superspak (10160) reviewed Madre Picante from Maumee Bay Brewing Co. 7 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
12 ounce can into pint glass; no can dating, but is a recent release. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy golden orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of ruby red grapefruit, orange, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red apple, habenero pepper, citrus zest, sea salt, light pine, lightly toasted bread/dough, light honey/caramel, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity hops, grapefruit, peppers, salt, and moderate bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of ruby red grapefruit, orange, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red apple, habenero pepper, citrus zest, sea salt, light pine, lightly toasted bread/dough, light honey/caramel, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine/grassy/zesty bitterness and pepper spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of ruby red grapefruit, orange, lemon, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red apple, habenero pepper, citrus zest, light pine, lightly toasted bread/dough, light honey/caramel, herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for white. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity hops, grapefruit, peppers, salt, and moderate bready malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitter/spiciness balance; and zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and lightly sticky/saline mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 5.6%. Slight lingering pepper heat through the glass. Overall this is a very nice fruited/spiced American pale ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity hops, grapefruit, peppers, salt, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and pretty refreshing to drink with mildly bitter/spicy finish. It's a little weird, but not overwhelming on any aspect. Great balance of all flavor components; with a nice bready malt backbone. A very enjoyable, unique, and spot on style example.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Bottle: Black, with a thick, dark tan head. Licorice/coffee aroma. Taste is dark chocolate malt, roast, creamy coffee.....and some dark fruit that adds a slightly awkward note to it. Ok......good body.....just didn't quite hit the right marks for me.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Sample at Daily Growler UA during the "5th Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest" on 10/26/2017. Cloudy orange color with a medium white head that diminishes gradually to a film. Sticky strings of lace. Tropical fruit, herbal hops and malt in the nose. Medium body with a dank hoppy character and notes of fruit and bready malt. The finish is moderately bitter with an herbal hoppy aftertaste. Above average overall.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 2/2/2018. Pours moderately hazy golden amber/light orange color with a 1-2 dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, lemon/orange peel, light pepper/pine, wheat, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, lemon/orange peel, light pepper/pine, wheat, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Very mild pine, citrus peel, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, lemon/orange peel, light pepper/pine, wheat, white bread dough, toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero lingering hop astringency after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 7.5%. Overall this an excellent NEIPA. All around great complexity, robustness and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish, never aggressive. Very juicy and lightly dank Citra hop complexity; nice sized bready malt backbone, not overly sweet/heavy. This was pretty harsh and resinous/drying on the finish when I had the first canned batch, but is much more improved now. Impressively soft mouthfeel. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
12oz bottle (2015 Edition) thanks to jsquire
Pours dark brown with a small tan head, some lacing. Aroma of bourbon, oak, vanilla and leather. Flavor of roasted malts, woody, caramel and whiskey
Nice
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
12oz bottle thanks to jsquire
Pours black with a small tan head, some lacing. Dark malts, caramel, chocolate and ashy. Dark malts, chocolate, coffee, lactose and leather
Tasty
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
12 ounce bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating, but is a recent seasonal release. Pours hazy pale golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big lightly tart blood orange, lemon, orange peel, pear, apple, coriander, pepper, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/earthy yeast, spices, blood orange, and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big lightly tart blood orange, lemon, orange peel, pear, apple, coriander, pepper, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy bitterness, yeast spiciness, and slight fruit tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of blood orange, lemon, orange peel, pear, apple, coriander, pepper, clove, light banana/bubblegum, wheat, cracker, biscuit, herbal, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/earthy yeast, spices, blood orange, and bready malt flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from bitter/spiciness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 8.1%. Overall this is an awesome imperial fruited witbier style. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/earthy yeast, spices, blood orange, and bready malt flavors; very smooth, and pretty crisp/refreshing to drink for the ABV. Spot on witbier style flavors; nice blood orange fruit presence that does not overwhelm the base beer. A really enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a semi-dark brown color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that fell off pretty quick. Not much lace.
The aroma had some sweet grains, nuts, light amount of caramel/toffee malts and ended with a little bit of vanilla.
The flavor was moderately sweet through the prior mentioned aromas. Just a hint of maple sweetness came out and ended up smoothing out the aftertaste fairly nice. Finish was somewhat quick, but malty smooth and sweet.
The palate was about medium bodied with a decent sessionability about it. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt fine.
Overall, pretty nice smoothed out maple brown ale. Though the maple sweetness wasn’t there too much, maybe that’s why I liked it as much as I did.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a semi-dark amber color with a finger’s worth of white foamy head that fell off at a mild pace. Not much lace.
The aroma had some toast, caramel/toffee malts, light floral/citrusy hops, some leather, nuts and a light earthiness at the very end.
The flavor blended the prior mentioned aromas together in a malty sweet sort of way. Subtle aftertaste of the malts. Malty dry sort of finish.
The palate was almost medium bodied, seemed it sat just a touch under with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation felt good. ABV felt appropriate.
Overall, pretty nice amber ale fairly close in style.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
12 ounce bottle into pint glass; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours lightly hazy nearly opaque dark brown color with a 2 finger fairly dense and rocky khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas vanilla, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toasted dark bread, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of cherry, almond, smoke, char, coffee, herbal, wood, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/roasted malts, vanilla, and light cherry/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big vanilla, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toasted dark bread, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of cherry, almond, smoke, char, coffee, herbal, wood, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/woody hop and roasted bitterness on the finish; slight fruit tartness. Lingering notes of vanilla, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, toasted dark bread, nuttiness, light smoke/char, herbal, wood, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/roasted malts, vanilla, and light cherry/earthy hop flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from hop/roast bitterness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and slightly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.2%. Overall this is a very nice fruit/spiced American porter. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/roasted malts, vanilla, and light cherry/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. Great vanilla presence and well rounded malt complexity. Supporting earthy hops, and never too roasty or drying. Not a whole lot of cherry, but just enough to be noticeable. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.