Arbor Brewing Company Jackhammer

Jackhammer

 

Arbor Brewing Company in Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸

  Traditional Beer - Old Ale Rotating Out of Production
Score
6.88
ABV: 8.0% IBU: 50 Ticks: 12
This strong ale has a clear alcohol presence, a complex fruity palate, and a dry, spicy, rather assertive hop counterbalance in the finish. It was first brewed and named during the demolition of the old Fourth and Washington parking structure when downtown felt like Jurassic Park and all of its neighbors needed something a little stronger to get us through! The Michigan Microbrewery and Brewpub Guide calls it, “an excellent, true-to-style beer with a subtle yet distinct chocolate covered cherry quality.”
 

Sign up to add a tick or review

Join Us


     Show


6.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

This beer pours dark brown with some red around the edges and a thick beige head that dissipates gradually to an outer ring. Strings of lace. Aroma of roasted malt, fruit and subtle hops. Medium to full body with flavors of caramel malt, dried fruit and earthy hops. The finish is sweet with a malty aftertaste. Decent overall.

Tried on 18 Mar 2019 at 17:28


7.8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

12 ounce bottle from Whole Foods Ann Arbor Eisenhower, 3/16/16. Clear dark reddish brown, medium sized creamy tan head, good retention. Aroma of toffee, cherries, citrus. The taste is lemon, cherries, toffee, molasses. Full bodied, low carbonation. Nice.

Tried from Bottle on 03 Sep 2016 at 21:48


3.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 2

Bot. Thick spreading aroma of heavy ale. Initially, I think I’m hitting impy stout but then there is this finer attitude about it. Malty fer sure and then there is a very weak sensation of milk stout. Quite complex and somewhat rude throughout. Strong warming sensations all round. Better not drink 2 of these, I think I’m getting a little dizzy. Obnoxious and rude finish. Over the top. Too much for my girlie taste buds. Not impressed. Seems like it was a bastard child of an impy stout daddy and an American barley wine mommy.

Tried from Can on 26 Mar 2016 at 13:22


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

12 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours fairly crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and fluffy light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of caramel, toast, toffee, dark bread, brown sugar, raisin, plum, cherry, pear, apple, light chocolate, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted/bready malt, fruity/earthy yeast, and earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toast, toffee, dark bread, brown sugar, chocolate, raisin, plum, cherry, pear, apple, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roasted earthiness. Fair amount of earthy herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, toffee, dark bread, chocolate, brown sugar, raisin, plum, cherry, pear, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, fairly creamy/bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warming lingering after the finish. Overall this is a very good old ale style. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted/bready malt, fruity yeast, and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A nicely enjoyable offering.

Tried from Bottle on 27 Mar 2015 at 21:07


7

Tried on 16 Jan 2015 at 16:05


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Several bottles in various glasses over the years. Heavy malt sweetness without being syrupy. Mild hops. A very good Old Ale.

Tried from Bottle on 17 May 2014 at 18:42


6.8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Sampled from the tap at corner brewery. Poured a deep hazy amber with a white head that dissipates slowly to the edges. Aroma has notes of sweet grains with underlying notes of light fruit and a hint of caramel. Flavor starts with sweet grains and light fruits, but finishes with caramel and a bit of booze.

Tried from Draft on 22 Nov 2011 at 12:26


7.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5

Bottle in Detroit. Caramel brown appearance with a tan head. Dark caramel, chocolate, slight toffee aroma. Rich toffee, thick caramel, dark chocolate, slightly nutty flavor with a touch of booziness on the finish.

Tried from Bottle on 16 Nov 2011 at 22:23


7
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

On tap at Crunchy’s, East Lansing. Deep translucent red-brown body, medium tight cream head. Nose of grape, brown sugar, and toast, sweet and somewhat bitter. Leathery, boozy body with grape, caramel, brown sugar, toast, and hints of butterscotch. Strong but boring.

Tried from Draft on 08 Oct 2011 at 11:47


6.6
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Bottle. First observation is that this is one of those incredible pain in the ass beers that just won’t fit in a glass. First pour results in a half an inch of liquid at the very bottom of the glass, the rest is fluffy beige foam. Five minutes later and I have forced most of the beer into the glass, but I’m a little sick of the whole experience at this point. The final product is a glass with half foam, half liquid... a nice brownish red hue and nice highlighting. Aromas are unimpressive... a kind of apple and pear juice mixed together with a touch of caramel and soap. Flavor is much better than the rough start we got off to. It has a pretty nice peat flavor to it, which compliments the fruity sweetness well and helps bridge it to the alcoholic warmth. It still has a bit of a soapy feel to it, though, and in the aftertaste I pick it up from time to time. This is a pretty hot (alcohol) beer with a smooth and slightly viscous feel on the palate.

Tried from Bottle on 20 Jul 2010 at 20:13