Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Pilsner from Berkshire Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Draught pint at Redbones, 12/3/05. Pours a very clear hay-yellow, simple, with a small white head that eventually recedes to a ring. Spotty lacing is quite present, plenty of carbonation. Aroma of dry, farmy hops, light grass and strong herbs. A distinct fruitiness (dry nectarines, peaches, lemons) makes me question the yeast, but it fits in with the honey and strong hoppiness. The flavor is immediately fruity, with unripened nectarines and peaches and a slight touch of apples and vanilla. Saazy hops and a fair amount of fresh, chewy yeast add light complexity, while the malt flavor takes over. Honey, light white grapes sweetness and lots of grainy, lightly husky pale malt grains on the end. Carbonation is moderate, adding some biting texture, while the malt never gets terribly sweet. But for an American pils, the hops and yeast, albeit questionably lagerish in nature, make for a flavorful experience, whether it be a lager or ale. Tight, but lightly sharp carbonation and a lightly grainy feel, with plenty of yeast apparency.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6.5
Sampled at the Ohio Labor Day gathering, provided by me via trade with OldGrowth. Deep red-brown body, light/thin off-white head. Big coffee and roasted malt aroma, which carried over into the coffee-dominated body, in addition to notes of baker’s chocolate. Medium-bodied, not too complex. I think I liked the Drayman’s Porter a bit better, with its lighter emphasis on coffee beans, but this sample luckily lacked the DMS problem.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Sampled at the Ohio Labor Day gathering, provided by me via trade with OldGrowth. Deep red-brown body, very thin light cream head. Coffee, light chocolate, and DMS/butterscotch aroma. My notes for the flavor are somewhat unintelligible, but coffee and roasted malts dominated the palate with slight hints of DMS that thankfully didn’t overwhelm the beer. Medium-bodied, roasty, and fairly simple, yet quaffable and tasty. I can barely read my numbers, but I think I’ve transcribed them reasonably well...
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Imperial Stout from Berkshire Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Acquired via trade. Rich dark brown color with a thick dark tan head. Thick and sticky lacing. Super sweet malt and molasses aroma, along with some roasted coffee. Full-bodied with semi-sweet chocolate, malt and caramel flavors bordering on cloying - and I like my Imperial Stouts on the sweet side. It does round out pretty quickly though, with coffee and a bit of hops coming through. The finish is long and sweet with dark chocolate and coffee. Pretty enjoyable.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Acquired via trade. For a guy who can’t stand coffee I sure like it in beer. Very dark brown color with a medium thick and foamy dark beige head. Thick lacing that doesn’t move much. Strong roasted coffee aroma with a nice dark malt undertone. Medium-bodied with a tasty bitter coffee flavor. Strong roasty character with some sweet malt and smoke. The finish is pretty soft but retains some coffee bitterness. Overall a pretty enjoyable brew.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Acquired via trade. Light amber color with a medium off-white head and stringy lacing. Malt and some floral hops in the nose. Medium body with mild bitterness, sweet malt and hops along with a bit of fruit flavoring. None of the flavors is very assertive but it is a refreshing concoction. The finish is dry and hoppy. Pretty simple overall and it would make a very good lawnmower beer.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Life On Marzen from Berkshire Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
2005 bomber. Hazy, sunny-orange-copper, and some caramelly-amber hues as well. Head is moderately-sized and very slowly fades to a small film. Off-white and no lacing, but unfiltered and hazier as it gets to the bottom of the bottle. Aroma of floral hops, sour yeast, ripe apricots and overripe peaches, bit of caramel and breadiness. Flavor begins very sweet, quite fruity and yeasty. Seemingly rather warm-fermented, medium body and quite sour-yeasty on the end. Grainy and unfiltered, it’s fairly substantial. I didnt find any obnoxious carbonation. I can see why this is disliked by most, but as an oktoberfestbier, it’s got the sour yeast apparency, meaty/fruity esters and seems spot on for body, being neither too light nor too heavy. Can’t say I loved it, but I think it’s a very fair representation.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Cask at GBBF Very dark brown. Coffee and roasted malt on nose, more chocolate than coffee really, not a big fan of this.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Cask @ GBBF Some hop and fruit, bit of tea, dryish hoppy finish intensifies. Amber colour, not bad, but after half a dozen USA IPAs the sickly cloying nature of them becomes a bit much
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Deep brown body, large, puffy light tan head. Chocolatey aroma with molasses, hints of dark fruit (plum), and roasted, charred malts. Toasty body with salty, soy-like characteristics (rather like a Baltic Porter), as well as molasses, chocolate, and hints of raisins. Slight tartness on the finish. Medium-bodied, quite complex, and quite delicious. Thanks OldGrowth for the bottle!