6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
tap at the Gaylord location - The brewpub claims the abv is 10.7%. I think not. That would be very odd for an ESB and quite obvious. Pours lightly hazy amber with an off-white head that laces well. It has a very mild aroma of rather indistinct malt. The flavor is sweet up front leading into some good bitterness. There’s a touch of citrus and a lingering bitter finish. Good.
Tried
from Draft
on 08 Aug 2012
at 16:56
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
tap at the Gaylord location - Pours copper-red with light haze and an off-white head. It has a mild caramel malt aroma. The flavor has good caramel character with mild to moderately bitter hops. It’s medium bodied and pretty good.
Tried
from Draft
on 08 Aug 2012
at 16:53
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
On tap at Big Buck, Gaylord. Hazy light orange-brown body, thin buff head. Sweet fruity nose with orange peel, candi sugar, and spice. Atypical body, with prickly alcohol and candi sugar, vinous with white grape and pear; perhaps hints of orange peel. Phenolic with hints of band-aids or plastic. A strange beer, drinkable despite its flaws. That said, the listed ABV is ludicrous.
Tried
from Draft
on 03 Sep 2011
at 08:40
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
On tap at Big Buck, Gaylord. Part of the "Brewer’s Private Gourmet Collection," an $11 pint or $4 four-ounce sample. Cloudy orange-brown body, thin ring of cream carbonation. Super-sweet nose with wet hay, berries, light fruit, and booze. Fruity body with sharp alcohol and abundant residual sugars. Sweet and prickly, the alcohol and sugars somewhat masking the bitter hops. Peachy and rough, a tad cloying and intense. I’m not sure this is really 13.5% ABV, but that number is less offensive than the 10.5% listed for their "Classic Porter," "Chocolate Porter," and an outrageous 10.7% listed for their ESB.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Aug 2011
at 16:52
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
On tap at Big Buck, Gaylord. Part of the "Brewer’s Private Gourmet Collection," listed at 12.7% ABV. Presumably this is close enough to this listing to rate here. Deep opaque brown/black body, thin ring of medium brown carbonation. Sweet nose with molasses and licorice. Chewy body with a ton of sweet chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, and berries; smooth, silky, sweet, and rich. Little apparent alcohol despite the likely-inflated ABV.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Aug 2011
at 16:42
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
On tap at Big Buck, Gaylord. Part of the new "Brewer’s Private Gourmet Collection," a welcome selection of non-standard beers but also an excuse to charge the highest prices I have ever paid at a brewery. This beer was $7 for eight ounces, or $4 for a four-ounce sample. Murky, opaque brown-black body, thin ring of light brown carbonation. Nose of coffee beans, roasted malts, and bitter cocoa. Roasty body, dry and chalky with coffee beans, dark chocolate, and hints of vanilla and dark fruits. Rich but nowhere near the listed 14% ABV. Big Buck, check your instruments or your calculations! I will check my bank account.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Aug 2011
at 16:28
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
On tap at Big Buck, Gaylord. Murky copper/orange/brown body, thin to medium creamy buff head. Nose of caramel and berries. Strong body, lots of berries and caramel, also toast and alcohol notes, medicinal, finishing with residual sugars and prickly alcohol heat. Rich, relatively simple. I am not sure that this beer is truly 9% ABV, especially given some of the other ABV figures listed on the menu (see other recent Big Buck ratings).
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Aug 2011
at 16:23
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
On tap at Big Buck, Gaylord. Translucent hazy straw body, thin buff head. Light hoppy nose with citrus (grapefruit) rind and bitterness. Body with catty, piny hops notes, leafy and vibrant, with hints of green apple. Grassy and dry. Had an interesting herbal, almost berry-like quality. Tasty.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Aug 2011
at 16:16
4/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 4
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4
6th Annual MBG Winter Beer Festival, Grand Rapids. Murky yellow-brown body, no head. Odd nose. Weird body, sugary with banana, but weak and flat, with flaccid oak and barrel characteristics. Weak, flat, and poor.
Tried
on 30 Apr 2011
at 19:21
6.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
On tap at the Gaylord, MI location. Murky red-brown body, thick, creamy buff head. Sweet nose with brown sugar and candy corn notes. Fruity body with abundant sugars, dark fruit, and caramel. The most characteristic flavor was candy corn, suggesting diacetyl. Bitter, hoppy finish. The heft allowed the beer to carry the candy corn notes without them becoming overbearing.
Tried
from Draft
on 25 Sep 2008
at 22:13