8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 9/2017. Pours very hazy very dark ruby red/brown color with a 1 finger dense and fluffy light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, grapefruit, orange, citrus peel/zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with light notes of cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Slight booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light citrus/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge raisin, plum, prune, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, grapefruit, orange, citrus peel/zest, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with light notes of cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Mild pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, grassy, peppery hops; and bourbon/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, grapefruit, orange, citrus peel/rind, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, biscuit, brown bread/crust, cocoa, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light citrus/earthy hop flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying sweetness after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 13.5%, with zero barrel booze lingering after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged English barleywine! All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, fruity yeast, bourbon barrels, and light citrus/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mildly bitter/tannic/drying finish. Perfect balance of super rich malts, fruity yeast, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with solid citrus/earthy hop balance. Not overly sweet/heavy from lingering dryness. Not overly boozy/tannic on barrels. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazingly spot on style example.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Apr 2019
at 03:27
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
16 ounce prowler into pint glass, filled on 3/10/2019. Pours fairly crystal clear medium golden yellow color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of lemon, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red apple, licorice, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, cracker, spicy rye, biscuit dough, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Slight touch of diacetyl in the aromas. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of pale/rye malts, citrus/earthy hops, and light-moderate fruity yeast notes; with solid strength. Taste of lemon, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red apple, licorice, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, cracker, spicy rye, biscuit dough, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness; and rye spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, peach, pear, melon, apricot, red apple, licorice, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, cracker, spicy rye, biscuit dough, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of pale/rye malts, citrus/earthy hops, and light-moderate fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitterness and rye spiciness balance; with no astringent hop/rye flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp/clean finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and rye spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 5.5%. Overall this is a delicious rye English pale ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of pale/rye malts, citrus/earthy hops, and light-moderate fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and fairly crisp/clean/refreshing to drink; with the modestly bitter/resinous/drying finish, not overly aggressive. Great balance of clean pale/rye malts, citrus/earthy Mt. Rainier hops, and restrained English yeast fruitiness. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example. Was not sure what this was supposed to be at first, but the English yeast was immediately noticeable.
Tried
on 06 Apr 2019
at 03:24
8/10
Awesome! Lemon/orange/pear/apple/floral/honey/vanilla/bourbon/toasted oak/coconut; lt toffee/oak char/pepper. Semisweet/flat finish. Lt acid/tannic/spicy oak drying. No cloying. Dangerously smooth sipping. Min warmth/no barrel booze. Very impressive!
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Mar 2019
at 16:47
7/10
Nice. Tart/tangy cherry/skin/pits/berry/vanilla/honey/herbal/yeast earth. Semisweet/flat finish. Lt acid/tangy/tannin drying. No cloying. Smooth sipping. Nice honey/fruit/yeast complexity. Min warmth. Clean flavors. Got better as it warmed.
Tried
from Draft
at
Fillmore Brewing
on 10 Mar 2019
at 13:38
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
16 oz can. Pours an orange amber with some fine particle haze and an off-white head. Citrus, floral, pine hop in the aroma, with a note of butterscotch at times. Flavor has the citrus, floral hops, toasty malt and butterscotch. Not great.
Tried
from Can
on 24 May 2018
at 05:30
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 3/18/2018. Pours slightly hazy medium orange/amber/light copper color with a 1 finger dense off white head with good 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 grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, caramel, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and moderate bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, caramel, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, peach, pineapple, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, citrus rind, pepper, pine, caramel, toasted bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/sticky, and fairly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 6.5%. Overall this is a very good IPA. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/drying finish, never aggressive. A bit malty, but not overly sweet for an IPA. Balanced juicy/dank hop complexity, and dark/bready malts. Classic Chinook, Columbus, Cascade hop profile. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Apr 2018
at 00:59
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 3/22/2018. Pours fairly crystal clear deep ruby red/light copper color with a 1 finger dense cream colored head with good 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 juicy apricots, peach, pear, melon, red apple, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and lightly toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, banana, pepper, clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of apricots, fruity/light spicy yeast, and dark/bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of juicy apricots, peach, pear, melon, red apple, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and lightly toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, banana, pepper, clove, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Very mild herbal/grassy bitterness and yeast spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of apricots, peach, pear, melon, red apple, red grape, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/pepper, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of apricots, fruity/light spicy yeast, and dark/bready malt flavors; with a solid malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 6%. Overall this is a very good fruited Belgian dark ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of apricots, fruity/light spicy yeast, and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the minimally bitter/spicy finish. Very well balanced between all flavors, nothing overwhelming. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.
Tried
from Can
on 07 Apr 2018
at 22:53