6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
This beer is instructive in the difference between rating to style and hedonic rating. I've written similar points in previous ratings, that I don't rate to style, and don't even like to do so, and am purely a hedonist when it comes to beer. But in the past there have been times where I would be really in the mood for a specific type of beer and then been disappointed that a purchased example didn't hit it. That surely affects the hedonic pleasure one would have. In this case that is partly true, but it doesn't miss the mark so much that you'd say its not a brown ale. But as I see that ratebeer calls this an imperial brown, then I notice the ABV and now the beer makes sense. The semi-sweet profile, the booziness, the anise and dark fruit, yes I might expect these in something like an old ale or barleywine (which really is imperial brown even a thing, wouldn't such a beer have been called an old ale in the 1990s and before?). I would have had a different perspective on this beer if I'd thought of it as such. Well its fine as is, certainly less drinkable than a sessionable brown.
Tried
on 05 Aug 2023
at 14:42