8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
12 ounce can into tulip glass; no can dating, but is a recent seasonal release. Pours lightly hazy dark reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, apple, peppercorn, clove, caramel, honey, brown sugar, and toasted brown bread; with lighter notes of banana, toffee, chocolate, cocoa, nuttiness, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, honey/candi sugar, and dark/bready/light roast malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, apple, peppercorn, clove, caramel, honey, brown sugar, and toasted brown bread; with lighter notes of banana, toffee, chocolate, cocoa, nuttiness, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate yeast spiciness and light herbal hop bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, apple, pepper, clove, caramel, honey, brown sugar, toasted brown bread, light cocoa/nuttiness, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, honey/candi sugar, and dark/bready/light roast malt flavors; with a great malt/spiciness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light dryness from yeast spiciness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden, minimal warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome Belgian strong dark ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, honey/candi sugar, and dark/bready/light roast malt flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the ABV. Very impressive complexity, with great balance of yeast/malt flavors; never overly sweet or heavy feeling. A really enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Can
on 24 Jan 2017
at 19:35
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 ounce can into pint glass, no can dating. Pours clear nearly opaque very dark brown color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that linger. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, fudge, toffee, and toasted brown bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, coffee, smoke, dark fruit, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, fudge, toffee, and toasted brown bread; with lighter notes of nuttiness, coffee, smoke, dark fruit, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy hop and roast bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, fudge, toffee, toasted brown bread, light nuttiness/smoke, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light earthy hop flavors; with a great roasted bitter/sweet balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Slight dryness from lingering hop/roast bitterness; lightly increasing through the glass. Light-medium carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky, and lightly sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 6.25%. Overall this is a very nice American porter. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. Great malt complexity and smooth roasted character; with just enough hops to balance the sweetness. Great example of the style. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Can
on 17 Jan 2017
at 18:52
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
12 ounce can into pint glass; no can dating, but is a recent release. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a 1-2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big tangerine, lemon, lime, grapefruit, plum, apricot, berry, mango, melon, citrus peel, honey, light caramel, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/tropical hops, fruit, and moderate bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big tangerine, lemon, lime, grapefruit, plum, apricot, berry, mango, melon, citrus peel, light pepper/pine, honey, light caramel, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine/herbal/spicy bitterness and slight fruit tartness on the finish; with lingering notes of tangerine, lemon, lime, grapefruit, plum, apricot, berry, mango, melon, citrus peel, light pepper/pine, honey, toasted bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/tropical hops, fruit, and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance; and zero cloying/astringent hop/fruit flavors after the finish. Light dryness from bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and moderately creamy/bready/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.1%. Overall this is a very nice fruited pale ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/tropical hops, fruit, and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and refreshing to drink. Very bright/juicy feeling with great hop/fruit balance; nice malty backbone, a little sweet but has solid dryness. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Can
on 13 Jan 2017
at 19:24
7.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Sample at Daily Growler Powell. The beer is a clear dark amber color with a medium foamy off-white head that recedes steadily to a film. Stringy lacing on the glass. Tropical fruit, hops and malt in the nose. Medium-bodied with flavors of grapefruit, resiny hops and malt. The finish is moderately bitter with a fruity hops aftertaste. Above average overall.
Tried
from Growler
on 13 Jan 2017
at 14:46
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Sample at the Columbus taproom during the "Platform Beer Columbus Grand Opening!" on 12/28/2016. Dark brown-amber color with a thin off-white head that dissipates quickly to a sparse outer ring. Spotty lacing. Aroma of oak, bourbon and malt. Medium body with flavors of oaky bourbon, caramel malt and a touch of hops. The finish is oaky with a bourbon and malt aftertaste. Pretty good overall.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Jan 2017
at 21:23
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Sample at the Columbus taproom during the "Platform Beer Columbus Grand Opening!" on 12/28/2016. Brownish-amber color with a medium thin light beige head that recedes steadily to an outer ring. Sticky small sheets of lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, fruit and caramel. Light-bodied with flavors of earthy malt, caramel and stone fruit. The finish is sweet with a malty aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Jan 2017
at 21:20
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Sample at the Columbus taproom during the "Platform Beer Columbus Grand Opening!" on 12/28/2016. Slightly hazy amber-orange color with a thin off-white head that recedes gradually to a dense film. Stringy lacing. Aroma of yeast, malt and hops. Medium body with flavors of Belgian yeast, malt and earthy hops. The finish is fruity with a yeast aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Jan 2017
at 21:13
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Sample at the Columbus taproom during the "Platform Beer Columbus Grand Opening!" on 12/28/2016. Clear orange-copper color with a medium frothy bone head that diminishes gradually to a film. Stringy lacing. Aroma of citrus, hops and caramel malt. Medium body with flavors of piney hops, lemon and sweet malt. The finish is moderately bitter with a citrusy hops aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Jan 2017
at 21:10
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Sample at the Columbus taproom during the "Platform Beer Columbus Grand Opening!" on 12/28/2016. Opaque black pour with a thick foamy tan head that recedes gradually to a film. Partial rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of oak, roasted malt and vanilla. Medium body with flavors of oaky vanilla, bourbon, roast malt and dark chocolate. The finish is oaky and roasty with a malt and vanilla aftertaste. Pretty good overall.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Jan 2017
at 21:05
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Sample at the Columbus taproom during the "Platform Beer Columbus Grand Opening!" on 12/28/2016. Clear dark orange color with a thin white head that dissipates quickly to an outer ring. Short strings of lacing. Aroma of citrusy, yeast, berries and malt. Medium body with flavors of blackberry, hops, guava, yeast and malt. The finish is fruity with a berry and citrus aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Jan 2017
at 20:59