Notes on beers brewed by
12 oz bottle into the Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Body is a ugly, clouded, Dubbel-like affair with very little discernible head, retention or lace. Nose has quite a lot of sweet peat, and then this is followed-up a LOT in the taste. Unfortunately the combination of light smoke (good), peat (also good) with an overwhelming sweetness gives a syrupy, difficult to drink cough medicine effect. The alcohol is also prominent and the combination gets way too much very quickly. Even with this level...
12 oz single. Well, if nothing else, true to style. The beer gives a rather unattractive, murky brown body similar to a Dubbel in appearance with little or no head, retention or lace. The head situation is to be expected given the ABV, but the body is somewhat drab and uninspiring. The brew exhibits all of the classic American Barleywine characteristics along with the way that one normally expects them to change over time. Plenty of slightly faded, hop forward aggression with little malt...
12 oz stubbie as per usual from SA in the DR series. Pour is a dark, dark brown essentially black with a fizzy, coffee colored head. Retention and lace not great. Nice dark estery malts and fruit in the nose. Tastes reflect some of those traits but some oxidation plus somewhat surprising mild licorice notes that one might find in a Belgian style stout. Sweetness and alcohol both present but really quite reserved. The stout notes are really quite prominent and they build. Smooth and silky in...
My first opportunity to try something from Saint Arnold. Certainly not their most vaunted beer, but one that I am happy to try thanks to stopbarking. Pour is an impressive slightly clouded orange with a big, ice-cream like head. A small amount of lace. Nose reveals little other than some simple, grassy hops. Not much there. Tastes continues the organic notes followed by some residual sweetness and a simple, refreshing ending. A little mild lemon and spice and good balance. Straightforward and...