Bison Brewing Company

Microbrewery in Berkeley, California, United States 🇺🇸

Established in 1989

Closed in 2018

Contact
2598 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA, 94708, United States
001

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7.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
bottle - Pours almost black with a medium sized tan head. It smells very much like dark chocolate with some roastiness. The taste also has lots more of the same with the chocolate almost overdone. It’s medium bodied, lightly carbonated, and goes down smooth.
Tried from Bottle on 16 May 2007 at 22:52

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
bottle - Pours copper colored with a thin head and a citrus hop aroma. The fruity hops come through pretty well in the flavor, though overall it’s a little on the light side. Still, this ale is fairly enjoyable and easy to drink.
Tried from Bottle on 16 May 2007 at 22:49

7.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Bottle: Very dark brown pour topped with a smaller tan head. Nice lacing. Nose is roasty and light cocoa, taste is the same. The bittersweetness and cocoa flows well with the mild roasted malt notes.
Tried from Bottle on 14 May 2007 at 22:11

6.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
(Bottle 65 cl) Slightly hazy, dark amber golden with a yellowish head. Sweetish aroma of caramel and overripe fruit. Quite full-bodied with sweetish caramel malt and overripe fruit and then a somewhat raw and brutal hop bitterness in the finish - they really should work on getting some better quality hops. Not a grand Barley Wine but better than its average indicates. 250407
Tried from Bottle on 27 Apr 2007 at 11:44

6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Bottled. An unclear dark amber beer with a thin orange head. The aroma is sweet grassy hoppy, but also with light notes of dust and alcohol. The flavor is very sweet with strong notes of over ripe fruits, medium notes of grapefruit and dust from the hops, and light notes of alcohol.
Tried from Bottle on 25 Apr 2007 at 18:53

6.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6
Bottle. Pour is dark brown, kinda syrupy as it pours and not much going on in terms of head or carbonation. A little bit of scummy looking small bubbles on the surface, but that’s it. Aromas are quite pleasant, of chocolate malt, with a bit of a smokey peat presence lingering in the background. That said, the smells are a little subtle. Flavor is heavy of roasted malt... the smoke/peat comes through strong, too. The cocoa is definitely present, but the other flavors seem to take center stage. Comes off as a bit watery/weak and doesn’t finish strong, which is a shame.
Tried from Bottle on 06 Apr 2007 at 21:04

7.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
12oz Bottle Pours out a nice black topped with a great tan head. A nice aroma of roast and some chocolate. Not to bad.
Tried from Bottle on 30 Mar 2007 at 21:58

7.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Awesome flip top bottle from Davecooks, oh man Dave this is a great beer. Bottle pops with a lot of force. Pours with a large head into my Chimay goblet. Color is a deep orange-ish golden, with some visible carbonation. A very thick looking beer that just glows. The head turns into a cream lacing about 3 centimeters thick and just sits around. I mean when it comes to beauty it doesn’t get better than this. Aroma is ever changing, lots of Belgian yeastiness, then a great cookie dough malt flavor and then this crazy fruity (orange, citrus) and spicy yeastiness pops out. The aroma is all there and ever present and yet it is able to stay light and refreshing. Taste is right there as well with more of the yeasty maltiness - light cookie dough with an offsetting acidity and a slightly bitter hoppiness. A nicely lively mouthfeel with a bit of spikiness on the roof of my mouth and an overall cloudy-pillow like feeling. The longer I drink this the better it gets, each little pour adds a different dimension. Also, got to love the fact that they advertise for you to refill their bottle at your favorite brewery, this really is a killer Saison. 9/5/8/4/17

Re-rate: Oh my, what have these bastards done, I think I hate these brewers now. It’s one thing to brew a bad beer from the beginning but to ruin such a great beer is an awful awful thing. I have had the 22oz bomber twice now (shared by Dickinsonbeer and one from 11026) and this is not even the same freaking beer. First off none of that head at all. Just a plan thick golden, small head. Aroma is horrific, cleaning products, rotten fruits, and cheap Belgian sweetness. Taste is also overall sweet, astringent, and some weird off-flavor. Something is just completely different between the two bottles.5/3/6/3/12
Tried from Bottle on 23 Mar 2007 at 23:41

6.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 5 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6
Aroma of sweetish malt and citrus hop? Slightly hazy amber color. Smattering of tatters of a white head. Starts with a strange sweetness - a bit pruny or slightly medicinal. Medium mouthfeel. The alcohol is noticeable, but not harsh. Very smooth, develops nicely, but it’s not an incredibly hoppy barleywine. Just a strong, malty drink. For sipping.
Tried on 21 Mar 2007 at 20:21

7.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Bottle. Black colour with a light brown head. Aroma is hop, chocolate, coffee. Flavour is hop, chocolate, coffee, dry, roastiness. Nice beer.
Tried from Bottle on 09 Mar 2007 at 00:05