7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draught at Local Option, 4/18/14
Deep mahogany brown body has some dark magenta tints to it and a light tan head perched atop showing moderate retention.
Another one with ratings all over the place, just like the BA Kentucky Common. Strange. This one seemed pretty straightforward delicious to me, and I consider myself to have a pretty low tolerance for coffee being overdone in a beer.
Instead, chocolate and caramel notes are intricately woven with light vanilla, bittersweet, oily oak notes and very dry, almost Spanish-like coffee flavors ending dry, as all the Local Option beers have, thus far (kudos to that, for sure). More vanilla, lightly toasted grains and some light fruitiness lying underneath (cherries, peaches, oranges) in the aroma with light fruitiness emerging in the flavor, as well, and complementing the malt flavors to produce a moderate complexity. Zesty but not overdone carbonation and a supple texture (another thing most of their beers had in common). Very enjoyable beer. The finish has a moderate dose of acidity, as well, further adding to my enjoyment.
Deep mahogany brown body has some dark magenta tints to it and a light tan head perched atop showing moderate retention.
Another one with ratings all over the place, just like the BA Kentucky Common. Strange. This one seemed pretty straightforward delicious to me, and I consider myself to have a pretty low tolerance for coffee being overdone in a beer.
Instead, chocolate and caramel notes are intricately woven with light vanilla, bittersweet, oily oak notes and very dry, almost Spanish-like coffee flavors ending dry, as all the Local Option beers have, thus far (kudos to that, for sure). More vanilla, lightly toasted grains and some light fruitiness lying underneath (cherries, peaches, oranges) in the aroma with light fruitiness emerging in the flavor, as well, and complementing the malt flavors to produce a moderate complexity. Zesty but not overdone carbonation and a supple texture (another thing most of their beers had in common). Very enjoyable beer. The finish has a moderate dose of acidity, as well, further adding to my enjoyment.
Tried
on 02 Jun 2014
at 11:19
5.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 5
Bottle. Creamy white good mostly lasting head. Amber colour. MOderate malty and hoppy aroma. Some wheat notes. MOderate bitter flavor. Average light bitter finish. Not wellbalanced. Oily palate.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jun 2014
at 01:20
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
500 ml bottle into lager glass, no bottle dating. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy golden orange color with a 1-2 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a good amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Aromas of lemon zest, pear, apple, honey, toast, biscuit, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with well balanced earthy hop, bready malt, and yeast ester notes; with solid strength. Taste of lemon zest, pear, apple, honey, toast, biscuit, herbal, grass, light pepper, and yeast earthiness. Fair amount of earthy/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of lemon zest, pear, apple, honey, toast, biscuit, grass, herbal, light pepper, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice robustness and balance of earthy hops, bready malts, and yeast ester flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth, moderately crisp, and lightly bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good maibock. Robust and well balanced earthy hop, bready malt, and yeast ester flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 May 2014
at 18:34
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7.5
Draught at Local Option, 4/18/14
Deep amber-auburn colored beer with darker mahogany shades. Clarity is high while the beige head is small and shows moderate retention.
Clean, sweet maltiness coupled with the spicier, more aromatic side of bourbon. Not just a shot of boozey, raw, grainy bourbon but nicely integrated with the beer, producing cherry-like fruitiness, light chocolate and tons of soft caramel. I get very little booziness on the end and just a touch of the expected vanilla. Medium strength of aroma.
The flavor is is full of medium-sweet caramel malt, tons of fruitiness and soft, spicy bourbon. Add to this a wonderfully invigorating texture (tight carbonation, soft, supple maltiness) and it’s just incredibly drinkable and lacking on the booze or grainy astringency often found in these beers. Furthermore, while the bourbon flavor is certainly quite present, it dosent completely take over the beer. Good wood and malt complexities and a lingering bourbon and fruit finish. Close with Morning Wood for my favorite beer I had at Local Option. Interesting that the ratings of this are all over the place. I guess everyone calls it tart, where I just saw a nice, balancing, fruitiy acidity. I guess that may be a bit off-putting to those just looking for a straightforward bourbon-aged stout-like beer, which this is certainly not.
Deep amber-auburn colored beer with darker mahogany shades. Clarity is high while the beige head is small and shows moderate retention.
Clean, sweet maltiness coupled with the spicier, more aromatic side of bourbon. Not just a shot of boozey, raw, grainy bourbon but nicely integrated with the beer, producing cherry-like fruitiness, light chocolate and tons of soft caramel. I get very little booziness on the end and just a touch of the expected vanilla. Medium strength of aroma.
The flavor is is full of medium-sweet caramel malt, tons of fruitiness and soft, spicy bourbon. Add to this a wonderfully invigorating texture (tight carbonation, soft, supple maltiness) and it’s just incredibly drinkable and lacking on the booze or grainy astringency often found in these beers. Furthermore, while the bourbon flavor is certainly quite present, it dosent completely take over the beer. Good wood and malt complexities and a lingering bourbon and fruit finish. Close with Morning Wood for my favorite beer I had at Local Option. Interesting that the ratings of this are all over the place. I guess everyone calls it tart, where I just saw a nice, balancing, fruitiy acidity. I guess that may be a bit off-putting to those just looking for a straightforward bourbon-aged stout-like beer, which this is certainly not.
Tried
on 31 May 2014
at 10:47
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Draught at Local Option, 4/18/14
Golden to light amber body shows a touch of haziness with a large white head that is well-retained.
No sign of the green tea in the nose, and other than a somewhat richness of malt, it’s not screaming BdG at me. Lots of honey and a decent touch of banana and apple esters are rounded out by light caramel notes. Some light astringency/acidity is noted on the end, almost mineral-like and provides a good foil to the maltiness. Medium strength of aroma overall with no flaws/alcohol noted.
No green tea notes in the flavor either, probably a good thing that theyre underdone. Lovely acidity shows itself right in balance with the honey-caramel maltiness and a fair amount of fruity esters help deepen the complexity. Very dry finish, almost abruptly so. Could be the green tea adding astringency? Not sure, but it’s interesting, if a touch too drying. Otherwise a solid offering and I like the restraint on the sweetness and alcohol.
Golden to light amber body shows a touch of haziness with a large white head that is well-retained.
No sign of the green tea in the nose, and other than a somewhat richness of malt, it’s not screaming BdG at me. Lots of honey and a decent touch of banana and apple esters are rounded out by light caramel notes. Some light astringency/acidity is noted on the end, almost mineral-like and provides a good foil to the maltiness. Medium strength of aroma overall with no flaws/alcohol noted.
No green tea notes in the flavor either, probably a good thing that theyre underdone. Lovely acidity shows itself right in balance with the honey-caramel maltiness and a fair amount of fruity esters help deepen the complexity. Very dry finish, almost abruptly so. Could be the green tea adding astringency? Not sure, but it’s interesting, if a touch too drying. Otherwise a solid offering and I like the restraint on the sweetness and alcohol.
Tried
on 30 May 2014
at 13:44
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Sample at Twenty Tap. Clear amber color with a medium off-white head that diminishes steadily to an outer ring. Stringy lacing on the glass. Aroma of caramel, wheat and fruit. Light-bodied with flavors of grainy malt, caramel and ripe fruit. Subtle hops in the background. The finish is grainy with an earthy malt aftertaste. Decent overall.
Tried
from Draft
at
Twenty Tap
on 27 May 2014
at 21:32
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
0.5l bottle. This is a light cloudy kinda dark amber light brown looking one and it has a really lacing big and lasting light beige head. Oh, that's a different aroma. Lots of green coffee beans with grains, burned caramel, Rye and lots of wood. It smells quite unique this, and I kinda like it. In the mouth it feels good and oily while the carbonation level is just below average. Lots of coffee I the taste, but it's lacking the roasted touch. Loaded with wood and oak combined with sweet toasted caramel and marshmallows. Lots of flavor! Ends light sweet with red berries, almost like salted cowberries and lots of mouthdrying wood. Strange, paired with blue cheese it gives me a huge rush of vanilla! Really interesting stuff, but perhaps more a curiosity than something I'm very keen on having again and again. 21.02.2014
Tried
from Bottle
on 21 May 2014
at 05:11
6.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
500ml bottle. Hazy orange-tan body. This foamy head. An interesting, unique beer. Earthy, mild. The wheat adds some dryness. Some similarities to a steam beer of course. Mild hop character, not much to hide behind. An interesting mash up of beer flavors. Toasty light nutty tones. Very cool style to take on.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 May 2014
at 20:42
7.1/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Enjoyed on tap at the Wild Goose in Chicago, IL while not getting in to the Half Acre tap room due to the crowdedness. I didn’t take tasting notes, but remember this being a decent and unique brew with notes of green tea, syrupy, light sweet, and hoppy. Just decent.
Tried
from Draft
on 17 May 2014
at 11:16
7.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500ml bottle. Finally an amber I enjoy! The coffee and oak really add depth and character. Relatively easy drinking for the ABV. Unfiltered hazy red hued orange. Foamy white/off-white head. Really exceeded my expectations, I could go for more of this one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 May 2014
at 21:07