5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Cask @ GBBF Not a lot of aroma on this mid brown beer. Malty caramel and some coffee flavours. I’m not a big brown ale fan and this did not convince me either way.
Tried
from Cask
on 04 Aug 2005
at 04:32
6.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
[Cask at GBBF 2004] A dark amber beer with a brown head. The aroma is primarily hoppy. The flavor is sweet with notes of caramel, alcohol, chocolate, and coffee.
Tried
from Cask
on 24 Apr 2005
at 04:52
8.8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
On draught (and I bought and drank a growler too) at the brewery, Feb 2005. Golden-coppery color, quite hazy with a firm white head. Fantastic aroma, even from a regular pint glass. Pure, fresh, juicy, sweet, green hops and a touch of malt in the background. Flavor continues with the green hops aroma, with probably the freshest hops flavor I’ve ever tasted in a beer. Light spice/herbal/grass notes, no overbearing citrus or pine notes. It’s all hops flavor, without all of the obnoxious bitterness. Perhaps I’m a bit biased because I love Cascade hops, but this was just fantastically flavored. A touch dry on the malting, if they could add a bit of sweet toasted/caramel malt, it would be pretty close to perfect, in my book. Medium-full body is another strong point of this beer. The lack of any significantly sweet malt, may detract from the balance a bit, but it keeps the flavor crisp, refreshing and very drinkable. No wateriness, carbonation is minimal, as it should be. A definite must try!
Tried
from Growler
on 22 Feb 2005
at 09:49
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
On draught at Amherst, Feb 2005, in place of the Puffers Smoked Porter. Interesting twist, was told that this is essentially the Puffers Smoked porter, with extra chocolate and chocolate malt in place of the smoked malt. Deep brown pour with magenta highlights and a light tan head, mostly dissipating. Aroma of malted chocolate, light coffee, a bit of dry bakers chocolate and a touch of yeast. Flavor is chocolatey, but not syrupy, which was quite pleasant. I much prefer chocolate beers with real chocolate or just tons of chocolate malt, instead of hershey’s syrup. Grainy/gritty texture, light cocoa powder feel, with some malt sweetness throughout, a light tinge of hops on the finish and a medium to medium-full body. Could use some more coffee/roast notes, but still a very good, fresh and real tasting chocolate porter.
Tried
on 22 Feb 2005
at 09:20
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
On draught Feb 2005. Deep copper-bronze colored beer, with a light, light tinge of red. Small, quickly receding head. Hops are light, yet noticeable, with a grainy, earthy bite. Flavor is heavily toasted malt, with some dry pale bitterness from the hops. They have a good thing going with these C hops, and I’m not going to fault them for it, even on an English bitter. Maybe I was just overwhelmed by the IPA, but I really like the hops profile. Malt, as mentioned, is toasty and dry, with little real flavor or variation. Medium to medium-light body, low carbonation, bitter/dry finish.
Tried
on 19 Feb 2005
at 19:07
5.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
On draught Feb 2005. Clear golden colored beer, with a small white head and an aroma of dry yeast, lightly herbal hops and some grainy/lightly metallic malt. Flavor is rather unremarkable, this is no Anchor Steam, that’s for sure. I like the style, but this seems to just dumb it down to an unflavored, boring, nothingness. Drinkable, of course, but very uninspiring. Medium-light body, moderate to too much carbonation.
Tried
on 19 Feb 2005
at 19:04
5.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 4.5
On draught Feb 2005 at the brewery. Pale gold color, light tinge of orange, with a white head that lasts. Aroma of pale malt, light American hops and papery yeast. Flavor is gummy, with a light touch of sugar and a papery, yet lightly fruity flavor of hops and earthiness. Very strange, with dryness on the end. It dosent come together in any sort of way. Brassy, metallic notes finish the beer, with a medium body. Yeast and too much dryness this beer could do without.
On cask a couple drinks later. The creamy body does nothing to hide the light metal tones and over drying effect of the malt and hops. Light fruits, but nothing tremendously flavorful. Seemed old and stale, could be the end of the vat. Not sure, but I certainly wasnt impressed.
On cask a couple drinks later. The creamy body does nothing to hide the light metal tones and over drying effect of the malt and hops. Light fruits, but nothing tremendously flavorful. Seemed old and stale, could be the end of the vat. Not sure, but I certainly wasnt impressed.
Tried
from Can
on 19 Feb 2005
at 18:59
6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
On draught Feb 2005. Dark mahogany brown color with a light yellow head, mostly disipating. Somewhat transluscent, not terribly filtered looking. Aroma is light, of sweet brown malts, light yeast and earthiness. Flavor is decidedly British and reminds me of Newcastle. Simple, lightly fruity characteristics, with no hops profile and a medium body. A bit of sticky caramel on the end, with low to moderate carbonation. By the books English brown. The yeast really grabs you in this one, but there is some strange, earthy-dirtiness that muddles the flavor and does not work with the lightly sour yeast.
Tried
on 19 Feb 2005
at 18:36
5.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5.5
On tap Feb 2005. Lightly orange-tinged golden color beer with a film of white head. Aroma of sour german yeast and light earthy hops. Flavor is simple, with some pale grains, lightly toasted notes and some earth-like hops notes. A bit of veggies on the end, and too much sourness. Medium to medium light bodied with moderate carbonation.
Tried
from Draft
on 19 Feb 2005
at 18:32
5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 4
Texture 6
Overall 4
On draught Feb 2005 at the brewery. Copper colored beer, with a small off-white head, good retention. Mostly clear body. Aroma of leafy, fuzzy, dry, astringent heather and little else. Not a very intense aroma. Flavor is even worse, with a sharp, spritzy carbonation and a dry, almost meaty-like flavor. Soured and yet light, maibockaddict isnt offended, claiming it is a good summer ale. I agree, but I guess I was looking for something more substantial. Perhaps I’m ruined by Town Hall’s version, but this one didnt cut it. Very oddly, it has a medium to medium-full body, with a chewy sweetness and lots to ponder as you drink it. It took me a while to finish, as I wasnt a big fan of the veggies and meat. Maybe I’m just crazy. . .
Tried
on 19 Feb 2005
at 18:30