightly hazed, burnt orange ale with a small, fizzy, beige head. The vinous, malty aroma offers notes of chocolate, wood, red wine, toasted nuts and vanilla, alongside light smoke phenols. The flavor is woodsy, vinous, smoky and sweet with a hint of vanilla. Alcohol and hop bitterness is an afterthought. Mildly boozy. Medium-bodied with an oily mouthfeel and fizzy carbonation. Chocolaty, vinous, drying finish. Thanks to ughsmash for sending the bottle my way!

Date: 04/14/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

dark brown, wispy beige head, trace of lace, huge smoky wood aroma and only a hint of dark caramel, rich chocolate flavor, nice earthy hops, dark caramel adds good complexity, light smoke, light tartness, the rich chocolate and the earthy quality make the beer special

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

12oz bottle from fly. First smell is like a rauchbier, with heavy smoke, but then more roast and some scotch comes through so it sets up like a smoked porter or smoked wee heavy. Very, very nice nose. Dark burgundy colored body with a dark tan head. Heavy, sweet cherry and cedar wood flavors, sticky, sweet cherries. Heavy palate, prickly, spicy and sticky. Great stuff, I could drink a lot more of this.

Pour is dark cola cola brownish black with a thin dense tan head...smell is almost meaty smokey...some nice sweet earth fruits in the nose too...taste is definately quite smokey...nice chewy sweetness comes in after the smoke...seems a little thin to me though...

Bottle courtesy after4ever. Pours Opaque dark brown with a lacy off-white head. Aroma of dark fruit. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Caramel vanilla taste. Smoky spice and wood finish.

Grabbed a six pack at Central Market Austin last Wednesday, finally got to try one. Dark ruby appearance, little brown head. Caramel malty aroma. Flavor is dark fruit, caramel malt, hints of orange, lots of smoke flavor. Creamy mouthfeel, interesting complex beer. My first of this style, but I look forward to the remaining 5.

Bottle 12 fl.oz
Clear amber color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, mostly diminishing, beige head. Aroma is moderate malty, roasted, caramel, dry - fruit, oak, alcohol, peat - whisky. Flavor is moderate to light light heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a average to long duration. Body is medium to ’medium to full’, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. (130608)

Bottle, thanks to beastiefan2k. Dark brown reddish color. Aroma of some smoked peat and peanuts. Very meaty malt flavor, burnt aspects, and some bitter chocolate. Very tasty.