Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 9/2016. Pours fairly crystal clear deep ruby red/brown color with a thin off white head with decent retention, that reduces to a ring of lace pretty quickly. Minimal spotty lacing the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, pear, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, leather, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and rye whiskey barrel notes; with great strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, pear, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, leather, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal bitterness and rye whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, pear, red apple, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toffee, rye whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, light chocolate/cocoa, herbal, grass, leather, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness and rye whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth and creamy/silky mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal sticky hop, chalky roast, oak tannins, or dryness. Minimal warming alcohol for 10.5%, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent BBA scotch ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, dark/bready malt, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; extremely smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, even with the mild carbonation. The body was a bit thin, but the silky barrel character made up for it. Really well balanced between fruity yeast and malt complexity. Outstanding barrel presence and integration; never boozy, tannic, or drying . A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Ibrew2or3 (10819) reviewed Reclassified from Ascension Brewing Company 8 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
Pint can pours with a murky opaque dull copper to gold body that supports a light tan head of foam. The aroma offers up all kinds of fruitiness like peach, apricot, cantaloupe, mango, guava and a sweet oat sensation. The taste delivers soft sweet juicy mango, cantaloupe, guava, peach and a bit of ripe clementine. Underneath the juicy hoppiness is a base of malts and thin cracker like maltiness. I really enjoy the way the soft juiciness blends with the malts. Nice balance with minimal hop bitterness. Dude.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 9/2016. Batch #1, bottle #20. Pours opaque dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lasts. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of huge nutty medium roast coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, toffee, coconut, toasted oak, spicy rye whiskey, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of smoke, char, molasses, dark fruit, and roast/toast/oak earthiness. Very slight booze in the aromas as it warms. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, vanilla, and rye whiskey barrel notes; with big strength. Taste of huge nutty medium roast coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, toffee, coconut, toasted oak, spicy rye whiskey, and dark/brown bread; with lighter notes of smoke, char, molasses, dark fruit, and roast/toast/oak earthiness. Light roast/char bitterness and rye whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of nutty coffee, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, fudge, toffee, coconut, toasted oak, spicy rye whiskey, dark/brown bread, light smoke/char, and roast/toast/oak earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, vanilla, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; with an awesome roasted bitter/sweet and rye whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with zero cloying, acrid, or astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from bitter/spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, fairly tannic, and lightly chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; a very mild increasing warmth, with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an amazing barrel aged super imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, vanilla, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Very rich and complex, but not overly heavy/slick for a beer of this ABV. The Woodford reserve rye barrels are absolutely perfectly integrated; adding tons of complexity, without any booze. Great nutty/fruity coffee and vanilla presence, without overwhelming the base beer. A highly enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8
75cl bottle @ ISKTR 2017. Blue wax. Bottle nr 133.Poured dark brown color with a thin off white head. Bourbon, vanilla, sweetness in aroma. Mild wood. Flavor has syrupy notes, bourbon, wood, vanilla, sweetness. Mild bready notes, soaked raisins. Lovely. Feels more like a barley wine. Anyway, very nice.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
750 ml bottle into tulip glass; batch #1, bottled in 9/2016. Bottle #150. Pours hazy deep orange/copper color with a small fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, apricot, pear, apple, pepper, clove, vanilla, spicy rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of chocolate, coconut, cocoa, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity/spicy yeast, and rye whiskey barrel notes; with great strength. Very minimal booziness in the aromas as it warms. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, apricot, pear, apple, pepper, clove, vanilla, spicy rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of chocolate, coconut, cocoa, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate peppery yeast and rye whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, dark fruit, cherry, apricot, apple, pepper, clove, vanilla, spicy rye whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, light chocolate/coconut, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity/spicy yeast, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; with a great malt and yeast/rye whiskey spiciness balance; with zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate dryness from yeast/oak spiciness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/tannic, and slightly slick/sticky/chalky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; a very mild warmth with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged Belgian strong dark ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity/spicy yeast, and rye whiskey barrel flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Pretty much perfectly balanced between all flavors. Very well attenuated; never overly sweet/heavy feeling for the ABV. Great barrel presence without being boozy. Not as dark or malty as I expected, but a spot on style example regardless. A really delicious offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
500 ml bottle into snifter, bottled in 9/2016. Pours nearly opaque dark brown color with a small fairly dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Some light booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Taste of huge raisin, plum, fig, date, cherry, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of coconut, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/roast bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, apricot, apple, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, vanilla, toffee, toasted oak, brown bread, light coconut/chocolate, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity yeast flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly drying from bitterness and bourbon/oak spiciness as well. Light carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy, and slightly slick/chalky/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden; a small pleasant warmth, with slight barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an awesome barrel aged old ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, bourbon barrel, and fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Very well rounded yeast/malt complexities. A little more heavy on the barrel presence than I’d prefer; but it never feels overly boozy, tannic, or drying. A really delicious and impressive offering.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a semi-dark red almost brown color with an eggshell white foamy little head. Quickly died off to leave some messy lace.
The aroma had a semi-sweet boozy malt with some strong roasted nuts, a little bit of caramel cleanliness, and a touch of earthiness.
The flavor dedicated itself to the malts, clean and sweet. Some cereal sweetness seemed to play with some sweet bread in this section. Aftertaste developed some of the earthiness playing with the malts. Finish was fairly malty and dry.
The palate was roughly medium bodied with a slight chewiness to it. Decent carbonation and the ABV felt fine.
Overall, as an American strong ale, I didn’t seem to find as many hops, but as an English strong ale it works. Good as a beer to have in the Winter, most likely.
CoastGuardVet (6205) reviewed Amber from Ascension Brewing Company 8 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 4 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 5
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a dark red color with no head or lace.
The aroma had some swift clean caramel malts. Boy, did they seem to evaporate quickly away from my nose, so damn subtle. Super light grassy hops.
The flavor had some of that caramel malty sweetness, but even that seemed barely there. Aftertaste was the malts. Finish was the same.
The palate was almost medium bodied but sat just a touch under. Fairly sessionable, as there was a decent smoothness about it. Decent carbonation. ABV felt fine.
Overall, honestly, there’s so many amber ales on the market in just about any state in this nation. \"Does not compute\" to me to want to have this again.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a lighter black sort of color with a thin off white foamy head. Didn’t leave too much lace, somewhat spotty here and there.
The aroma had some bitter coffee grounds with a touch of anise, some sweet coffee portions and a little bit of dried earth.
The flavor tried to be sweet but brought a fairly dry roastiness into the mix performing a slight woody sort of flavor encompassing it all. Aftertaste was full of the same. The finish was super dry.
The palate was about medium bodied with a tough sessionability about it. I’m guessing due to the dryness I had a fairly hard time trying to drink. I found myself sipping this one more. Carbonation felt fine. ABV felt fine.
Overall, seemed more of an Irish dry stout to me, unsure if I’d want to have again.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance was a fairly dark red color with a film of a little white foamy head that fell off immediately. Light messy lace.
The aroma had some crisp wafer/cracker-like sweetness, light grassy hops, some citrus hops and a touch of earthiness.
The flavor was basically the same and keeping the aromas fairly separated - sometimes bitter, sometimes malty, sometimes citrusy. Damp malty aftertaste with a clean bitter finish.
The palate was about medium bodied with a decent sessionability about it. ABV felt fine. Carbonation felt fine.
Overall, I understand what brewers are trying to do with red IPA’s but for the most part, there’s not a lot of them out there are really \"cutting it.\" I’ll keep trying them, though.