5.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
A deep dark porter with a thick moka head. A light chocolate ball with the ever present chlorine. In mouth, a sweetish vanilla chocolate, lightly wild but overall thin and boring. On tap at brewpub, Dec. 26 2008.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Feb 2009
at 00:14
5.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
A lightly hazed brown ale with a mahoganny hue, and thin off white head. Wet dough aroma and light chlorine (smells like the place). In mouth, a nutty malt with little hops, but decent. A bit short in mouth. On tap at brewpub, Dec. 26 2008.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Feb 2009
at 00:12
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Draught pint at the brewery with Muzzlehatch on 3/11/06
A very true bronze colored beer, with even a slight green tint, and deeper copper-orange hues. Not so much hazy as it is glassy and near-transluscent. The head is off-white, small but better retained than most beers at 3 Needs. Light lacing is left behind.
The nose shows a hard water, almost burtonized-like note to it, of rich minerals, crisp yeast and a touch of honey and various pale grains. Light appleskins, with some soily, straw-like hops, and a hint of kiwi or limes.
Flavor of lightly toasted grains, caravienna or some such biscuit malt, giving a dry flavor to offset the pils malt honey fatness. Yeasty, but not to the point of being overyeasted (though it’s pushing it). Very hard minerals, again, from the nose, with yet a crisp, lightly drying hop note on the end. No alcohol whatsoever. It does have ample sweetness up front, with almost a light cumin or coriander note, adding a spiciness. But the yeast quickly dries things out and even a bit of lime-rind acidity builds pleasantly. The transition from sweet to dry is not seemless, by any means, but a balance is achieved in the end. Quite a bit of carbonation in this one, also helps keep it snappy, while the texture is unfiltered, chewy, yeasty and honeyish.
A very true bronze colored beer, with even a slight green tint, and deeper copper-orange hues. Not so much hazy as it is glassy and near-transluscent. The head is off-white, small but better retained than most beers at 3 Needs. Light lacing is left behind.
The nose shows a hard water, almost burtonized-like note to it, of rich minerals, crisp yeast and a touch of honey and various pale grains. Light appleskins, with some soily, straw-like hops, and a hint of kiwi or limes.
Flavor of lightly toasted grains, caravienna or some such biscuit malt, giving a dry flavor to offset the pils malt honey fatness. Yeasty, but not to the point of being overyeasted (though it’s pushing it). Very hard minerals, again, from the nose, with yet a crisp, lightly drying hop note on the end. No alcohol whatsoever. It does have ample sweetness up front, with almost a light cumin or coriander note, adding a spiciness. But the yeast quickly dries things out and even a bit of lime-rind acidity builds pleasantly. The transition from sweet to dry is not seemless, by any means, but a balance is achieved in the end. Quite a bit of carbonation in this one, also helps keep it snappy, while the texture is unfiltered, chewy, yeasty and honeyish.
Tried
on 15 Mar 2006
at 14:34
4.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Draught pint at the brewery with Muzzlehatch on 3/11/06
Deep milk-chocolate brown, with some lighter hay-yellow highlights and much a muddy sea through the middle, but the colors lighten on the edges and the clarity becomes only lightly cloudy. Head is intially full and beige on this one, but again, it recedes fairly steadily to a ring, with only a film left on the glass.
Smells of thick yeast, heavy caramelized sugars and some buttercream, with some light almond/hazelnuttiness and a sour, munich-like maltiness on the end. Moderate strength.
Upon first sip, it’s quite a bit to take in. Another heavy (dare I say TOO unfiltered) texture places thick, caramelized malts all over the palate, while a light bit of honey mixes with graham cracker sweetness and then wanes yeasty. Too much yeast, yet not nearly enough attenuation (some type of sugar addition perhaps). I don’t know if this one still aimed for the "Mexican Coffee", there were light coffee notes from the darker brown malts, I suppose, but it just plasters the palate with sugars and yeast and does come off a bit worty.
I was really hoping for a Vienna, which this seems to be nothing like. No alcohol apparency, low to moderate carbonation, chewy, sugary texture.
Deep milk-chocolate brown, with some lighter hay-yellow highlights and much a muddy sea through the middle, but the colors lighten on the edges and the clarity becomes only lightly cloudy. Head is intially full and beige on this one, but again, it recedes fairly steadily to a ring, with only a film left on the glass.
Smells of thick yeast, heavy caramelized sugars and some buttercream, with some light almond/hazelnuttiness and a sour, munich-like maltiness on the end. Moderate strength.
Upon first sip, it’s quite a bit to take in. Another heavy (dare I say TOO unfiltered) texture places thick, caramelized malts all over the palate, while a light bit of honey mixes with graham cracker sweetness and then wanes yeasty. Too much yeast, yet not nearly enough attenuation (some type of sugar addition perhaps). I don’t know if this one still aimed for the "Mexican Coffee", there were light coffee notes from the darker brown malts, I suppose, but it just plasters the palate with sugars and yeast and does come off a bit worty.
I was really hoping for a Vienna, which this seems to be nothing like. No alcohol apparency, low to moderate carbonation, chewy, sugary texture.
Tried
from Can
on 15 Mar 2006
at 13:30
6.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
Draught pint at the brewery, with Muzzlehatch on 3/11/06
Deep mauve-bronze, very muddy and opaque, with some dark brown tresses and a beige head that is small and poorly retained, with patches of film sticking to the glass.
The nose smells quite spicy, plenty of dry, pungent, leafy herbs. Woody and dry, Fantome strange ghost-like as Barry says, but with a strong notion of mashed up hazelnut paste, very salty, sticky, dry toffee and hickory nut skins. Quite powerful in aroma, but no sign of the alcohol.
The flavor is heavily spicy, with near astringent nettle-like, bitter herbs, gale or rosemary or something like that. To balance the herbal dryness, a strong, sticky, powerfully well-extracted toffee malt with bits of dry chocolate. Near syrupy and extremely soothing on the palate, is the texture, but the toffee is very "salty" and yet quite sweet as well. The beer seems to traverse quickly between being nearly astringently herbal, heavily salty/bitter and powerfully sweet, without ever really striking a palatable balance. I’d appreciate this one more if it were served in a snifter and made to sip. Though the alcohol is never apparent, the strong bitter herbs build up too much, exacerbated by the low carbonation and sticky texture.
Deep mauve-bronze, very muddy and opaque, with some dark brown tresses and a beige head that is small and poorly retained, with patches of film sticking to the glass.
The nose smells quite spicy, plenty of dry, pungent, leafy herbs. Woody and dry, Fantome strange ghost-like as Barry says, but with a strong notion of mashed up hazelnut paste, very salty, sticky, dry toffee and hickory nut skins. Quite powerful in aroma, but no sign of the alcohol.
The flavor is heavily spicy, with near astringent nettle-like, bitter herbs, gale or rosemary or something like that. To balance the herbal dryness, a strong, sticky, powerfully well-extracted toffee malt with bits of dry chocolate. Near syrupy and extremely soothing on the palate, is the texture, but the toffee is very "salty" and yet quite sweet as well. The beer seems to traverse quickly between being nearly astringently herbal, heavily salty/bitter and powerfully sweet, without ever really striking a palatable balance. I’d appreciate this one more if it were served in a snifter and made to sip. Though the alcohol is never apparent, the strong bitter herbs build up too much, exacerbated by the low carbonation and sticky texture.
Tried
on 15 Mar 2006
at 13:12
6.5/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draught pint at the brewery with Muzzlehatch on 11/4/05. Another watery, still pour. Initial white head is small, bubbly and very quickly dissipating, leaving no lace behind. The beer is a pale yellow/gold with some dry grass colored notes, a chill haze to it as well. Aroma of richly sour German yeast and malts. Dry brownbread and lots of sourdough, with a heathery sort of spiciness, bits of grass and hay and a touch of sweet sugary white dough. Flavor begins with a mix of sugary pale malts, sourish munich malt and a touch of white grapiness. Yeast is very apparent and contributes a very distinct German character. Light toasted grains, more sugar and a lightly dry hops presence on the end. Mouthfeel is initially malt-chewy, lightly so, but quickly becomes watery and undercarbonated. The flavors are more or less on, for the style, but the mouthfeel and appearance need considerable improvement.
Tried
on 13 Nov 2005
at 14:45
6.9/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Draught pint at the brewery, 11/4/05 with Muzzlehatch. Three Needs beers have a very odd appearance. They’re quite hazy and unfiltered, which is encouraging, but past that there’s a small head that quickly fizzles away to nothing, with no lacing and looking rather still in the glass. This one has a slightly beige-off-white head, with a dull amber to dry-hay colored body. Nose shows lightly fruity yeast (apples, cherries, dates), a round, clean caramel and toffee malt, with some expressive base malts as well. Strong floral/grassiness in the nose, with light chocolate on end. Flavor is lightly sugary dough, with more fruitiness and a touch of raisins and white grapes. Dates and almonds, with lightly grassy, hay-like hops and just a touch of toasted malts. Soft, creamy, low carbonation, no alcohol apparency. Maybe a touch of wateriness, but very minor on the end.
Tried
on 13 Nov 2005
at 14:37
5.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6
Deep red brown ale with little off-white head. Light burned caramel aroma. Grassy notes in nose. Strong nuttyness with sweet malts, and harsh bitterness in finish. Medium bodied.
Tried
on 22 Jan 2005
at 09:45
5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Deep brown with moka head. Faint chocolate nose. Light roasted coffee and watered down chocolate. Watery bodied stout. Tap on Dec. 2004.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Jan 2005
at 09:42
4.2/10
—
Appearance 4
Aroma 5
Flavor 4
Texture 4
Overall 4
Hazy brown ale, with light malts aroma. Very watery beer with light caramel notes. Soso. On tap Dec. 2004.
Tried
from Draft
on 22 Jan 2005
at 09:39