Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
2004 bottle. Pours a lightly hazed, yet still bright-golden-yellow body, with a large, foamy white head and plenty of lacing as it slowly recedes. Aroma of grassy, soily hops, with some light lemons and nectarines. Hints of pils malt and white bread dough. Flavor explodes with a full malt body, sweet and lasting on the palate. Lightly zesty hops add good balance, while there are notes of light citrus, vanilla and lemon-merengue pie. No wateriness in this, whatsoever and has a strong medium body, with a lightly creamy mouthfeel. As it warms, yeast notes, lightly musty/sweaty are apparent and add a good amount of complexity. I love when American beers have clear signs of unpasteurisation.
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
2004 bottle. Seems odd to me that this one is rated a full half point higher than the blonde, which appeared a much better beer, IMO. Pour is fantastic though, as usual from Mercury. Deep copper-auburn color, low filtration, unpasteurised with a large off-white, creamy head that lasts and laces. Lots of caramel and diacetyl in the nose, with hints of spiced holiday bread (that’s rather vague, I know). An old, soft, floral hoppiness is lightly present in the nose, as well. Flavor begins with a large amount of buttercream, some light toffee and brown bread dough. Hints of English hops give a moderate bitterness but then the diacetyl-like buttercream flavors make an encore on the finish. Lightly creamy body and though the commercial description claims this as an ESB, after drinking it, it has such a low bitterness that I would have to agree with the bitter classification. A little bit more body than most bottled English bitters, but a well-done if somewhat "too-much-diacetyl-for-my-tastes" effect.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Dark brown body, big puffy brown head. Rich predominantly chocolate aroma with roasted malts and a touch of coffee. Stronger roast comes through in the flavor in addition to chocolate and coffee, the overall effect giving the beer a creamy middle before subsiding to a long, notable bitter finish. Quite enjoyable. Thanks Tom (OldGrowth)!
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Hazy orange body, medium cream/off-white head. Tangy, bready aroma with a touch of caramel in addition to grassy, earthy hops. Big bready/yeasty flavor with grassy hops and a hint of caramel. Yeah, pretty much what I expected from the aroma. Medium-bodied. This was a good beer, but not too different from many others of this style that don’t rate as highly. Thanks Tom (OldGrowth) for the bottle!
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Mercury Vienna Lager from Ipswich Ale Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
On draught at Redbones, Feb/Mar 2005. Chestnut brown/auburn colored body with a light beige head, lasting retention. Lightly transluscent in the glass, as are most of this brewery’s beers. It’s been a while since I’ve had a Mercury beer on draught and this was a treat. Aroma was a bit light, but there was some barley and toasted malt. Quite grainy. Unpasteurised and unfiltered, I’ve always enjoyed the mouthfeel of their beers. This one has a low carbonation, just enough for a refreshing lager, with a good yeast bite on the finish. Lightly metallic/earthy flavors are not out of place for the style, and there is ample toasted malt flavor playing with lightly dry hops. No out of place citrusy hops, almost a creamy consistency as it warms. Lightly chewy texture and a medium body, with low attenuation relative to the style. Perhaps more alt-like than vienna-like.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
2004 bottle. Deep, dark brown appearance, with a huge tan head, creamy and lasting. Filtered. Aroma of rich espresso, dark chocolate, rich cream and ground up coffee beans. Ligth hints of hops in there as well. Flavor is thick dark chocolate, black coffee with a dab of cream. Roasty and nutty with light citric hops lingering in the background. Velvety, silky body with the consistency of chocolate milk. Lightly oily on the finish. Medium-full body, luxuriously rich coffee and chocolate linger on the palate. I really like the use of hops here. Just ever so slightly present. Little to no astringency from the roast, which is impressive. No alcohol apparent. This was my breakfast saturday morning.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Stone Cat Ale from Ipswich Ale Brewery 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
With this, I complete my conquest of all Stone Cat beers. 2003 bottle. Hmm, they say filtered but there is some sediment at the bottom. Vibrant orange color, light copper, big white head. Aroma of sour yeast, bitter plasticy, piney hops? It smells like their IPA, and I cant quite place that aroma. It is sour, it’s almost sweet and plasticy. Soured milk perhaps? Is that their secret? Just kidding. Flavor starts out with a good amount of honey and pilsner like malts. Smooth body, low, pleasing carbonation. Medium, but not thin. Finishes with some very light fruit esters, more of that funky sour/bitterness. After drinking this, I want to just mail it out to everyone just because I believe it is so remarkable how strange it is. Not bad though, not bad at all. Where I have found this love for cream ales is beyond me.
Earlier Rating: 10/18/2004 Total Score: 3.1
2004 draught. Golden with a light orange tint, mildly hazy and a large white head. Aroma of light grains, hay, spicy german hops and a hint of honey and almonds. Flavor is both sweet and sour, mixing well with the hops providing a good fresh spiciness. Touch of yeast apparency, and a good medium body. Not terribly crisp on the finish and a bit too sweet even with a even smooth body, but I’d actually prefer it be more crisp and light to get in a bit more of the hops bite. Ends dry, earthy and yeasty.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Stone Cat Octoberfest from Ipswich Ale Brewery 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
2004 bottle. Pours a dark orange with some light auburn highlights and hints of brown. Small beige head, filtered body. Aroma of fruity hops (candied apples, strawberries, plums) some light caramel malt and yeast. Flavor starts out intensely fruity, especially for a marzen. Grain notes through the middle with bitter hops on the finish and an almost syrupy shot of caramel or sweet toffee. The finish has a fruity bouquet reminiscent of ale yeast, but there is a hint of spicy lager yeast lingering around. Reminds me much of Weyerbacher Autumnfes, not very true to a traditional German marzen, but much hoppier and fruitier. Would like much more dry malt. Body is medium.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Z Street Rollstone Red from Ipswich Ale Brewery 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
2004 bottle contract brewed by Concord brewing. Well, not surprisingly, this one was just about as good as the IPA. Whatever they’re doing, they’re doin it right. Wonderful deep cherry red appearane, some light oranges and burgundies. Good light yellow head, mostly clear body. Aroma of ripe red fruits, this thing is exploding with fruity ale yeast. Light hops in the background a mild sweetness. Flavor is almost exactly like the aroma. Incredible fruit esters, creamy mouthfeel, hops not overdone but present. The toastiness is subtle and adds no astringency. This is a spectacular beer.
2005 bottle Initially large off-white head recedes to ring, with some light lacing. Still a brilliant, deep cherry red appearance to the body. Aroma is very hoppy, with a distinct earthy/leafy/nutty bitterness and drying effect. Clean and dry, it finishes without too much malt influence (not enough). Tastes like tea leaves, with lots of toasted malt, some light roast. Very hoppy, though it is a fresh, herbal/spice hoppiness. Ultimately the body proves too light for the amount of hops. Not enough sweet/substantial malt to balance. A bit of crystal malt up front is all that is keeping this from being an IPA. As I finish the glass, I keep thinking, "way too bitter!" Unsure why the great parity between the last batch and this.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Z Street IPA from Ipswich Ale Brewery 21 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
2004 bottle. Now contract brewed by Concord Brewery. WOW. This just blew me away. When EddieG rates an IPA high, you know it’s gonna be good, but I wasnt prepared for this one. Aroma hints at good things to come. Huge centennial spiciness, bitterness from the that and the Cascades and a bit of floral, fruitiness from the Goldings and again from the centennials. Good caramelized orange candy in there. the flavor is just spectacular. . .Immensely balanced and just full flavored. Candy flavors, light pine hops, plenty of fruitiness and a bit of dry, earthy malt on the very end. Bitterness is perfect, not overthetop and ruining, but lingering and moderate. The flavor that really wins me over though, is the light candied flavor right near the end, reminding me heavily of a fruity belgian dark strong (delirium noel, affligem noel perhaps). No wateriness, the aroma stays down to the end as well. Medium to medium-full body. Big creamy white head that reduces to just a foamy cover, tons of lacing and a deep honey orange color. Clear and filtered. I’ll be getting some more of this. 8/4/8/4/17
2005 bottle, Mercury brewing version. I keep seeing all of these horrible reviews of the beer but I have yet to have a bad bottle. Quite the contrary, it has a foamy white head, low filtration, with sweaty, dusty goldings hops intersparsed between thick citrus, lemons especially. Caramel and cookieish malts provide light sweetness in the nose. The flavor begins dry, with a leafy green hop flavor that washes well over the palate through its soft mouthfeel and low carbonation. The lightly sweet cookie-like malts add balance and tickle the tongue, and then dry out significantly, providing a more biscuity, white bread-like feel on the end, coupled with some house yeast character of the brewery. 7/4/7/4/15