7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
On tap at the brewery. Heavy dark orange body, thin off-white head. Powerful clove-heavy aroma, with candied fruits, sugars, and alcohol. Big, bold body dominated by esters (banana and clove), toast, and white wine notes, with hot alcohol contributing a prickly almost champagne-like quality to the body. Very sweet. Lacks the subtle complexity of the best Quads, but still very good.
Tried
from Draft
on 24 May 2007
at 15:31
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Sampler. Finally, we wrap the evening with the former Poor Richard’s. Solid brown body packed with malts instead of sugar (blame that previous quad for this observation). With a little more alcohol, it could be a "young Bigfoot." Strong malt and alcohol. The hops manage some bacup, but give up after a while, leaving just a little lingering bitter aftertaste.
Tried
on 10 May 2007
at 13:26
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sampler. Quite a difference between this and the Tripel. This one’s much darker. Smell and taste bring a lot of candi sugar up front. Then some horse, spice and a little banana. Not quite as refined as its little brother. Again, those sweet cream cheese-filled pretzels might be skewing the sweetness already here.
Tried
from Can
on 10 May 2007
at 13:22
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Sampler. A light beer body leading to a dense texture. A surprise smokiness that may be the effects of the Scottish and Rauch I had before this. Spicy clove, but more subdued banana, which is where I prefer it. Other fruity blends with a note of sour apple. Finishing notes of barnyard, hey and black pepper. Almost a shame to be trying this at the end of a long line of other style.
Tried
on 10 May 2007
at 13:18
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Sampler. After sliding through the "regular" beer samples, we come to the start of the "extreme" beers that couldn’t fit on the sampler paddle! Just a little too light to be taking on the Dreadnaught, but it’s surely sniffing its butt behind. Heavy fresh hop layer from dry hopping. Brutally bitter to keep those aroma hops out of the way.
Tried
on 10 May 2007
at 13:11
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
Sampler. Finally, a stout on tonight’s beer tasting journey. Roasty coffee and chocolate sits right up front in the nose, daring you to push them aside and find any other flavors. They’re also full force in the taste. There is some roast grain astringency, but luckily not too much. Good dry stout finish.
Tried
on 10 May 2007
at 13:07
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Sampler. Wow, with this being tasted right after their Scottish Ale, it’s like Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room here. Yes, it’s plenty smoky here, but that’s mostly confined to the malt, leaving the rest of the beer profile to come through. Kind of a brown ale base, I think. Burnt umber color. Mild and restrained for a style that can get kind of bacony.
Tried
from Can
on 10 May 2007
at 13:02
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Sampler. Yes, it is peaty. A dark red-brown color, complicated lacing. Did I mention peat? That and an unexpected taste of bitter cocoa: not too much, but noticable when you weren’t looking for it. Good, rich-tasting beer.
Tried
on 10 May 2007
at 12:51
6.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sampler. Color of an IPA. Nice lacing in glass. Chewy malt flavor. A nice hop finish: light on citrus, more spicy, like…oh, maybe that’s why they call it "The Noble One." Duh.
Tried
on 10 May 2007
at 12:45
5.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Sampler. Light orange body. Vanilla very evident in nose and, of course, in the taste. But in proper quantities, not too much. A lot of cream soda flavor, more than cream ale. I might suggest it’s not for everyone, though at the moment, it’s as close as they have to a fruit beer.
Tried
on 10 May 2007
at 12:20