6.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Sampled from a 750 mL bottle at the brewery, dated September 2005. I was warned this batch was overcarbonated but ordered a bottle anyway. Murky orange-red-brown body, thick (the waitress was right) light tan head. Apple cidery. Some sourness in the aroma, but mostly tannic, with hints of cherry and dark fruit and a touch of vinegar. Tannic body with light tartness but nothing too sour, and little in the way of balsamic vinegar. Spicy hints, bitter finish. Referencing Rodenbach set this beer up for failure, as the strong tannins dominated the sour touches in the background. Combined with the emphatic carbonation (which continued to spill from the bottle even when it was half-gone), the lackluster flavor gave the impression of a regular beer that had been infected rather than a beer that was supposed to be infected. Disappointing for a $12 purchase.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jan 2006
at 11:34
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
As mentioned by BBB63, on tap at Arbor as "Imperial Stout." Opaque black-brown body, thin light tan/ochre head. Burnt malt aroma with bitter piney hops and hints of coffee and molasses, in addition to chocolate. Alcohol is prominent in the body, paired with acrid roasted malts, molasses, chocolate, and bitter hops. Hints of raisin and plum but the astringent malts and alcohol were the defining characteristics. Rough, unhewn with modest complexity. Not terrible but disappointing.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 Jan 2006
at 11:28
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On cask at Arbor, and served at an appropriate temperature! Deep opaque brown body, medium-thick creamy tan head. Rich aroma of coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, and molasses, with a lactose-like sweetness. Creamy, soft body with a medley of toast, roasted malts, milk chocolate, dark fruit, molasses, and unfermented sugars. Smooth and complex. One of the better porters I’ve tried, and perhaps the most quaffable.
Tried
from Cask
on 29 Jan 2006
at 11:24
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
On tap at Arbor. Hazy amber-orange body, no head (a few off-white bubbles). Smokehouse aroma with butterscotchy wisps. Smoke dominates the body, with hickory-smoked bacon coming to mind. Subdued toasty notes beneath the smoky cloak. I didn’t pick up much hops character. Well-carbonated despite having no head, and rich of body. Enjoyable, especially considering the variety of flavors and styles offered by the brewery.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 Jan 2006
at 11:21
5.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5
Pours a medium cloudy bright yellow, with some soft orange hues. Smallish white head. Smells of hay, lemon, mild coriander. Begins with a big moderately syrupy lemon/sugar flavor with some wheat and hops coming in afterwards. Body is lightly spritzy which adds a spicy texture to complement the style. Finish dries somewhat and loses alot of flavor, with just some mildly sour yeast. Some graininess.
Tried
on 12 Nov 2003
at 09:54
5.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Good coffee color, with a little white/beige head. Seemed a bit to prone to being watery and had an interesting cofee spice that complemented the roasted malt. Wasnt very sweet, not at least what i was expecting for an oatmeal stout. Carbonation gave it a bad texture. Nothing special here, but has potential. Mildly sweet/ roasty aroma of bitters and coffee.
Tried
on 24 Jul 2003
at 07:42
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Yellow with some faint orange flecks and a tiny bit hazy at the start. Decent white foamy head. Begins spicey, cinnamon, clove, and orange blossom. Develops into a medium body with some sweet appeal complements of the honey. Finishes with a tangy sour/bitterness with notes of peachy sweetness. Good carbonation levels and a very fuzzy texture make for an interesting beer. Light fruity smell. Could use more malt and a less one-sided honeyish body, which gives it too much of a pseudo body. Ends a touch watery as well. Alcohol is moderate and fairly well masked.
Tried
on 24 Jul 2003
at 07:38
5.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 6
Ultra foam...mu altbier glass was utterly useless, and even in a chalice I had to spoon some out. Very dark brown - rather untraditional. Aroma is chocolatey, with light wood and faint rhubarb. Overcarbonated. This of course detracts from the raisins, wood, light smoke and dark chocolate. This is more a porter than an alt. If the carbo is usually at a more normal level, then you're looking at 3 to 5 points higher I think.
Tried
on 12 Jul 2003
at 20:33
5.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Cask in house. Lighter color than most ESB's Ive seen. Also a lighter aroma of mild berry/hops. Not surprisingly then, it had a lighter taste. Medium to light bodied. This beer seemed like they were testing the waters and just didnt committ to an ESB. Not enough hops, not enough barley, not enough body. Though what was there was a good even beer, it just had only passing flavor which I had to strain and drink quickly to taste. A good start, but needs improvement.
Tried
from Cask
on 10 Jun 2003
at 15:31