Copper Shield Bitter Harvest
Dragonmead Brewery in Warren, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Regular|
Score
6.88
|
|
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Huge thanks to my sister for scoring two Dragonmead glowers for us.
This one pours a nice copper color with tan head. The aroma is a bit mild with fruity esters like plums, dates and cherries as well as grapefruit hops and a mild sense of hotness on the nose from the alcohol. The taste begins with sweet nectar maltiness mixing with grapefruit and orange citrus hop bitterness. The rich sweet sugary maltiness cut the hop bitterness creating a pleasing balance. Then mild dark fruity esters enter with notes of prunes, cherries, dates and plums. It gets peppery as the finish approaches. Could use a year or more of age.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
On tap winter 2003. Pours a very nice rich red-copper with some lighter toffee colors. Small beige-caramel head that disappears after a few minutes. Incredible amount of lacing. Aroma of slight citrus, strongly bitter, some drier malted barley, a tad muted. Begins with a medium sweet malt flavor and a big moderately coarse texture. This softens a bit and there is some fluffiness, rich buttery brown bread on the finish, but along with this is an ample dose of bitter hops that begins from first sip and slowly comes forth. On the very end of the beer and becoming more apparent as it warmed was a slightly sour, almost metallic taste, just ever so slightly present. Not sure exactly what it was, and it was subtle enough to not cause any big problems. Medium-full body, low carbonation. I agree, alcohol not detectable. As it warms, body lightens and the flavor that showcased hops wedded to malt seems to come undone somewhat.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Darkish bronze, light haze; fairly chewy, malty nose; chewy, earthy malt. Finish is strange - kind of powdery, reminiscent of Mexican chocolate, but then this is joined by more malt.