Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On tap at MBGSF 2019. Pours a deep brown with a light tan head. Aromas of raisin, plum, a touch of bourbon and brown sugar. Flavor has plum, raisin, brown sugar, with a certain tartness to it. Not sure if that's intended, but it works pretty well. (Checking the description from their website, the sourness seems to have been intentional.)
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Ever so slightly copper coloured body with a nice, three centimetre tall off-white head. Aroma of pumpkin pie spice, bunches of allspice and canella, some coriander seed, a lot of brown and caramelised sugars and a dash of nutmeg in the mix - very nice and aromatic. Medium-bodied; Assertive spicey elements up front with the nutmeg, allspice and canella right in the front with some lighter malt notes, a touch of grain, a lot of brown sugars at the tail end and ending soft and subtle throughout. Aftertaste shows some nice sweetness with a perfect balance and structure of the spices with a good kick, but not pungency or overt potency. Overall, a very nice spice-based beer that shows the great sides of a pumpkin beer without too much pungency or spices, but a great balance, the only thing this could have used is more squash and body in the malt bill. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Merchant's in Dearborn, Michigan on 10-December-2016 for US$1,99 sampled at home in Washington nearly a year later on 14-November-2017.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 3/20/2017. Pours slightly hazy medium golden/yellow color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper/pine, light honey, lightly toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/pine hops and moderate pale malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper, pine, light honey, lightly toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Moderate pine/citrus rind/grassy/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, lemon/orange rind, pepper, pine, bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/pine hops and moderate pale malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Moderate dryness from lingering bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth and moderately sticky/resinous/grainy balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 4.5%. Overall this is a very nice pale ale! All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/pine hops and moderate pale malt flavors; very smooth, easy, and quite refreshing to drink. Great hop vibrancy with a solid malt backbone for the low ABV. Other than this being a little too resinous/drying on bitterness, I loved it. A very enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 3/28/2016. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/roast, grapefruit, orange zest, light pepper/pine, herbal, grass, and floral/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and citrus/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/roast, grapefruit, orange zest, light pepper, pine, herbal, grass, and floral/toasted earthiness. Moderate pine/grassy/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/roast, grapefruit, orange zest, pepper, pine, and floral/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and citrus/earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance; and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/grainy/sticky, and slightly resinous balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.2%. Overall this is very good amber ale. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and citrus/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. Just a bit too bitter and slightly astringent from the hops as you finish the glass; but very enjoyable for the style.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 2/12/2016. Pours lightly hazy golden orange color with a 2 finger dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Nice dense soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, light pepper, pine, honey, light caramel, toasted bread, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, lemon/orange peel, citrus rind, light pepper, pine, honey, light caramel, toasted bread, and floral/grassy earthiness. Moderate pine/citrus rind/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple, peach, lemon/orange rind, pine, toasted bread, and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate bready malt flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance, and minimal lingering hop astringency after the finish. Moderate dryness from bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp/sticky/resinous, and creamy/bready balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 6.7%. Overall this is a very good IPA. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/pine hops and moderate bready malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Nonic pint draft at the Liberty Street Brewing Company in Plymouth, Michigan. The pour is a mostly clear golden yellow with a bit off an off white head. The aroma is resin, floral hop along with a bit of tropical fruit. The taste is bright fresh tropical, pineapple sweet fruit and resin. Fresh and clean flavors. The palate is light bodied with soft carbonation and a mineral resin fruit tropical finish. Nice one.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
On tap at MBGSF 2016. A light hazy gold pour with a white head. Aroma is apple sourness. Flavor is citric sour, fruity, red apple, wheaty. A moderate sweetness with the sourness. A really nice version of the style, I think.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
12 ounce bottle into lager glass, bottled on 6/18/2015. Pours slightly hazy golden amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Dense soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a large amount of streaming carbonation retaining the head. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of lemon, pear, honey, cracker, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of bready malt, earthy hops, and light fruity yeast notes; with solid strength. Taste of lemon, pear, honey, cracker, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Moderate herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of honey, cracker, toasted biscuit, herbal, floral, grass, light pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Nice complexity, robustness, and balance of bready malt, earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Moderate dryness from bitterness/carbonation as well. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately crisp, and creamy/grainy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.6%. Overall this is a nice California common style. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of bready malt, earthy hops, and light fruity yeast flavors; very smooth, crisp, and refreshing to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
On tap at Liberty Street. Now up to 10%. Deep brown pour with an off-white head. Sweet molasses aroma. Flavor has sweet molasses and caramel, red grape, honey, toffee, vanilla. Definitely a high gravity beer, but really tasty and drinkable. Kind of more an imperial brown ale to me than a porter.