Samael's Oak-Aged Ale
(has 8 batches)

Bottle says bottled in 2005 sampled 5/20/2008. Pours a beautifully clear amber, orange, reddish color without much head or lacing. Aroma is boozy, oakey, sweet caramel, some raisins. Taste is oak and bourbon but sweet, fruity, caramel malts. Carbonation is low, Mouthfeel is sweet and sticky. Good brew, definitely a sipper.

Location: Draft at Copper Mine, 1/25/11

Aroma: Sweet and malty nose, lots of caramel and booze, a little vanilla/oak, some cherry notes too
Appearance: Pours a hazy copper-amber looking color with a tan head and light lace
Flavor: Taste is medium-heavy sweet much like the nose, caramel and booze linger on the tongue
Palate: This one drinks fairly full with a little bit of creaminess, and some heat but not a ton considering
Overall Impression: This is definitely for fans of sweet and boozy brews, and I'm usually more of a hops guy. That said, this is pretty solid stuff, not an easy drinker, but tasty and worth trying.

Bottle from a generous trader. Pours reddish brown. Semi clear. Nose is malt, oak and caramel with some brown sugar. A rather weak nose. Taste is caramel malts, toffee, oak, brown sugar and molasses. Lots of alcohol in the finish.

Bottle (Batch 5 / April ’09): Clear, dark brown pour with a finger of fizzy tan head. Aroma is very strong with bourbon, dark fruits, caramel malts, and light vanilla. Mouthfull is substantial. Thick and creamy. Not the high-octane blast I’d expected (thankfully), but a balanced flavor profile of oak, light vanilla, bourbon, and raisons. Overall an above average bw in the high abv dept.

Bottle outside Herriot Watt beer festival .April 2010.. deep red copper ... sweet woody toffee coconut nose ... big coconut ... sweet little toffee ... over sweet over toffee .. lots of bourbon in finish .

bottle at joes ..soft sweet woody umami ..soft roast malts ...big mushroom nose ..soft sweet roast ..massive mushrooms ..soft sweet caramel toffee 7.0

Bottled April 2009. Batch 5. Sweet, strong and malty, Samael’s Ale is good for a decadent nightcap. For me, the best thing about the beer is that it’s successful in an abv range well above normal for brewing. Translucent amber beer with a bit more head and lacing than I was expecting. Of course, the head isn’t enormous or anything, but it’s respectable. The aroma is a bit milder than expected. There are some good caramel, raisins and peach notes, but I was expecting a bit more assertiveness. Brandy, peaches, alcohol, caramel. Sweet but not quite overpowering. There’s a fair bit of bitterness, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to balancing that gigantic malt. It tastes like a big barleywine. The oak is not very assertive at least as fresh as it is (although I’m not sure if oakiness grows or ebbs with age). The mouthfeel is a bit syrupy but relatively good for the high alcohol. The alcohol is present but enjoyable.

Sample from bottle. Really very sweet, a little too sweet. Syrup, vanilla and some oak. Thick.

(Draught at Akkurat, Stockholm) Dark amber colour with brief, beige head. Malty, vinous nose with dried fruit, port, caramel, oak wood and varnish. Heavy, malty taste with notes of dried fruit, cherries in brandy, port and hints of wood. Generous bitterness overhadowed by a vinous, warming alcohol touch in the finish. Full body, very sweet. Not really for the faint hearted. Very nice beer.

My 666th rating. Pours clear copper color with minimal off white head that dissipates quickly. Aromas of caramel, vanilla, oak and alcohol. Similar flavors with some dark fruits. A good amount of warmth from the alcohol. Medium body, syrupy mouthfeel with minimal carbonation. A good beer but a bit too hot for me.

Bottle as shown. Pours a cloudy dark amber with a small frothy off white head. A lot of yeast flakes floating around. The aroma is a strong alcohol upfront with malt and oak. Good sticky lacing along the glass. The taste is raisin malt with caramel bourbon the alcohol very present. A very good barleywine from avery.