Bitterbill (4334) reviewed Dead Horse IPA from McNeill's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
From Aug 2008
I got this bottle in a trade with vermonthiker. Thanks Tom!
It's a nice deep amber pour with a 3 finger head of foam(cellar temp).
The smell is big on the hops. Floral plays it big here along with some piney notes but intertwined with the hops is a good malty sweetness. I like the nose.
The taste is quite bitter. The floral and piney hops make my mouth pucker a bit until some malt sweetness arrives mid palate but doesn't stick around long as the finish gets back on the hoppy and very dry side. Long bitter aftertaste here and it's nice. I'm kind of surprised that this is called an English Style IPA as the malt presence isn't nearly strong enough to hold its own with the hops but...whatever you call it, it's a mighty fine drop and really easy to put away as the abv is relatively low for the style.
It has a medium and oily mouthfeel to it, the carbonation is on the low side, and it finishes...err...I already covered that earlier. ;^)
Btw, awesome head retention!
Bottom line: This is an interesting and tasty and very bitter example of an IPA. It's my first brew from this brewery and I like what they've done here. I've gotta try more East coast IPAs...
Bitterbill (4334) reviewed Champ Ale from McNeill's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
From Jul 2008
I got this bottle in a trade with Vermonthiker. Thanks Tom!
My first sample from McNeill's:
It pours a hazy orange gold with a 1 finger head of foam. There's some good lacing here and the head retention is very good.
The smell is light but nice. I'm getting some fruity notes along with some caramel sweetness and some citric bitterness.
The taste is definitely fruity. I can taste some pear, some lemon, maybe some orange, a bit of malty sweetness in the background, and it finishes quite bitter and with a slight sourness. This has a real grapefruity kick at the end and like I said, it's very bitter....but nice.
It has a medium mouthfeel that's on the lower end of medium, and it's on the medium side with the carbonation. Most unusual tasting American Pale Ale because of the flavours here and because it's only 5.5%abv, it makes for a pretty darned good sessionable Ale. I see the sticker on the bottle says $3.99 for the bomber..that's an outstanding price for a very pleasurable APA indeed! Well done McNeill's and thanks again Tom!
Clarkvv (16760) reviewed Duck's Breath Bitter from McNeill's Brewery 8 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 4
Cask at the brewery, 5/27/17.
Having fond memories of delicious (and some not so delicious) cask beers at McNeill’s back in the day, I basically badgered my friend in to coming in for a beer after leaving Hermit Thrush. To my delight, it was served a perfectly bright, honey-apricot-golden with warm sunny hues and a thick, butter-colored head atop with perfect retention. Well, that certainly looks good.
However, the first few whiffs were a bit baffling. Was a getting wet mop? Certainly not much discernible hop or yeast character. Extremely dull and muted with something odd going on here.
Immediately upon first sip the culprit was outed. Huge chemical/bleach flavors that completely drowned out any beer flavor. The texture was great, the carbonation perfect and the beer was even nice and dry, but it had an overarching bleach character to it that we couldn’t get past. Didn’t have time to stay for another, though I wish I would have. Still love McNeill’s even after having had such a high proportion of infected/off beers there.
Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 1 | Flavor - 1 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 0.5
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a gusher from the bottle. Foam all over the place. Dark color sort of arrangement of brown to ruby notes in the body, what one can see.
The aroma was apple cider vinegar, full fledged with the red wine, sour beyond the years penetrating my nose into submission. Turpentine.
The flavor was sour beyond belief claiming my tastebuds for their own. Turpentine. I don’t even want to say what the aftertaste seemed like.
The feel was light bodied with no sort of sessionable feel about it. Carbonation harshness went above and beyond to slay my palate.
Overall, yeah, McNeil’s should probably give it up.
Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 1 | Flavor - 1 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 2
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a semi-dark brown color with a gusher of a head again. I lost count of how many fingers I could use to align to the foaminess to equate to the size of the head. Lace was strewn about like a bunch of ducks on a pond.
The aroma had the apple cider vinegar sour quality bold and up front with eye popping red wine tones.
The flavor brought the same sour and claimed the aftertaste and finish in the same sort of manner.
The feel was between light and medium bodied. No signs of sessionability about this. My tongue was fairly singed by the last one.
Overall, not sure what else to say. But if anything I am a bit sad a brewery of my own state is slipping.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 2 | Flavor - 2 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 2
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a rugged semi-dark amber color with an enormous-I-lost-count-of-fingers worth of white foamy head. Yeah, it was a gusher. Was damn hard to review too because of this.
The aroma, well, hmmmmm....apple cider vinegar, cardboard and stale bread.
The flavor was sour taking the previously mentioned aromas to the extreme. Aftertaste was even in the same context.
The feel was between light and medium bodied with no ability to have any sort of sessionable trait to it. Carbonation, well, guessing by my initial statement, do you think I felt it? Damn right I did.
Overall, is it time for McNeill’s to hang it up. I’m guessing so. Beer is different these days and not many can hang anymore.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Poured into a mug, the appearance was a black color with a one finger’s worth of white to off white foamy head that dissipated at a decent pace. Semi-thick rings of white foamy lace.
The aroma had a nice blend of roasted coffee beans, and cocoa beans. Some dark fruits coming across fairly dry.
The flavor takes the dry roasty side and brings in some toast. Seems like baker’s chocolate as well coming across. Sly roasty coffee to cocoa aftertaste with a crisp roasty finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fair sessionability about it. Moderate carbonation. ABV felt good and appropriate.
Overall, actually, not bad McNeil’s, usually a brewer I don’t care for their beers but this was actually good.
CoastGuardVet (9444) reviewed Scotch Ale from McNeill's Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 4.5
Poured into a pint glass, the appearance was a ruddy burnt orange to amber color with a fairly quick dissipating head. Mild lace.
The aroma had some quickly leaving smoke and peat. Caramel malts and some burnt toast. Slight ash.
The flavor has the ash up front and then the burnt toast. Smoke and peat are somewhat there. Burnt toast aftertaste. Burnt malty finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body and has an okay sessionability about it. Mild carbonation is felt.
Overall, better than last beer but pretty much an \"up and down\" sort of beer. This one struggles to stay ahead with the forerunners of it’s style.
CoastGuardVet (9444) reviewed Pullmans Porter from McNeill's Brewery 9 years ago
Appearance - 2 | Aroma - 2 | Flavor - 2 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 1.5
Poured into a nonic pint glass, the appearance was a dark brown close to black color with a fizzy to bubbly little white head that dissipated immediately. No lacing.
The aroma had sour green apple and excessive acidity, burnt toast, and a rugged roastiness.
The flavor takes a drastic sharp turn for the worse as it seems hell bent on the sour acidity clenching the roasty portion and trying it’s hardest to kick it out. Dull burnt toasty aftertaste an acidic finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light on the body with a sharp acidic sour bite gripping my tongue. Mild carbonation. But the acidity is so sharp that it’s quite hard to take down.
Overall, really hoping McNeil’s gives it up. Their beers just seem to get worse the more I try them.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Poured into an English pint glass, the appearance was a semi-burnt orange to red to brown color with a thin layer of white foaminess. Quickly dissipates. No lacing.
The aroma centers around caramel, toffee and nutty malts. Grassy and earthy hops. Sly peat, with a crisp English black tea to it.
The flavor was a decent earthy bitter to sweet profile. Some soft black tea. Black tea and caramel in the aftertaste. Sly crisp finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a fair sessionability about it. Carbonation seems to hit decently but low, it’s good for the style.
Overall, decent for the style and trying to build it together, but the blend isn’t quite there yet.