8.1/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Dec 2002 bottle consumed in December 2003
Opaque Black beer with good amount of sediment (looks like black malt). Deep, rich toffee colored head. Moderate size and fairly long lasting. Smells of camphor?, vanilla roast coffee, oak barrel alcohol, dark bitter chocolate. Aroma lasts long. Quite unexpectedly, this beer is a relatively light imperial. Tastes like a strong, bitter porter without the sweet, extra malted finish. Bitter hops. Brown sugar in the middle. Dry on the finish, but not overly so. Very smooth and even. Maybe some dark chocolate lingering in the background. Finish is moderately nutty and roasty. A toned down Imperial but still very well made. The aroma kept me guessing. Some thinning after it has warmed. Not quite as complex as some of the best, though still up there. Highly recommended.
2005 bottle (I think) shared by SuIIy on 4/22/07
Nice to see that my previous score was accurate. This is still a fantastic IS. Rich and chewy, with cream, vanilla, nougat and caramel, but well enough attenuated to not get cloying/syrupy. Roast is pretty tame, only adding some light dryness on the end, but it’s pretty liberally hopped, which also helps add balancing bitterness. The Ringwood yeast, fresh and unpasteurized/unfiltered shines through, giving a light nuttiness and some earthy notes that lend some uniqueness to this one. With warming, the roast comes out further, giving a hint of oiliness and light smoke. Vinousness is moderate, with flavors of berries and light prunes soaked in vanilla. Supple texture, gentle carbonation, no raw/apparent alcohol notes.
Opaque Black beer with good amount of sediment (looks like black malt). Deep, rich toffee colored head. Moderate size and fairly long lasting. Smells of camphor?, vanilla roast coffee, oak barrel alcohol, dark bitter chocolate. Aroma lasts long. Quite unexpectedly, this beer is a relatively light imperial. Tastes like a strong, bitter porter without the sweet, extra malted finish. Bitter hops. Brown sugar in the middle. Dry on the finish, but not overly so. Very smooth and even. Maybe some dark chocolate lingering in the background. Finish is moderately nutty and roasty. A toned down Imperial but still very well made. The aroma kept me guessing. Some thinning after it has warmed. Not quite as complex as some of the best, though still up there. Highly recommended.
2005 bottle (I think) shared by SuIIy on 4/22/07
Nice to see that my previous score was accurate. This is still a fantastic IS. Rich and chewy, with cream, vanilla, nougat and caramel, but well enough attenuated to not get cloying/syrupy. Roast is pretty tame, only adding some light dryness on the end, but it’s pretty liberally hopped, which also helps add balancing bitterness. The Ringwood yeast, fresh and unpasteurized/unfiltered shines through, giving a light nuttiness and some earthy notes that lend some uniqueness to this one. With warming, the roast comes out further, giving a hint of oiliness and light smoke. Vinousness is moderate, with flavors of berries and light prunes soaked in vanilla. Supple texture, gentle carbonation, no raw/apparent alcohol notes.
Tried
from Bottle
on 02 Dec 2003
at 21:04
6.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Tap. Pours a drab brown but has some lighter tan/red tinges. Quite clear. Small off-white head that lasts. Huge amounts of lacing. Starts with a good light caramel malt which develops into a medium-light body with some nice drier hops flavor. The finish has a nutty/roasty flavor that is quite dry as well and mildly bitter. Alcohol is barely perceptible, though there is a touch of something possibly metallic. Overall a great balance, just not quite as much complexity as I'm looking for compared to some of the best browns I've had. The malt is very subtle and gets pushed around by the hops and dry, nutty, raisin-walnut flavor. As I finish, I swear there is a hint of citrus hops towards the finish. Maybe not quite citrus, but a tart fruitiness, that seems a bit out of place with a nut brown ale. Aroma is of dry roasted malt and maybe some maple/walnut type aroma; like a waffle with syrup on it. Carbonation was not a problem.
Tried
from Draft
on 31 Oct 2003
at 14:40
8.9/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
2002 Batch:
Black in colour, completely opaque with a dense small-bubbled dark brown head. Simply put: a great looking beer! Smells of roasted malt, oatmeal, coffee, chocolate and the slightest of sweetness from pit fruit. Very nice smelling, but not perfect. Full-bodied; High carbonation; Roasted malt, coffee (espresso almost), bittersweet chocolate (~77% cacao) and once again, the tiny amount of sweetness that seems like it came from prunes or plums are all strong components of the taste. Aftertaste bittered from the roasted malt, oatmeal & coffee flavours, but sweetened a bit by the chocolate tastes. Overall, one of the best Imperial Stouts I've had recently...definately worth trying if you can find a bottle! I bought my twelve ounce bottle from Merchant's in Dearborn, Michigan and sampled it on 1-September-2003.
Black in colour, completely opaque with a dense small-bubbled dark brown head. Simply put: a great looking beer! Smells of roasted malt, oatmeal, coffee, chocolate and the slightest of sweetness from pit fruit. Very nice smelling, but not perfect. Full-bodied; High carbonation; Roasted malt, coffee (espresso almost), bittersweet chocolate (~77% cacao) and once again, the tiny amount of sweetness that seems like it came from prunes or plums are all strong components of the taste. Aftertaste bittered from the roasted malt, oatmeal & coffee flavours, but sweetened a bit by the chocolate tastes. Overall, one of the best Imperial Stouts I've had recently...definately worth trying if you can find a bottle! I bought my twelve ounce bottle from Merchant's in Dearborn, Michigan and sampled it on 1-September-2003.
Tried
from Can
on 04 Sep 2003
at 21:16
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Copper in colour with a thin white head. Piney hops in the aroma with a subtle citrus smell as well. Medium-bodied; perfect for an IPA with a clean hoppy taste. Almost perfect hoppiness level, not as much as west-coasters, but very good. Nice maltiness to balance the hops. A pleasant hop bitterness rests on the palate after the last sip. One of the better IPA's i've ever had! Overall, better than the average IPA and should be tasted if it's available to you! I had mine from a 500 mL goblet served on draught at the Polish Village Cafe in Hamtramck, Michigan on 14-August-2003.
Tried
on 16 Aug 2003
at 14:56
6.5/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
2003 and 2004 bottles. Extra cloudy and even more orange than most wheats. Had a nice moderate sized head that wasnt too bubbly. Aroma was lacking however. Initial taste is crisp and less full (than Oberon, sorry but I couldnt help comparing them). I am definitely tasting a good hops flavor here, especially the hallertau. The yeast is also very apparent here. There is a slightly sweet flavor towards the middle (honey and some malt), with ample lemon and some light coriander. The carbonation in the bottle is almost, but not quite, a problem, as there is more here than in most wheats ive tried. It seems to lessen the body, and is not pleasant. Overall not as much strong wheat/fruit/yeast flavor as Oberon (which I enjoy), but that might be ok for you, if you like a less full bodied wheat a bit more on the hoppy side. Carbonation content needs to be lessened in any case.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jul 2003
at 11:17
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
This Scotch ale is syrupy, sweet, and semi-sour, not unlike a thick doppelbock. Garnet body with a light tan head. Aroma is of urine (yes, urine!) and fermented fruit. Too much on the sour side, and not enough "twigs 'n berries" complexity.
Tried
on 28 Jun 2003
at 10:36
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Lake Superior ESB is like a toned down version of Arcadia IPA. Body is amber, with a thin white head. Aroma is perfumey hops, and flavor is musty, floral hops without any sulfuric element. Not standard for the style.
Tried
on 28 Jun 2003
at 10:33
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Re-rate. Hazy medium orange body, dense medium off-white head. Nose of floral, medicinal hops with light bubblegum and biscuit. Hoppy body, spicy and floral, somewhat leafy, with light bubblegum, backed by bready malts. Underrated IPA.
Tried
on 13 Jun 2003
at 15:29
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
I was intrigued by the mention of bubblegum in several reviews of this beer, and I was happily surprised by the sweet gum aroma of Anglers Ale. Flavor is malty, much like a Bass Pale Ale, with a hint of sweet bubblegum and a touch of hops, although this element could have been stronger. Still a nice brew.
Tried
on 01 Jun 2003
at 17:24
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 4
Overall 7
Typical on the pour (cloudy yellow-orange), with a hint of orange peel in the aroma. Unfortunately, the flavor was dominated by a bitter tang that luckily subsided as the beer warmed. I'll work this into the "palate" rating instead of docking the flavor, which finished smooth and strong. Whitsun seems like a hybrid witbier/American Wheat.
Tried
from Can
on 25 May 2003
at 15:34