Trafalgar Oak-Aged Rye

Bottle: Poured a light copper color ale with a medium foamy head with average retention and some lacing surprisingly. Aroma consists of dry malt with some notes rye. Taste is a mix between some refreshing rye notes with some very subtle and almost undetectable oak. Medium body with some average carbonation. Definitely better then the last couple of offering from this dubious brewer.

Bomber chilled in fridge 1 day. Oak lends a hint of vanilla charm to a Best Bitter-like offering. Open and fresh with some good hops presence. No serious flaws that I can detect - this time. Alongside the Celtic Irish Ale a very acceptable session beer from Trafalgar.

Bottle , LCBO, purchased with some trepidation given this brewer’s infection history. Here goes. Pours a light rusty brown with a very small white head. Aroma - odd. Like a wet hay field - grainy, but with lots of fruity notes (apple) as well. A bit of barnyard in there. And some butterscotch. Odd. Mouthfeel is very very watery. Taste is better. Sweet butterscotch up front in an almost nothing first impression and then a finish of mild whiskey - like a Canadian rye and water mixed drink without the alcohol. I kind of like the finish actually. And yay it is not infected! But it still remains incredibly thin and watery. Non infected is a good step, but there is still a good ways to go before calling this anything other than an average/slightly below average offering.

bomber from either beerguyryan or RyanMac13 left-over from a friday night tasting at my house. JesseM and I avoided the trafalger that had been brought to the tasting fearing infection and otherwise horrible beer. i was surprised by this one. pours a nice russet colour with a small off white head. sweet caramel malt aromas with some woodiness and noticable spice. great malty flavours with a very noticeable rye contribution. the oak is also detectable in the finish and spice lend a welcomed quality. well done trafalger you managed to produced a non-infected true to style bomber that i actually enjoyed. i have another in the cellar that im now actually looking forward too.

Clear copper with a medium head with poor retention that leaves a lot of lacing. Aroma is toasted sweet malt. Flavor is Toasted malt, caramel, a touch of vanilla and a hint of oak with a somewhat bitter finish. Light to medium carbonation with a watery to medium body.

650ml Bottle: Ok, I’ve temporarily cleared the personal ban on Trafalgar after noticing this puppy getting some positive reviews in and around the interweb. Pours light copper/brown in colour, no head. Aroma of musky malt, sugar, and oak only because I know it’s supposed to be there. The best thing about the flavour is the lack of that "Trafalgar yeast" we all know so well. They’ve actually managed to create something drinkable, if not bland. It’s watery but offers up some caramel malts, some oak chip notes, whisky, and ever so quiet hops in the background. Hey, for Trafalgar it ain’t bad.

Light hazy copper gold colour with tiny off white head that goes to a thin lacing around the edges of the glass. Bready malts in the aroma. Flavour wise the beer has a somewhat acidic dry malt flavour I think this must be the rye in the mix. However with the Oak aged thing ..... I don’t know... I don’t really taste too much of that woodiness unless that is what I’m getting confused with the rye flavour.

Bottled. This is the first Trafalgar beer that didn’t taste spoiled, so I’m happy about that. Some toast and caramel in the nose, mildly oaky, also lake water. Body is exceptionally mild, a little watery, with toasted rye flavours present throughout. Because of the low carbonation and somewhat creamy texture, it offers a draught-like experience in the bottle, which isn’t too bad, but certainly nothing to write home about. A bit of alcohol, woodiness and bitterness in the finish, and some slight sourness, but not an off taste, as I was expecting. I’m proud of Trafalgar for this beer, and if they made it a double, that’d be a real accomplishment!