7

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled in 8/2015. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep reddish copper color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big vanilla, coffee, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, light caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, and herbal/spice earthiness. Nice aromas with good complexity and solid balance of coffee, spices, and dark/bready malt notes; with good strength. Taste of big vanilla, coffee, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, light caramel, brown sugar, toasted bread, and herbal/spice earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/spice bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of vanilla, coffee, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, toasted bread, and herbal/spice earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Good complexity, robustness, and solid balance of coffee, spices, and dark/bready malt flavors; with a good malt/bitter/spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied; with a smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is okay. Feels weird in the mouthfeel, but it didn’t hinder drink ability overall. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is a solid and unique pumpkin ale. All around good robustness, complexity, and solid balance of coffee, spices, and dark/bready malt flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink. A bit heavy on the spices, but still has a nice malty backbone overall. Less pumpkin spices and more coffee/vanilla would have definitely gotten this feeling more like a latte; but it was pretty close as it stood. A fairly enjoyable offering.

6.9

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Tap at Sidedoor. Pretty pungent, deep mango aroma. Really bright mango tones. Pretty solid fruit beer, boldly flavored. Mango forward, mild heat balance. Juicy candy mango finish. Pretty good drink.

6

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

Crisp amber and copper coloured body with a large, five centimetre tall tan head. Aroma of pale malt, yeast, bread and a bit of hops - no citrus at all yet. Medium-bodied; Assertive nutty and earthy malt up front with some toffee and a very light, layered sweetness of flowers, oranges and caramel, with some grassiness and a bit of metal on the finish. Aftertaste is relatively subdued with some sweetness and earthy malt with toffee and little else - no hop bitterness and only some faint orange flavours. Overall, a decent beer at best, without any hop qualities or citrus notes, this is a bit underwhelming. I sampled this sixteen ounce can purchased from Siciliano’s in Grand Rapids, Michigan on 11-September-2015 for US$1,99 sampled at home in Washington on 06-October-2015.

6.3

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6

Draft - Vanilla, dark chocolate, roast and more chocolate. Jet black with a rich beige head. Tons of vanilla and chocolate. Lots of flavour, but it is all a bit artificial and not much body.

7

Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7

Bottle. Pours dark brown with reddish tint, large spongy beige head, caramel aroma, medium carbonation, roasted malt taste with strong alcohol undertones, medium roasted bitter finish with alcohol aftertaste. The alcohol taste is dominant although not really high in ABV.

5.5

Lots up front. Lean body for 8%

8.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass; no bottle dating, but was released June 18th after being bottle conditioned for 6 months. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep reddish copper color with a 1-2 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big caramel, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, red wine, brown sugar, brown bread, light nuttiness/chocolate, raisin, plum, fig, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of dark/bready malt, red wine/oak, and moderate fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, red wine, brown sugar, brown bread, light nuttiness/chocolate, raisin, plum, fig, herbal, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal bitterness/oak spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, red wine, brown sugar, brown sugar, light nuttiness/chocolate, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, red wine/oak, and moderate fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitter/oak spiciness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and slightly slick/sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light-moderate warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent oak aged imperial red ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, red wine/oak, and moderate fruity yeast flavors; and very smooth and easy to sip on for the big ABV. A very enjoyable offering.

6.6

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

Draught at Atwater in the Park, Fall/Winter 2014.
Thin dark beige/light tan head sits at cover atop a dark brown/ebony body with moderate clarity.
Very ashen-like smokiness in the nose as well as light saltiness, vinous-like roast and a subdued sweetness. No alcohol or flaws.
Lightly smokey, with mesquite and ash-like flavors that give way to a salty-sweet chocolate-laden maltiness. Hints of vanilla, vibrant fruitiness and a medium body make for an interestingly flavorful and drinkable take on the style. Seems more like a smoked brown ale, but that’s ok, as it’s clean and enjoyable whatever you take it for.

5.5

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5

Draught at Atwater in the Park, Summer 2014.
Clear, very light golden body has lazy carbonation coursing upwards to form a small, poorly-retained white head.
Well, looks like another terrible bottled product from Atwater Block. The draught version was passable, though there’s really no comparison between the beers brewed at the Detroit location vs. the beers brewed at the In the Park location. Very dry, grassy, leafy hops with some biscuity/grainy maltiness, maybe a touch of corn-like character and no alcohol.
Dry, at least, with soft herbs, minimal spiciness and pretty straightforward white bread-like maltiness. Ample, yet loose carbonation dosent really add much crispness and it does come off a bit fizzy and very watery. Eh, had worse, but will stick to the Park-brewed beers next time I’m there.