7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
2003 bottling. Finally, the Dragon's Milk is back! Poured a dark chestnut brown, with a reddish tint, and a tan ring of carbonation lacing the sides of the glass. Aroma was rather porter-like, with roasted malts predominating. Flavor was similar to the aroma, with roasted malts at the beginning of the sip, followed by strong wood flavors and tanginess. Finishes creamy, with a touch of dry fruit. Very smooth. Could be a bit more complex for such a high ABV beer.
Tried
on 23 Dec 2003
at 13:00
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
2003 Bottle. Nice amber color. Hazy, small yellow orange head. Tiny bubbles, lots of lacing. Big alpha hops aroma, very delicate yet tart and powerful. First sip is light, flowery, airy. Then a big dose of hops, mostly dry. Finishes with a huge bitterness. Wow. This is just way too overboard on the hops. Malt never gets through. The flavor is good, the balance is just off. Very perfumy hops flavor though, I like it, not syrupy or very piney, just citric/floral. Hop heads only please! couldnt be more true. 2004 draught It’s fresh, it’s fruity, it’s juicy and flavorful and I will up the palate score, as it is much more balanced than I remember, but it still tastes a bit one-dimensional.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Dec 2003
at 12:53
6.8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
Copper colour with orange highlights and a super-dense off-white head. Aroma of nice spices (nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin pie) and malt. Light-bodied; Watery flavour with subtle spices and a bit of sweetness. Aftertaste clean, but a bunch of the pumpkin shows through. Overall, a nice beer, needs more flavour in the taste though! I got this twelve ounce bottle purchased by my mom from Merchant's in Dearborn, Michigan. I sampled this one on 27-November-2003!
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Dec 2003
at 19:38
7.5/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 7
Slightly hazy orange-tinted amber colour with a dense off-white thick head. Aroma of pure cascade hop pellets with superb malt balance and a subtle fruit and sugar quality. Medium-bodied; Initial hoppy flavour with some off-tastes and an unfinished wortiness. Aftertaste shows sweetness and a slight hoppiness-not bittering. Overall, if they fermented this another month it would be great-this just appears to be unfinished! I got this twelve ounce bottle purchased by my mom from Merchant's in Dearborn, Michigan and sampled it on 23-November-2003.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Dec 2003
at 14:23
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
2003 bottle. Has a sour yeasty smell with a little bit of dry malt and some sharper citrus aroma. Fairly deep orange, mostly clear, good white head and moderate lacing. Begins with some sharp citrus tones, but quickly some of those german tasting yeasts come into the picture, not real excited about that. Finishes with some sharp but light grapefruit flavors. Overall, a bit muddled, good attempt to bring something new to the APA table (german sour yeast), but in the end it is just a decent beer, nothing incredible.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Nov 2003
at 09:53
7.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 7
Hazy amber/copper colour with a thin tan head. Very pleasant fragrant hop aroma with pine, grapefruit, citrus all coming out - all balanced by strong malt. Literally mouthwatering-this one is a beer! Medium to Light-bodied; Initially hoppy taste quickly fades and leaves the palate completely clean. No noticeable malt background and no long-lasting hoppiness. Some soapy qualities as well as some pineyness...but this actually fairly mild for the taste and especially in the palate. Overall, I enjoyed it, and if I'm ever in the mood to have an 'easy drinking' ipa, I'll drink this one. Complex in the aroma and appearance, but not so much in the taste and palate. I owe a large amount of thanks to jah_noth for giving this one to me locally, its been a real treat - Thanks Dan! I sampled this twelve ounce bottle on 18-November-2003.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Nov 2003
at 00:47
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Regular version, bottle. Dark brown with a slight muddiness. The aroma is fudgey with a little bit of fruit. Very fudgey palate, some heat, some currant fruitiness. Nothing terribly spectacular but it’s a nice brew, well made and enjoyable to drink.
I had the non-barrel-aged version spiked with blackberries that was served at the Michigan Brewer’s Festival. Almost black, murky. Aroma is blackberry vs. coffee vs. chocolate malt. The flavours are a little better-integrated on the palate – vanilla, cream, blackberry, mocha. Okay experiment but nothing to lose sleep over if you never see it again. 7-4-7-4-14 = 3.6
I had the non-barrel-aged version spiked with blackberries that was served at the Michigan Brewer’s Festival. Almost black, murky. Aroma is blackberry vs. coffee vs. chocolate malt. The flavours are a little better-integrated on the palate – vanilla, cream, blackberry, mocha. Okay experiment but nothing to lose sleep over if you never see it again. 7-4-7-4-14 = 3.6
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Jul 2003
at 15:57
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
This is in much the same vein as the AleSmith Horny Devil I recently had the chance to partake of. Starts with a vinous, sweet aroma. The cloudy golden body is very flavorful and sweet (candi sugar?) with vinous notes, alcohol presence, and an earthy hops aftertaste. Most of what I like in a Belgian can be found here. It is important to note that this was brewed for the 2002 Tulip Time Festival held in Holland Michigan. Dutchmen (some flying) from around the world descend upon Holland, Michigan like a plague of locusts, devouring Windmill Cookies, dancing in wooden-shoed stupor, and enveloping themselves in the splendor of thousands upon thousands of tulips. Some even lay their eggs on the tulips, in hopes that their offspring will hatch and consume the leaves. Oh, did I mention I'm part Dutch too? Damn...
Tried
from Can
on 19 Jul 2003
at 16:57
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Real cherry? Hey, count me in as a fan of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, but the real thing is even better. Aroma is strong sweet/sour cherry, and emanates from an appropriately red body (including a pink-tinged head!). Flavor is a medley of typical cherry aspects: some sours, some sweets, some bitters, and some woody hints (note: some woodies was edited). I agree with hoppygrrrl that cinnamon plays a role here. I also have a hard time finding the "ale" beneath the cherry, but this is still good brew, although a notch or two below the Ichabod.
Tried
on 18 Jul 2003
at 19:53
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
A fall beer to add to the seasonal lineup! Appropriately orange, sediment-laden, and topped with a thin white head. The pumpkin pie aroma seemed out of place on a July evening, but fall is not too far off! Flavor was likewise spicy (ginger) pumpkin pie. A neat seasonal from an interesting local brewer.
Tried
on 18 Jul 2003
at 10:28