ironprog
United States 🇺🇸 MemberOptions
Activity
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5.5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 5.5
12 oz. can
5.0% ABV
Best by: JUN 2026
$14.99 6-pk @ Publix
AROMA: Mildly sweet, with scents of coffee and a hint of caramel, at the end. Oddly, I find the coffee scent to be more like used coffee grinds, rather than fresh beans.
APPEARANCE: Pours an opaque black with a 3-finger, tight-frothed, dirty-tan head that dissipates very slowly with excellent lacing. It looks very nice!
TASTE: At beginning of a sip, I get moderate sweetness with a fair amount of espresso that is followed by some light notes of cream and a touch of caramel. Sadly, other than a bit of coffee flavor, it doesn't really have much else to offer. And I find that the sweetness doesn't really mesh with the rest of the flavor profile.
MOUTHFEEL: Thin-bodied with a slightly coarse texture. Carbonation is below average. Finish is mildly dry.
OVERALL: Appearance is great. Aroma and Flavor are just okay. Mouthfeel is lacking. While I find the idea of the beer to be compelling, the actual execution leaves me flat. I'm glad I tried it, but I won't be buying again.
ironprog reached Level 15 with 1451 XP
Find out more about ironprog's level here
Bigfoot from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company was the one that did it!
2 weeks ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 6.5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
2026 vintage
12 oz. bottle
9.6% ABV
Packaged on: 12/12/25
$13.49 6-pk @ Publix
Note: The brewer states that this beer will continue to develop in the bottle for years to come. Which is why I indicated the vintage that I am reviewing.
AROMA: Mildly sweet, with mild floral scents, bread, spice, and hops.
APPEARANCE: Pours an deep amber with a 4-finger, tight-frothed, tan head that dissipates very slowly with excellent lacing. Very inviting!
TASTE: As the beer first touches my palate, I get a brief sense of sweetness that is immediately overcome by moderate-to-high levels of bitterness. Individual flavors are somewhat masked by the bitterness, but I get faint flavors of grass, malt, and caramel.
MOUTHFEEL: Full-bodied with a smooth, creamy texture at the beginning of a sip and then it transitions to a much coarser texture. Which is probably due to the bitterness level and the ultra-dry finish. Carbonation is average.
OVERALL: I've only had a few barleywine beers over the years, so I am certainly no expert on them. But I find this one to taste nothing like the others I've tried in the past. This one is very hoppy and tastes more like an or American strong ale than a barleywine beer. I was genuinely excited to try this beer because I haven't had a barleywine beer in ages, and thought this would be a nice change of pace. But I found myself disappointed because, to me, this was just another hop-forward ale .
The beer is actually a well made beer. It just wasn't what I expected for a barleywine beer, nor anything I would have bought had I known what it was truly like. I've tried many other beers from this brewer, and have enjoyed the vast majority of them. However, I won't be buying this again. Simply because it doesn't fit the barleywine style, or at least not my interpretation of the style. I have a few bottles left so I will let them develop in the bottle, for a year or two, and give them another try. But I'm not holding my breath.
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5.5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
12 oz. can
6.0% ABV
Date: 10/23/25 - Note: There is nothing to indicate what the date refers to (packaged, born-on, best-by, etc.)
$13.99 6-pk @ Winter Springs Liquors
AROMA: Mildly sweet, with mild scents of milk chocolate and malt. As the beer warms, I start to get notes of ground coffee and cocoa.
APPEARANCE: Pours an opaque black with a 2-finger, tight-frothed, tan head that dissipates down to a pencil thin collar, moderately fast. The collar, on the other hand, lingers for quite a while. Lacing is minimal when I finish the pour and just let the beer sit and the head dissipate on its own. However, there is moderate lacing after taking a sip and letting the beer settle back into the glass. Overall, a nice looking beer.
TASTE: Mildly sweet, with moderate coffee flavor and mild notes of cocoa nibs. The coffee flavor reminds me of the bulk, commercial coffees like Maxwell House and Folders. While it's not bitter, it doesn't have any real depth of flavor like more expensive coffees do. During the finish I get more of a coffee grounds flavor, rather than coffee itself.
MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with a somewhat loose texture that gives the sense of wateriness but with more heft/body than water. Carbonation is about average.
OVERALL: In general, I love coffee porters. I do not love this one. However, I don't hate it either. For me, it just has some oddities in the flavor and texture, that would keep me from buying in again.
Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 7
12 oz. can
8.7% ABV
Best by: 09.19.26
$11.49 (on sale) 6-pk @ Publix
AROMA: Mildly sweet, with mild scents of raisins, cinnamon, and a bit of booze. As the beer warms, I start to pick up on other scents like, fresh-baked oatmeal cookies, vanilla, and dark-roast coffee.
APPEARANCE: Pours an opaque black with a 4-finger, loose-frothed, tan head that dissipates very slowly with excellent lacing. To be honest, it reminds me of a freshly poured Guinness from a tap. Very inviting!
TASTE: Sweet, with solid flavors of cinnamon, raisins, vanilla, and dark chocolate. I also get hints of coffee, milk, and booze during the finish. While the cinnamon is fairly evident, it is not in-your-face. In fact, none of the flavors really dominate. Instead, there is a nice balance between all of them. And even though the beer is on the sweet side, it is not overpowering. Especially with the coffee bitterness coming in during the finish, which helps to counter-balance some of the sticky sweetness you get at the very beginning.
One thing to be aware of is that as the beer warms, the raisin, vanilla, and milk flavors get a bit more prevalent, while the cinnamon lessens a skosh. While this does change the flavor profile a bit, it is not a big change, yet it is noticeable. And I'm okay with that.
MOUTHFEEL: Full-bodied with a smooth, silky texture at the beginning of a sip and then there's a bit of "grabiness" at the very end. Carbonation is a little above average.
OVERALL: I've had mixed experiences with beers from this brewer. Some I like, some I don't. This is one that I do like, and will buy more of it in the future. However, it is fairly sweet. So it's not going to be a beer that I buy on a regular basis. Still, I would probably buy it a few times, each year, for those times when I want something sweet with a well-balanced flavor.
ironprog
updated a beer:
Milk & Cookies Stout
brewed by Wicked Weed Brewing
2 months ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7.5 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 9 | Overall - 8
12 oz. bottle
8.6% ABV
Best by: 10/09/26
$11.09 (on sale) 4-pk @ Publix
AROMA: Sweet, with strong scents of caramel and butterscotch. I also get a very slight hint of bubblegum at the end. It is a very delicious smelling beer!
APPEARANCE: Pours a clear medium-amber with a 2-finger, tight-froth, white head that dissipates slowly with moderate lacing. It looks very inviting in my clear glass!
TASTE: Sweet, with big flavors of caramel, butterscotch and vanilla. I do get a bit of the nut flavor on the back-end, but you really have to "wait" for it. I do wish the nut flavor was more pronounced. But to be fair, chestnuts don't have a whole lot of flavor, on their own, to begin with.
Yes, the beer is sweet, but I find it to be at a tolerable level. Meaning, I can drink an entire beer without my palate becoming fatigued. However, I'm not sure I would want to drink 2 of these, in a row.
MOUTHFEEL: Full-bodied with a smooth, silky texture. Carbonation is a bit below average. The finish is long and smooth. This a very luxurious feeling beer with a body that is deceptively thick.
OVERALL: I'm kinda diggin' this beer. I find the aroma, flavor, and body to be very alluring, and its style fits nicely with the holidays. There are a lot of seasonal beers that I've tried that I think to myself, "why don't they make this year-round?". This is not one of those beers as it, definitely, would not be as enjoyable at any other time of the year. Mostly, because of the sweetness factor. However, as a "holiday" beer, I find it quite enjoyable and would gladly buy it next year, if it is available.
ironprog (314) reviewed Winter Welcome Ale from Samuel Smith 4 months ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5.5 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
12 oz. bottle
6.0% ABV
Best by: 31JAN27
$12.99 4-pk @ Publix
AROMA: Initially there is a mild sweetness with mild scents of caramel, biscuit, and malt. But then, at the end, a very small amount of musty sourness (e.g. old gym socks) wafts in. Mind you, it's not overwhelming, but I do find it a bit off-putting. I bought a 4-pack so when I have my next one, I'll see if the mustiness is still there, or if I maybe just got an "off" bottle.
APPEARANCE: Pours a clear medium-amber with a 1-finger, tight-froth, light-tan, head that dissipates very quickly with minimal lacing. It looks fine in my clear glass but the head really should last much longer.
TASTE: Mildly sweet with mild flavors of malt and caramel. The finish has a mild amount of bitterness, which I find to be appropriate. As the beer warms, the sweetness level increases a bit and the caramel flavor comes through a touch more.
MOUTHFEEL: Medium-bodied with a somewhat smooth texture. Carbonation seems average. The finish is medium dry.
OVERALL: Well, this is another beer that I probably won't purchase again. While it has a nice enough flavor, there is nothing that I find unique or interesting. On top of that, I found the aroma to be a little wonky. I'm not sure why I've had such a string of buying "ho-hum" beers lately. Either I'm just bad at picking new beers to try, or I've become jaded and am now a beer snob. At any rate, I did enjoy trying this beer, even if it didn't win me over.
ironprog
updated a beer:
Old Man Winter Ale
brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
4 months ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6.5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
12 oz. can
7.5% ABV
Best by: 03/28/26
$10.99 6-pk @ Publix
AROMA: Mildly sweet with moderate scents of malt, bread, and caramel. It's a nice aroma that does its job of inviting you in.
APPEARANCE: Pours a clear medium-amber with a 3-finger, loose-froth, white, head that dissipates fairly slowly with excellent lacing. It looks very inviting in my clear glass!
TASTE: Mildly sweet with mild flavors of malt and caramel. The finish has a touch of sourness, which I find a little off-putting. I would much prefer bitterness to sourness. But I'm sure there are plenty of other imbibers who would appreciate the sour. At any rate, it's not very pronounced, so it's not a deal-breaker for me.
MOUTHFEEL: This is one of those odd beers for me. The "weight" of it tells me it's medium-bodied, but as it rolls over my tongue I get a very watery sensation that makes me want to say that it's thin-bodied. For now, I'll stick with saying that it's medium-bodied. Carbonation seems about average. The finish is mildly dry.
OVERALL: The appearance is outstanding and the aroma is nice. However, the mouthfeel and taste are somewhat lacking. For those reasons, I would probably not buy this again. But I'm also not unhappy that I bought a six-pack, as they go down pretty easy and, for the most part, don't offend. They just aren't very exciting, nor do I find anything "seasonal" about the flavors.