Apple Brandy Barrel Olde Ale
Drake’s Brewing Company in San Leandro, California, United States 🇺🇸
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular|
Score
7.10
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Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Just when I thought I was done drinking beer last night, beastiefan2k breaks this stuff out - remembering how complex the brandy barrel barleywine was, I was a litte afraid that my palate wouldn’t be up to the challenge - suprisingly, it was - this stuff lacked the complexity I was expecting, but was still somewhat enjoyable - semi-cloudy, mahogony color, with a compact head - very earthy, musty, and, yes, slightly moldy aroma, with lots of damp earth/wood - lightly acidic flavor, probably from the apple brandy - mild sourness - woody, and even a bit bitter - not nearly as sweet as I expected, as the wood makes it a little dry - slight oxidation makes the beer taste a bit stale - I didn’t pick up any apple brandy in this - an interesting variation, but nothing all that special.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle thanks to Davecooks. Color is brown with low clarity, small head. Aroma is very musty with lots of wet wood (must be the oak). Lots of sour woodiness that have fruity aspects. Taste is very subdued for the expectations I had, basically a woody brown ale. Leaves a slightly bittered flavor mixed with alcohol. Moldy sweetness all around, yet nice.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Bottle. Murky, brownish-amber color with little head. Brown sugar/caramel malt aroma with lots of apple. Musty apple brandy flavor. Earthy/malty flavor with apple and brandy backing. Seems a bit oxidized. More brandy than beer in the flavor and the brandy definately lingers. Dry finish and just lacks something that’s going to make it into a good beer.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
For the record: my bottle says 10.24%, silly, OK.! But it doesn’t call itself apple.For the rest, it is identical to the bottle in the pic. No head, hazy amber-brown beer. Very alcoholic nose, but in the way that an old, leaky barrel contains the rests, slightly spoiled drink. Not that it smells rotten, but it has a sourish, acidic edge, something not old, but too old. The aroma might be apple, to me it’s sourish - and chocolate. Again a sourish rounded, but then very good malt/alcohol/fusel/chocolate jumble of flavours. Alcoholburn, medium to well-bodied only. I’m sorry if I don’t make much sense, but this tastes as something that HAS been extremely good. But it are only the rests of the former glory.