About
During the dawn of micro-brewing in the Bay Area Roger Lind started Lind Brewing Company, which would later become Drake's Brewing. Lind was a brewer at Triple Rock in Berkeley, one of the first brewpubs in America, and set off on his own to brew draft-only English-style ales. In 1998 Roger Lind sold the brewery to a local coffee company, which continued to brew Drake's beer. A new era started in 2008 John Martin and Roy Kirkorian, purchased the brewery. Over the ensuing 10 years, they've expanded brewing capacity, distribution, and started producing West Coast style ales using an abundance of high quality hops and malt. A new 60-barrel brewhouse and fermentation tanks to match, boosted our brewing capacity, ensuring more people could find and enjoy Drake's beer was opened in 2016.
Part of the group
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle thanks to cquiroga, shared with badnewsbeers. Rich deep brown body with orange-reddish highlights, thin off-white head. Strong burnt caramel aroma with potent alcohol and piney, grapefruity hops, oxidized, with a mineraly medicinal quality reminding BNB of Flintstones vitamins. Sharp alcohol and sweet caramels warm the palate, with plenty of earthy oxidation, brandy, soy, and brown sugar. Tart sweetness almost verges on the sour. Raisiny. A heavy, sweet, big beer worthy of high accolades.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Dec 2006
at 18:51
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Thanks to droopy49 for sending this rare gem! Pours clear medium brown with virtually no head. Caramel and coffee with lots of bourbon in the aroma. Moderately sweet start to finish almost a thinned down English Barleywine.
Tried
on 06 Dec 2006
at 09:04
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Draft. Rich amber beer with a nice off-white head. Big grapefruit/summer fruit aroma. Grapefruit/summer fruit flavor with sweet caramel backing. Lingering grapefruit bitterness with sweet malt. medium body. easy to drink a lot of. There’s a bit of alcohol present, but this is a very drinkable IIPA.
Tried
from Draft
on 04 Dec 2006
at 16:43
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
On draft at Drake’s Friday tasting 11/10/06; Nose of honey and caramel; Hazy gold with a small white head; Flavor was sweet, spicy and caramelly in a light-medium body. Very tasty! I keep finding new unrated stuff at events like this!
Tried
from Draft
on 24 Nov 2006
at 22:55
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 5
Deep dark brown ale with no head, and light carbonatation. Aroma of sweet prunes, caramel, licroice and light ginger. In moutj, initial nice peaty notes, but becoming astringent, and green pepper in final. Dissapointingly thin. Bottle gift from Rasta, shared with GRM. Nov. 11, 2006.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Nov 2006
at 18:13
8.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Draft at the Bistro’s 1st Barrel-aged beerFest 11/11/06; Nose of Bourbon, oak with caramel and dark friut; Brown with a small beige head; flavor of woody bourbon, caramel, with a small, barely detectable hop finish.4/29/16, almost 10 years later my last nip from my cellar. Nose is prunes, tobacco, and light hints of vanilla and bourbon. The old brew is aging gracefully but it is almost totally flat. No really apparent oxidation. Flat, clear, dark brown with only a couple bigger bubbles appearing in the center as I poured. Flavor is moderately sweet and darkly fruity.
Tried
from Draft
on 24 Nov 2006
at 10:38
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Draft at Bistro’s 1st Barrel-Aged Beer Festival, 11/11/06;Nose of Barnyard, caramel, and oak; hazy brown with a ring of tan bubbles; flavor of tart grapes, caramel, and spices.
Tried
from Draft
on 23 Nov 2006
at 14:24
5.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle. Golden straw beer with a nice white head. Spicy hop aroma with some grass. Spicy hop flavor with some caramel malt backing. Medium bodied. Lingering spicy hops. A bit sweet - caramel seems strange, but I keep associating that taste. It borders on butterscotch, but not in a bad way.
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 Nov 2006
at 19:17
5.4/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Green bottle, 6 ounces, tasting at Lubière’s with Dum, Ian and Steve on November 11, 2006; eye: dirty brown, no effervescence, opaque, no head; nose: wooded scotch, licorice, basement, plum, alcohol; mouth: surprisingly thin, caramel, plum, pepper, apple, finale in caramel with a hint of pepper, mildly astringent, medium body, no carbonation; overall: disappointing FRANÇAIS Bouteille verte, 6 onces, dégustation chez Lubière avec Dum, Ian et Steve, 11 november 2006; oeil : brune sale, pas d’effervescence, opaque, pas de mousse; nez : scotch boisé, réglisse, cave, prune, alcool; bouche : curieusement mince, caramel, prunes, poivre, pomme, finale en caramel avec une pointe de poivre, astringence moyenne, corps moyen, pas de carbonatation; en résumé : désappointant
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Nov 2006
at 15:40
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draft at Drakes 11/10/06 Nose is yeasty with some citrtusy notes; hazy yellow gold iwth a small white head; flavor is banana, cloves, and citrus. Body is medium with lots of carbonation.
Tried
from Draft
on 14 Nov 2006
at 19:00