Oakes (33770) reviewed Gates of Hell from Church-Key Brewing Company 21 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 3.5
Murky dark tan. Peppery aroma, slightly smokey with lots of malty sweetness. Very peppery palate. Some balancing maltiness of the chewy, earthy, caramelly variety. Hottish finish. Not balanced enough though - it's like drinking Montreal steak spice.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4
Light golden colour with a smallish white head. Aroma of american hops, but very light-with not too much else. Light-bodied; mild maltiness with some citrus hops and some cardboard flavours intertwined. Aftertaste is mild and not showing much either. Overall, a decent beer, but really nothing special. I had this on draught at a small pub in Toronto, Ontario with Jon (JONR888710) on 09-April-2004.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5
Deep dark beer with no head. Sweet cocoa aroma. Nice sweet chocolate mat with some vanilla, but the body is one dimensional, watery.
Lubiere (24605) reviewed Holy Smoke from Church-Key Brewing Company 22 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Nice smokey nose, good mouthfeel, almost like Bamberg malt (Schenkerla) with spome acidic points, nice bitterness in the end, nice balance...much more interesting than Northumberland
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5
very light hops to the nose, very thin in the mouth with some hops, a little malt...may be a good lawnmower, but not much more...
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Re-rate: April 24, Winking Judge, Hamilton: The 2004 edition of this beer has a lot more cranberry on the palate. It's refreshing, not particularly syrupy, but obfuscates the other elements. So it's a saw-off, really. I like it more because I like cranberries, but it's not as strong technically.
On tap at Smokeless Joe's. Straw colour; aroma of cranberries, almond skins, wheat; very nutty palate, tea-like at times, with hints of fruit providing an interesting backdrop. Light, refreshingly wheaty finish. Not really to my taste, but I have to respect that this is a well-structured, technically proficient, balanced beer. Ar:6, Ap:2, Fl: 6, P:4, O:12
Oakes (33770) reviewed Holy Smoke from Church-Key Brewing Company 23 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Light brown; with 10% peated malt, this is a little unbalanced, in a Laphroaig kind of way, with big burning embers and underlying malts that fight to sustain the beer. If you've already numbed your palate a little bit, this is nice stuff, but could be a little overpowering otherwise.
omhper (45152) reviewed Chocolate Porter from Church-Key Brewing Company 24 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Dark brown. Found it reasonably dry, medium bodied and roasty. .............
Oakes (33770) reviewed Chocolate Porter from Church-Key Brewing Company 24 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 3 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 3
Dark brown w/ thin head; has a Hershey's syrup - type chocolateyness that is not only slightly cloying but really clashes with the astringent roastiness of the brew. Some may like this beer, but I don't.
Oakes (33770) reviewed Ginger & Rosemary from Church-Key Brewing Company 24 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4.5
Crisp amber brew with a very light ginger presence. Tastes an awful lot like the Northumberland Ale. Finish is refreshing.