Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8.5 | Flavor - 8.5 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
650mL bottle. Pours a murky brown with no head. Huge brown sugar, candied fruits, and bourbon on the nose. Flavour has a lot of brown sugar, candied fruits, some raisins, a touch of burnt sugars, and big bourbon barrels. Good integration between the barrels and base. Fantastic, big barley wine.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 15
Solid pilsner with added tastes of apple, grain and a touch of brown sugar. Clean and smooth and nicely balanced
Appearance - 5 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 18
A powerhouse imperial fruit sour. the nose is pungent, featuring sour fruitiness, some acidity, berries and brown sugar. Deep mahogany body. Punchy tart and sour raspberries blend nicely with chocolate, cherries and a solid touch of caramel malt. The body is dense and smooth. Rich and well balanced.
Appearance - 5 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 17
The xmas 2016 version (2015 vintage just released, I believe). A beautiful red tinged caramel body with a fluffy off-white head. This version has a big fresh nose, featuring toffee, dark berries, a puff of smoke and citrus hops. This is another great version of the original hammer. Slightly burnt toffee, sweet dark berries, punchy citrus hops, that touch of smokiness and biscuit malt form the core taste profile. There is a slight touch of wine like acidity. It has the requisite medium to full body and a slick texture with a touch of stickiness. Great now and will get better.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 5 | Overall - 18
A vintage 2013 bottle thanks to Leif. Among my top rating for any beer - up there with some legendary BWs and DIPAs. A soft tan head on a rich, dense mahogany body. A powerhouse nose featuring big raisins, apricots, slightly acidic fruit, wood, earthiness and bourbon. Front and centre is the bourbon burn. Dates, molasses, apricots, and butter step out and are counted early on in the taste experience. An undertone of fruity bitterness grows through the drink, with woodiness, smoke, candied fruit and tobacco adding to the rich, deep mix. A noticeable acidity and emerging bitterness keep toughening up the sweeter initial elements of this stupendous BW as you sip through the bottle. If the acidity is building over time, I opened this beast right on schedule. Pheuf.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 18
Fluffy off-white head with solid lacing. A deep mahogany body. A big citrus nose, led by grapefruit rind, and a touch of caramel malt. This is no ESB, but I won’t hold that against it. Biting rindy American hops lead the taste profile. Nicely astringent. support is provided by roasted caramel malt, some rye spice and a late touch of lemon. Some pine resin lurks around the finish as well. a real gripper.
Appearance - 3 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 16
Definitely one of the milder pumpkin ales, but very drinkable and tasty. Nutmeg, raisins, lavender and cloves all make the scene with a nice maple touch of sweetness. To the back porch to watch the leaves fall.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 16
A low tan head over a thick, dark body. Nose is very creamy with sweet chocolate. This is a lovely dessert beer. Ginger, pumpkin, chocolate milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract and hints of nutmeg and hops make for a great fall mix. Very smooth.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 17
Nose of sweet malt, tropical fruit and citrus hops. The taste profile of this IIPA pops with fresh intensity and complexity. Hops are up front, with tastes ranging from tropical fruit, kiwi, juicy citrus, resin and some earthiness. The malt is bready and sweet but substantial, with toffee notes. There is just a hint of sourness down there as well. The aftertaste maintains this complex mix, with the punchiest hops receding slightly to profile the malt, toffee and the softer tropical hops. One of the best. The juicy fruit is going to move you. And the malt is so soft it gets right to you.
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 19
Sweet malt and citrus hops in the nose. Very punchy and fresh tasting hop medley, featuring citrus, grapefruit, pine and orange elements. Soft bready malt underneath completes the classic west coast IPA profile. Significant carbonation pumps up the taste. \"Juicy and fresh\" - the great descriptor of superior West Coast IPAs!