Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Alt-imate from The Tap Brewing Company (MA) 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Draught pint at Redbones on 5/11/06. A luminous orange-auburn, with some slight violet hints on the edges. An off-white, sandy/beige head, small, is perched atop, showing moderate retention and minimal lacing. High clarity, with medium-sized bubbles rising infrequently. Grassy, spicy spalt and tettnang-like hops, with a sweet buttercream overtone is balanced and of a medium strength. It goes easy on the breadiness, though it certainly is still apparent. The hops play most of the part, with soily and almost soapy notes lying underneath the spiciness. Flavor brings forth plenty of yellow/orange fruits: peaches, nectarines and apricots all spice things up, adding a moderate amount of sweetness. The hops are not quite as flavorful as they are aromatic, with more soiliness, light nuttiness and a touch of tang that is mixed in with the esters. Some melanoidins and breadiness brush, rather robustly, at the palate, but the carbonation is low, and plenty of residual sugars give it a near-creaminess of texture on the end. This allows the sweetness to really build up, taking front stage, while the hops and esters swirl about, perhaps a little bit lost on the palate, but certainly still adding a touch of complexity. A lightly astringent aftertaste, quite dry, with no alcohol but some slight soapiness from the hops.
Lubiere (24459) reviewed Jean-Baptiste from The Tap Brewing Company (MA) 19 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 4
Golden ale with a thin white head. Lightly spiced aroma ewith notes of orange peels. In mouth, sweet phenolics with band aid notes. Im not lucky! Medium bodied. At EBF 2006.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Freshly tapped keg, served in a stemmed wine glass quite cold at the Tap on 1/7/06. A burly brownish-black colored beer sits murkily in the glass, with a quickly receding beige head, that remains at a ring and leaves little clumps of residue as it recedes. Soft chocolate, peanut skins, very faint green veggies and vanilla all crowd in at first, but as the beer warms and breathes, a light dryness from earthy brown malts and dry choco-caramel really takes over. A distinct, but unidentifiable (to me) fuzzy, almost herbal quality is in the beer. Like dried oregano or myrtle; some very dry, leafy tea-like note anyhow. Very lightly spicy as well, with a touch of clove phenol. The flavor begins with a thick, sticky and very chewy, viscous caramel and chocolate mix. Sugary as all get out; extremely low attenuation. More notes of the herbal-spice note, with a growing sense of clove, though it is held greatly at bay by the thick malts. Finishes with a vanilla creaminess that is balanced by strong warming. As it warms and the more I drink, I try to extract what might be schwarzbier-like notes, but the palate just seems to get overloaded with sugar, chocolate and dry alcohol notes. Some light anise-like flavors, perhaps and a persistent yeastiness (though ultimately losing the battle to the sugars). I’d like to see more elegance from it, more complex flavors. Texture is thick and chewy, carbonation is very low.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
I guess it was a good enough hit at BCTC, as this is now a rotating offering at the brewpub, which I had a pint of on 1/7/06.
Rosey as dawn and flecked with shimmeringly brilliant white gold and almond flesh tones. Fully cloudy, very homogenously so, with a fluffy, medium-sized snow-white head atop that seems to be stuck to the beer and glass. If the lacing or retention is not quite up to snuff (and I’m not sure that it isn’t), the captivating color on the beer more than makes up for it.
The aroma boasts soft, light sugars mixed with a playful bubble gum ester, hints of banana puree dropped in to a vanilla and wheat germ milk shake. Coriander ringing forth with a fresh and drying presence, though not as dominant as it apparently was at BCTC. Yeast livliness adds a playful white pepper and soft dough note, while dry lemon zest and star fruit skin glitter amongst the wheat back-drop.
The flavor combines an elegant balance of dry, lightly creamy wheat and fresh, green coriander. Lemon and bubble gum are quick to approach, but a snappy Belgian yeast, more white pepper-like notes and perfectly timed malt sugars comfort the palate. Ends rather boisterous, perhaps a little too heavy on the coriander acidity/tartness as it wears on. The carbonation is quite lively, bubbles a bit too large, with some lemon and unripened tangerine notes really being showcased a touch too dominantly. No alcohol apparency. Lively, touch watery texture. The wheat dosent add as much chewy texture as I would have expected. If they could get some more substantial texture from the wheat and tighten the carbonation, this would surely be one of the prime American examples out there.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Draught pint at the Tap on 1/7/05. A copper-brass color, dark and deep golden-tinged, though clear, with a small, foamy white head, fair retention, minimal lacing. Aroma shows lightly bitter, grassy (very dry) and touches of herbal hops. Little bit of sweatiness/nuttiness (just hints really) and bits of soft, dry caramel. Fresh, clean yeast is quite noticeable as well. Aroma strength is pretty strong for such a light bodied, delicately hopped beer. The flavor seems to make no mention of this being a 3.4 abv, light bodied amber ale. Though it does not have a ton of malt body to it, the flavors are clean, fresh and true. Light caramel, touches of toffee and light pale malt sugars. The unfiltered nature produces a lightly chewy, almost nutty texture with light bittering hops and plenty of dry grassiness. Bits of dough round out the end, lightly yeasty and with a strong hop finish (more grass/green leafiness, white pepper almost and some herbal touches). Carbonation is moderate, no alcohol apparency.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Shoefly Stout from The Tap Brewing Company (MA) 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Draught pint at the brewpub on 12/18/2005. Pours a deep blackish-brown with a proper, creamy, nitro-induced tan head. Fair retention, light lacing. Seemingly unfiltered, though somewhat clear as it gets to the bottom of the glass. In the nose are piquant raisins, baker’s chocolate and light notes of grapes and soy. Sharp coffee notes waft up as well with no hop apparency. Oily vanilla as it warms, emerges and a light touch of yeast as well. The flavor is initially rather chocolatey, though of a darker variety, not as milky sweet as the Watch City Moody street (which is fairly similar). Light graham crackers, vinous grapes and lightly dry plums on the finish, all the while swept along by a fair amount of sharp, moderately bitter roastiness. As it warms, somewhat, the medium-full body falls prey to alcohol and bitter, lightly astringent roast. The texture becomes much too loose and oily, instead of lightly firm and creamy. Too much black coffe-like apparency and noticeable alcohol apparency on the end.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Draught tulip at the brewpub, 12/18/2005. A beautiful, deep and unfiltered magenta-garnet backdrop to an amber-auburn body, with a neat off-white to beige head that is well-retained and provides light lacing. Aroma is at first spicy (cinnamon, clove, allspice), though not evident of actual spices being used. Notes of sweet dates, figs and a fair amount of caramel malt/caramel sugar residues. A slight drying touch of vanilla and bits of plums and cherries. The flavor is fully malty, very sweet and full-bodied, with cherries, dates and raisins, light alcohol warmth and a touch of breadiness, though not too strong on the end. Hops are spicy and at times soily and green, while there is some faint toasted grain notes. Supple, creamy texture and low carbonation. Alcohol well-concealed. Another exemplary rendition of the classic English style. Perhaps a little malt heavy, preventing the yeast from really shining (not as much playful, light fruitiness) and not allowing some of the more subtle malt notes to develop and thus not as complex as a Fuller’s vintage ale, but a remarkable texture and very clean on the end.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Tapple Ale from The Tap Brewing Company (MA) 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Draught at the brewpub, 12/18/05. A foamy, large white head is well-retained atop a brassy, copper-golden body, mostly clear and with plenty of bubbles. Aroma of tart, lightly sour green apples, cooked apple meat and a drying wheat note. Light esters do provide some spiciness, but overall, it’s very dry in the nose, while the apples do not smell particularly fresh. The flavor is at first sour, like spoiled apple cider made of green apples, getting tart and lightly dusty on the end. Crisp, at least, but too much acidity and strange yeast notes. The apple flavor is too jumbled amongst the wheat and spicy yeast. Sugars seem forced and the beer is rather abrasive overall, the peppery carbonation contributing to this. Wheat adds a supportive feel to the texture, but the body is incredibly light. Odd, papery, tart, almost lactic note lingers. Very strange interpretation.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Jean-Baptiste from The Tap Brewing Company (MA) 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Draught tulip at the brewpub, 12/18/05. Unfiltered auburn-amber with some light fiery orange tints and a neat and well-retained beige head that provides light lacing. Aroma of light esters, but very soft and well-integrated with the malts. Light clove and other spicy esters and a creamy, supportive, candyish-like maltiness (toffee, brown sugar, caramel). Clean and quite strong, like a Delirium or Affligem Noel, though not as sweet as the former or yeasty as the latter. Flavor has the same light spiciness to it, touches of hops and light pale malt sugars. But also moderately sweet caramel-toffee and light raisins. Delicate texture somehow conveys a medium-full substantial body, yet a clean, crisp and bright flavor profile. Tight carbonation as well. Alcohol is no where to be found at the start, though there is a touch of warming on the end, which does become a little (overly?) noticeable by the end of the glass. Little pinches of clove, vanilla and cinnamon dance around the palate in wonderful harmony with the creamy malts. Bravo to the new brewer, the yeast is done very tastefully and very authentically.
maniac (11822) reviewed Jean-Baptiste from The Tap Brewing Company (MA) 20 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Cloudy orange color with a malty spiced aroma and a lightly spiced malty flavor.