Sonoran 100

Formerly brewed at Sonoran Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Phoenix, Arizona USA

Serve in Snifter, Trappist glass

Bottle #954 of 1000. Courtesy redlight. Pours downright muddy, intriguing swirls of caramel and milk chocolate brown intertwining. It looks thick and syrupy as it sits still in the glass, not a trace of a head or lacing to be found. The nose is simply mouthwatering, notes of fresh maple, chocolate fudge, brown sugar coated pecans, and oaky vanilla showing like an after dinner treat. Sweet dates lend a fruity depth, while bourbon notes let you know it means business. The flavor introduces a smoky element that is totally unexpected, perhaps stemming from scorched oak, yet somehow it seems out of place in a brew this sweet. Vanilla, caramel, and maple still shine, but things simple aren’t as well integrated as the nose. Flat and slick on the tongue, the body is syrupy, yet not overly cloying. The alcohol is there, but it doesn’t feel anything like 19.5%. I can see how this is such a polarizing brew, as extreme as it is, but I found it to be well executed and highly enjoyable as a dessert beverage. Thanks go to Brent for a truly unique experience.

Thanks to Brent at Redlight. Holy hell. This burned my nose like turpentine. Through the caramel fumes I could smell a bitter fruit smell. Very alcoholic. Very sweet. If you mixed the caramels in your grandmother’s purse with the whiskey in your grandfather’s flask...this is what you taste. Looks like lakewater...Very cool bottle.

Corked clear bottle poured a clear dark tarnished copper with no head. Aromas of bacon bits, smoke, maple, sherry, wood and vanilla. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a warming finish. Flavors of bacon bits, smoke, maple, sherry, wood and light vanilla with a smooth warming bittersweet finish.

Courtesy of Brent at Redlight Redlight and the Otown December tasting. Very murky light brown pour. Aroma of maple syrup. Flavor was WAYYYY smokey. Very much smoked ham and brown sugar. Too weird for my taste!

390 ml bottle, 160 of 1000, from Plaza Liquors some time ago - Pours a hazy deep amber color with no head. Very little carbonation. Aroma is very nice. Lots of smoke, dark esters, and maple. Flavor is much of the same. Medium to full body. I think what surprises me the most about this beer is the fact that the alcohol is not over bearing. This beer is very drinkable and enjoyable.

Sonoran is a maple flavor smelling and tasting brew. It is a great beer that needs to be sipped and eaten with pancakes. Beware this is intended for the real beer drinkers.

Bottle thanks to eaglefan538 and Bockyhorsey: Pours a still murky mahogany with viscous legs. Aroma of sweet dark caramel, raisins, and plums with a touch of soy sauce, honey, and maple. Body starts fairly full and oily with a mild sweetness, but not as much as expected with some woodsy oak and maple flavors balancing out the dark fruits toward a drier, slightly warming finish. Still hides its abv pretty well and has good complexity throughout. A very interesting and unique brew.

Brown body with no head; Super sharp nose, lots of alcohol and fat chocolate; Extremely unpleasant body, undrinkable, the worst think I have ever had in my mouth; Lots of aroma, in otherwise unpleasant finish, btw the aromas are unpleasant too. This is in the top 5 of unpleasant beers I have had!