3.9 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
Bomber from Made in Oregon. Pours opaque brown with a 1 finger beige head. Aroma is fresh dark fruit - if that makes sense. With some grassiness. Full bodied. Flavor is sweet dark malt, dark fruit, and fruity/grassy hop. It’s quite tasty, and it has bitter, but it’s somewhat syrupy, even treacle, and I don’t see how it can move from the sweet side. Very nice and there’s not a trace of heat. There’s so much hop, that all the sugar isn’t cloying. Just excellent.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
On tap at the Iron Man Strong Ale Festival in Stevenson, WA. Colour...dark brown with a thick off white head. Nose...dried fruit, especially dates and raisins. Palate... Sharply tangy and frothy with a bitter aspect on the sides of the palate, but plenty of dried orchard and vine fruits to balance the bitterness. There’s bitterness on the finish as well which carries on and on.
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
22 picked up tonight at the Boise COOP.. Paid about $6... Poured into my HotD goblet... Fairly aggressive pour produces only a 1/2" brown head... spotty lacing.. dark dark brown... verging on porter darkness.
Nose is malty and pretty heavy with fruity esters.. plum and something I associate with red grapes... sorta vinous and at the same time nutty and hints of toffee... pretty boozy.
Flavor is vinous and has a less complex maltiness.. light cocoa and a bit of a nuttiness.. a significant EtOH bite... finishes surprisingly dry with only remnants of the esters and malty essence.
Medium body is accentuated by a lower carbonation.. seems spot on for the style.... nicely done.
Pretty good take on an often overlooked style... I will buy this again, but probably only a 2-3 for the cellar.
3.9 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
This may be a slightly different version than the one from last year. Certainly would class this as an Old Ale. Bottle. Pours dark brown with a short head. Great complex malty nose that is a little sweet. Pit fruit and chocolate with a dusting of hops. Big flavor. Caramel malts doing a dance with substantial earthy, green hops. Medium-plus sweet attack with a slightly bitter middle that rolls on and on with some style. Full body, creamy-thick texture, soft carbonation, and a very long, sticky, malty and bitter finish. Impressive.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
This is an old ale, but it carries many characteristics of a Brown IPA. It is moderately hoppy with the flavor of grassy hops and slight cereal malts. It is bitter from start to finish. The color is a solid brown with a khaki head.
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