Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Equinox IPA from Willimantic Brewing Company 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
4/6/2006, not even a day old growler, provided by OldGrowth
Unfiltered, ruddy-raspberry-copper appearance with a well-formed, but utlimately, unsustainable head that is beige. Recedes to a ring, with a smattering of cover and light, blotchy lacework.
Cherry, almond skins, vanilla, hard citrus rinds and rye malts all combine to give a disconcerting aroma. You have the soft, luxurious cherries and vanilla, but then the hard, unripened white grapefruit and spicy rye really turn everything upside down. Fortunately, all notes are welcome, no matter how much disharmony it creates. As it warms, I do note some alcohol in the nose, as the malts seem so lean and dry, as to not be able to soak it up completely, but it’s passing. Magnum hops provide additional lemon-tea-like notes not altogether unlike Rogue Imperial Pils.
Juicy fruits open up the flavor (lightly so), with very apparent rye adding a very spicy, chewy flavor that ruffles the feathers of the tastebuds. Plenty of grapefruit rind, tons of yeast and earthy, toasty pale and munich malts would, outwardly, seem at odds, but somehow the rye acts as a bridge between the citrus and earth, lending a mitigating, hard, toasty-chewiness. The pale malts do provide some light sugars on the end, and the unfiltered texture makes up for the fact that the body is near bone-dry and quite attenuated. I think the attenuation is right where the brewer intended, though, and it works so well with the flavorful, citric hops. Hop acids are very low, surprisingly (well not that surprising, I always get along with magum and challenger). Alcohol is near nil in the flavor. The non-filtration, low, but engaging carbonation and spicy flavors are key here.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
Less than 3 hour old growler shared by OldGrowth on 3/14/06 in a tulip, chilled to start
Intensely bright orange-amber body, with apricot and peach tones, perfect mix of deep and light shades. Huge, perfectly constructed, dense white head. Perfect retention (recedes slightly to become manageable) and laces in large sheets. Lightly hazy, unfiltered
Tropical fruits galore with wintergreen and spearmint on the end. Clean, very crisp and fresh. Nectarine-papaya-mango fruits with light herbs, very juicy and Pliny the Younger-esque. You can almost taste how juicy the flavor is going to be. Simcoes done to perfection. And fortunately, not too heavy on the columbus. Malt is just a basic pale malt with touches of light caramel/munich influences, but nothing heavy. Yet nor is it underrepresented. Just enough to add balance/body, but allows the hops free range. The aroma is, furthermore, very intense, strong and lasting. Some 30 minutes or so later and every sniff is just as intense and beautiful as the first.
The flavor delivers and then some. Huge, complex hop profile explodes on the palate with fruit juiciness covering every inch of taste receptors. Not quite as much tropical fruits as the aroma would suggest, but nonetheworse, it brings light wintergreen and some medium-dry pine resin. Softly-sweet pale malts add a balancing sweetness and wonderful body/texture, with traces of caramel here and there. But it’s a hop show, from start to finish. Importantly, not overly bitter or resinous in the least. The pine is there, but only comes out on the very end, with a bit of perfuminess or alcohol esters. Sweet and fruit juicy, but yet retains an inexplicable dryness that makes for one of the most drinkable beers I have ever experienced. A lighter version of Pliny the Younger not quite as floral as Hop 15 and maybe not as much tropical fruit, alcohol and malt sugar as Pliny. But the lower alcohol makes it that much more manageable on the palate. Extremely tight, engaging carbonation gives an intensely creamy-spritzy mouthfeel.
A shame this is a draught only brewpub version from the middle of nowhere CT. This needs to be experienced by everyone. Thanks so much Tom!
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed RoadenZok from Willimantic Brewing Company 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Less than 2 hour-old growler from OldGrowth on 3/14/06
Well they nailed the color. A single stream of bubbles rising from the bottom center of the glass. Small beige head semi-retained at cover. Cherry flesh red, with burnished copper and deep rufous orange tones. Immense, full lacing down the glass.
Weak nose, but well cherried, though it smells more like dried cherries than fresh, tart cherries. Certainly lactic acid, adding a fresh sourness (though very muted) which is well-interrupted by black pepper-like phenols and only a bit of grainy, dry, caravienne or some other biscuit-like malt.
In the flavor, the cherries really come alive and provide light tartness. Rather doughy, seemingly fully attenuated body. Not much Belgian yeast apparency, just seems to rely on the lactic-like sour mash qualities. But it’s hardly even "sour". Lightly chewy, growing more cherry-dominated as it warms. Just too lean, though as OldGrowth points out, this is not a Rodenbach Grand Cru or Alexander clone, just a plain old Rodenbach classic clone (or at least we hope it is). No hop apparency, no alcohol apparency, low yeast apparency. As Casey says, it appears to be quite watered down. Just lacking in flavor. Anyways, big cheers to OldGrowth for bringing back a growler.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Willi Whammer from Willimantic Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
On draught at the NEBF, 10/29/05. This version was a blend of the 02, 03, 04 and 05 vintages, aged in a Jack Daniels barrel for 6 months. The barrel was previously used to age their Raisin Old ale.
Appears a completely hazy deep auburn-copper with murky beige and chestnut tinges. Begins with a small amount of very creamy tan-beige head. Not terribly well-retained, but there is some lacing as it recedes. Appearance is not altogether unlike Thomas Hardys ale, though this has a much more pronounced reddish hue to it. Aroma is dry and earthy, with chewy-sweet dark fruits (figs, dates, raisins, black cherries) and a bit of floral hoppiness. Some sweet toffee seems out of place, while soft notes of wood and a hint of whiskey sit in the background. Flavor begins with a moderate amount of acidity, such that you might find in a flemish sour. The flavor includes some candy-like sugar notes, chocolate covered cherries and earthy yeast dryness. Towards the middle, a tartness builds on the mouth and then quickly fades back in to the toffe-caramel and date flavor, with lightly bitter, floral hops and a strong fruitiness. At the very end, and after it has warmed more, can be found a light bourbon note, slightly alcoholic, drying and with a touch of coconut. Not sure what is causing that tartness that gives it more a flemish sour-like flavor than barleywine. I don’t know what they added to their raisin old ale, and I didnt think they did brett beers here, but it is unmistakeably a wild yeast of some sort. Body is soft and supple with lots of caramel-like sugars creating an ample body. Mouthfeel is low on carbonation, smooth, though lightly sticky at times. The flemish sour aspect seems pitted against the barleywine characteristics, but both aspects are done well and make for a very unique and flavorful experience. Alcohol was well-concealed. Lots of yeast apparency.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Rail Mail Rye from Willimantic Brewing Company 20 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On cask 4/27/2005 at NERAX
Pale-copper-gold colored beer, foamy white head, good retention. Aroma of juicy fruit, pears, nectarines, peaches, cherries, oranges. Honey and dough and a bit of spiciness. Flavor is juicy, medium-full bodied and lightly creamy. Hoppy, but not overly bitter and even the large amount of rye in the bill, 25%, does not dull the maltiness. Cascade hops I adore and these are done to perfection, with all of the citrus fruit and floral flavor. Only a light spiciness from the rye. Much like Founders Reds rye, though I would propose it better, with no astringency, less bitterness and, due to being on cask, a softer, creamier mouthfeel.