Dragonslayer - Middle Ages Brewing Co., Ltd.

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

It's not often that I review a beer under more than one serving type, but Dragonslayer was very good on cask, so I thought it warranted some thoughts. Also, the cask that I tried was aged two years.

The look is great. Completely opaque and either the darkest of browns or black. The head is a solid, brown slab that has great retention and leaves some nice lacing behind.

The aroma is very malty, with black malt, chocolate and tons of roasted malt.

The roasted malt has really taken this one over with a little bit of age on it. Powdery cocoa flavors, a hint of coffee and a ton of roasted malt. A little bit of black malt gives a slight bready flavor, and hints of molasses are in the background. Overall, roasted malt really dominates this one and gives it a very dry, bitter character. Whatever warmth or heat that Dragonslayer had fresh has completely vanished.

The mouthfeel is great. Full and creamy, this cask was treated very well.

Age definitely smoothed this one out, as the alcohol is completely hidden. It also made it much less sweet. This is a very tasty beer; I need to try a fresh Dragonslayer again (which I do at Dino BBQ every time I go) to compare.

Serving type: cask

11-22-2011 02:00:36 | More by Hojaminbag

Avryle

New York

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Black with a deep one-finger coffee-colored head. Sticky lacing clings to the glass all the way down

S- Super rich chocolaty aromas with coffee & sweet tangy cherries in the background

T- Rich chocolate & subtle coffee flavors. Some anise & caramel malts in there with a vanilla and tangy cherry/bitter finish.

M- A little on the thin side. Could just be the cask. Very mild carbonation

D- Dangerously drinkable. Cask pour make this one easily drinkable. Unfortunately, cask beer has some sort of insomniatic side effect with me, so I won't sleep well tonight.

Serving type: cask

04-12-2008 01:38:32 | More by Avryle

Stimack

New York

3/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Had this beer on cask the other night. Was pulled to a pitch-black color with a dark tan head that actually had pretty good retention and did leave some chunky bubbly lacing at the top of the glass. The aroma was or roasted malts, maybe heading towards burnt. Also present was an alcohol scent that was pretty dominant. The taste was ok, maybe this brew was not for me but I usually do like Imperial Stouts. I notice a burnt malt taste from the get-go along with some dark fruit flavors and finishes with a strong alcohol flavor that seems to make it somewhat hard to get down. Also had a watery feel even though it had such a hard alcohol taste. I am pretty sure that I have had this brew before from the bottle and really enjoyed it but from the cask last night it was only passable.

Serving type: cask

12-02-2006 12:39:08 | More by Stimack

sponberg

New York

5/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I knew it was great on tap. And it's outstanding in bottle. But on cask... wow. Just... wow. Pours opaque, with a creamy brown head that leaves tell tale lace down the side of the glass. Aroma redolent of roasted malt, cocoa, toffee-alcohol, and maybe sone dried plums way in the back. Beautiful.

I can't improve on LBB's flavor profile description - it's all that. Go read what the Bum wrote then come back.

*patiently waits*

Now, I've never had a beer with such a silken yet chewy mouthfeel, combined with that delectable cask carbonation. It just doesn't get any better. Yet what kills me about the cask version is its ungodly drinkability. The alcohol remains almost undetectable. It goes down like it's an ESB. Seriously. Just look at your pint glass as you drink this. Look at the foam lines an inch or so apart from each of the quaffs. Then look at your empty glass and remember that it's 9+% ABV.

I don't give out all fives easily. This one... this one's all fives.

Serving type: cask

12-30-2005 18:09:51 | More by sponberg

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.75/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This was my first brew at the recent cask fest in New Haven. What a way to start!
The brew was poured into my sample glass and it is pitch black. No light getting through at all. There is a brown, soft, foamy head across the top of the brew.
Aroma is roasty coffee, chocolate dominated.
FIrst sip reveals an incredibly thick brew! The beer is very rich and malty, coffee and chocolate flavors from the start with a mild sweetness as well. The finish is very crisp and hoppy. This was one of the best brews I tasted at the fest, cant wait to try it again sometime!

Serving type: cask

01-27-2004 22:19:28 | More by sulldaddy

davey101

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber into a tulip. Bottle has no date indication but its a dusty bottle so a year or so of age?

Pours a black body with a finger of dark mocha foam. Moderate lacing with weak retention. Has some alcoholic legs. Aromas of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and some cherries. Taste is heavy on the roasted malts with notes of chocolate and some cherries. Mouth feel is creamy and full bodied. ABV is very well hidden. Overall this is a really solid RIS that is demonstrating some light notes of oxidation. Really nice RIS.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 05:04:41 | More by davey101

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.29/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle from Binghamton Beer Depot. From notes.

A - Poured black with a two finger mocha/brown head. Spotty lace rings and a good half finger of retention.

S - Super chocolatey, really rich, mocha, iced coffee. Such a lovely and inviting aroma.

T - Lot's of roast. Lot's of chocolate. Rich and sweet. A touch of alcohol. Tasty stuff.

M - Nice mild carbonation. Full body and a sweet then dry and bitter finish.

O/D - Pretty nice Imperial Stout. Rich and tasty. Makes you know what you're in for with the alcohol, but makes you want more as well. Nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 18:52:52 | More by tbeckett

Brad007

Vermont

4.46/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Pours a pitch black with a nice brown head into my glass. Nice lacing too. At least the presentation is spot-on.

Coffee, cocoa and cream notes. Luscious. If the reviews are any indicator, this is shaping up to be one mean bastard.

Lots of roastiness to greet the tongue. As it reaches the back of the throat, the cream and cocoa notes make their presence known. There are no dominant flavors here as all share the bill equally.

Creamy mouthfeel is a treat as a lot of imperial stouts tend to finish on a roasty, alcoholic note.

I'd rather slay a dragon than wear green and drink beer at a commercialized "irish pub" on this St.Patty's Day!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 18:46:13 | More by Brad007

rlee1390

Indiana

3.99/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A-Black in the glass, two finger tan/brown head, nice carbonation and lacing.

S-Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, tad burnt malt, nice balance.

T-Roasty, some coffee, a little burnt, Chocolate is more of a dark chocolate. Some darker fruits even.

M-Lighter for a stout, nicely carbonation.

O-It was a good beer, just not great. Still a much better offering from Middle Ages.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 23:51:47 | More by rlee1390

Dope

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.75

Unsure of the age on this one, I don't see a date. I would assume 2-2.5 years old.

A: Black pour with an overly huge and fluffy medium brown head. Fades slowly with excellent head retention. Small thin tufts of lacing remain behind.

S: Mild char and chocolate. Some dustiness, maybe this bottle is older than I think. Kinda smells like old hops. Sweet.

T: Definitely get some remnants of hops up front. Kinda piney. Lots of char and chocolate in the middle and then turns into a total cardboard fest. Hmph, oxidized I would say. Bottle stored properly for not very long, surprising. Has a sawdust, cardboard and dust flavor from the middle onwards which pretty much dominates along with a bunch of acrid char. Mild hints of dark fruit in there, throughout.

M: Medium bodied, standard.

O: It appears this one had some potential but it's either a bad bottle or oxidized. Shame. It's almost still drinkable but I poured it out in favor of some Old Raspy anniversary. Honestly I'm not sure if the flavors aren't intended, but they're not very good either way.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 04:18:28 | More by Dope

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.9/5  rDev -28.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Pours jet black and viscous with just a little light around the edges. Very little retention, but some good lacing.

Lots of chocolate in the aroma along with anise and some earthy hops. There is some sweetness too that I can't quite pin down. Molasses maybe?

Very odd flavor profile. A lot roastier than the smell lets on, but is still sweet despite being chalky. Lots of licorice and stale hops as well. Too ashy after it warms.

Medium to heavy bodied. Finishes chalky.

Very odd beer. At times it's sweet and at times it's ashy and the combo didn't really work for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 14:46:23 | More by jmarsh123

Geegmasta

3.63/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance- Black as night, as any stout should be. Developed a nice, light caramel colored head around 0.75''. It slowly reduced into the body of the beer leaving a nice coating on the sides of the glass.

Smell- A classic scent of roasted malts and barley with a slight hint of coffee.

Taste- A burnt malt flavor but rather a bit bland. A slight coffee aftertaste. No hint at the ABV of 9.5% which is nice.

Mouthfeel- A light carbonation but more than I would like in a stout. Doesn't coat the mouth as much as I thought it would and absorbs swiftly into your mouth.

Overall- As far as look and smell I was pretty excited but upon tasting it I was disappointed. The taste did not thrill me and it felt like I was drinking something lighter. It's not a bad beer but I would not buy it again for a price of $7.99.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:38:43 | More by Geegmasta

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Good to see the reviews so high since I was able to pick up an aged bottle of this for 6 bucks at the local House of 1,000 beers.

A - Very thick, dark as viscous the way I like em! The head is a deep dark mocha as well, sticky lacing and seems to stay around for quite a bit.

S - Well I can smell the hops from my computer but up close it kind of reminds me of Samuel Smith's imperial in a way it touches on a mix of hops, licorice, molasses, and slight levels of bittersweet chocolate.

T - Wow it's very hoppy and a touch drying (chalky) which was unexpected since I do like sweeter stouts. It does seem to balance after a while to an enjoyable level of roast and ashy chocolate.

M - Medium to heavy in body. Sipping on it right now.

Overall again I am a huge fan of more balanced sweeter stouts and this one seems more traditional in the heavy handed hops and chalky roast. I am actually not sure if it's even that old since the hops are still kicking hard. I love the style just not this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 23:21:38 | More by DrDemento456

sirsurly

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Very special, ongoing effort from Middle Ages. Albeit super expensive. 9$ for a 22 around town. As a former dark beer dork, turned hop hound, this russian imperial has drawn me back to the dark side. A real experience in a dark beer is a rare thing. Even some of the more sophisticated Pacific NW breweries fumble with trying to get a dark imperial out that is actually delicious, much less enjoyable. If this brewery could do away with their raspberries, their wheats, and a few of their ales (old marcus, highlander, etc.), and focus on their real winners (IPA, double IPA, SPA, and Dragonslayer) they could be a real force to be reckon with.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 23:41:09 | More by sirsurly

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle into tulip glass

A - Nice color, black with brown/ruby hued edges. Two finger light brown head with fine bubbles and smattering of larger ones. Looks tasty!

S - Milk chocolate is the driving aroma here. Sweet. Dark fruit aroma, roasted malts. Relatively simple and really very good because of it.

T - Intense roast, darker chocolate than the nose, cocoa powder, hint of raisin, sweet. Nice lightly pine-y hop bitterness late in the profile delivers some balance.

M - Medium to full in body, not so thick and syrupy like some RIS. And RIS you can actually drink without chewing! Bubbles are way too active, tickling the mouth too much. This bottle seems over-carbed, especially when comparing to other reviews.

O - Overall a great take on the style, fairly simple and unassuming, while still very tasty. This is the kind of RIS I would buy regularly like Old Rasputin, but not one that I would hang on to for any long period of time or save for a special occasion. Very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 23:20:54 | More by greenmonstah

lordofthewiens

Maine

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was a very pretty beer. Near black in color with a thick orange/tan head. There was a little bit of lace.

Roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate aroma. There was also some licorice aroma, or at least something that resembled that.

The taste was mostly espresso. The chocolate tasted both like cocoa and dark chocolate. Whatever I thought was licorice in the aroma didn't come through in the taste.

A nice RIS. I thought it mostly resembled a strong cup of coffee.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 23:20:25 | More by lordofthewiens

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle, no date.

black, with dark tan head. decent head retention. toasty, almost smokey aroma. savory smelling. taste is slightly bitter roast flavor. lingering cocoa notes. mouthfeel is a bit viscous, with just enough carbonation. nice for the style.

overall, a solid RIS.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 01:55:10 | More by jmdrpi

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Jet black & opaque with the barest hints of garnet highlights an the very edges of the glass when held to a strong light. Good size mocha head that turns a touch rocky as it settles to a creamy cap that retains very well and just manages to leave few gobs of lace.

S: Dark sweetness that focuses less on malt and more on fruits – plums & cherries mostly. Just a hint of tartness to the fruit. Faint touch of chocolate and roast. Perhaps a ghost hit of alcohol spiciness. Might also be from hops. Pretty good strength, but a bit one-sided in it focus on fruits. It gains just a touch more roast and chocolate as it warms.

T: Strongly roasty. Start with some steely molasses sweetness. Mixed with some good amount of dark cherry & plum fruit with hints of prune and raisin. Just a hint of burnt toffee & burnt dark bread crust malts. Ghost hint of estery alcohol. All of these have a hard time showing through the very intense roast that start early and dominates. There are hints of bitter-sweet dark chocolate and espresso, but mostly it is fiercely roasted grain – sharp & acrid (especially up front), the middle gets a bit of char and loamy earth, and the end is char and ash with a hint of smoke. A hint of bitter-sweet, burnt sugar manages to stay to the end. A bit of herbal and muted citrus hops emerges middle to end. A tad more pushes in as it warms.

M: Much closer to medium plus than to full. CO2 feels firmly average on what is a potent and surely bit beer, so perhaps it is balanced a tough high. Just a few sugars and minimal dextrins. Quite dry overall, with a very, very firm roast drying. Almost powdery / chalky. Ghost hint of alcohol warming. Could use some more body and texture here.

D: Roasty (extremely), bitter, and intense on the palate after a dark, fruity, and sweet nose. A bit of a change. This one really grabs you, not unpleasant – but a bit coarse. Super strong roast. Not really robust so much as forceful with impressive depth and strength. Abv is not obvious, but the power of the roast flavor makes this one to slowly savor.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 00:13:31 | More by SickGnar

Edwaka01

New York

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from growler into snifter.

A - Black. Tiny head, pretty little lacing.

S - Chocolate, dark roasted malts.

T - Roasty, malty, alcohol nowhere to be found. Not much complexity, but a nice straightforward imperial stout.

M - Lightly carbonated, easy going down. Nice coating effect, relatively full body.

O - Pretty much what I was hoping for. Will be enjoying the rest of this growler over the course of the day with a friend while brewing some of our own. Definitely worth picking up a bottle or stopping by Middle Ages if you find yourself in Syracuse.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2012 15:55:36 | More by Edwaka01

oline73

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours almost black with a half finger of thick, light tan head that fades a a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Sweet and very smooth. Roasted malt with some chocolate and dark fruit. Some warm alcohol at the end.

Taste: A lot like the smell. Very smooth with some mild alcohol. Bitter roast and dark chocolate. Some smoke as well. Just enough sweetness to balance things out.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thick side with tingly carbonation and a really dry finish.

Overall: Very smooth. I had never heard of this one before, but I'm really happy that I got to try it and would have it again.

Serving type: growler

01-27-2012 22:24:31 | More by oline73

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a rich dark oily brown, almost black, with a chocolate milk colored head. Good retention, great lace.

French roast coffee, some bitter baking chocolate in the nose.

Silky smooth, with the essence and flavor of higher alcohol but without the big boozy kick. Nice thick strong coffee deep roasted malt. A little acid to cut thru a hint of sweetness and some firm carbonized bitterness. Malt and bitterness in a great balance. Nice lingering bitter malty finish.

Full bodied, a little mouth coating.

Highly drinkable for this style. No need to lay this down. This one is ready right now. Nothing overdone or over-extremed. One of the better of the style that I've had for pure drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 05:23:34 | More by OtherShoe2

Lawl3ss

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz. Bomber into a nonic pint glass. I've also had (and preferred) it on tap, via growler, and aged/casked, but this review is for the bottle.

Look- Completely opaque rich espresso color, with a two fingers of tight toffee-colored head that leaves a nice crown of lacing and persists throughout the session.

Smell- Roast coffee and heavily toasted grains, caramel and a hint of dark stone fruits. More sweetness than I'd like, but goes well with the toasty notes. Alcohol is noticeable, but not overpowering.

Taste- Bittersweet chocolate and espresso up front, with lots of toasty malts and a hint of cherry. Alcohol is quite subdued. Nothing explosive, but darn tasty!

Mouthfeel- Smooth; almost creamy with the tiniest hint of carbonation on the first sip. Leaves a nice warm feeling on the tongue and in the gut, but no lingering bitterness or the cloying/sweet aftertaste you get from some imperials. Drinks like chocolate milk.

Overall- Extremely solid imperial stout, but lacking the complexity to make it stellar. Too easy to put down for the ABV, this one can be dangerous. The two-year cask aged version I sampled recently brought out the fruits and mellowed out the toasty flavor quite a bit, which was nice. Not one of my usuals, but I'll pick up a bottle now and again.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:41:28 | More by Lawl3ss

Khazadum

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Creamy tight head develops and has perfect retention. Full amazing lacing. This looks and maintains a complexion throughout the entire drinking experience. Inky darkness hides the light carbonation, but you can tell it nails it there as well. The coloration of chocolate above jet black brings you tears of joy.

S- Smells of pennies, iron, acrid burnt grain, slightly roasty, some dark fruit along the lines of plums. Some tannic acidity on the back end.

T- First impression are a light roasted and burnt grain. Has some low sweetness, charred barley. Some lactose flavor as well. Finishes lightly dark chocolate. Its pretty simple. Opens burnt, middle of roast, ends lightly bittersweet.

M- Full bodied, low carbonation, sticky flavors, light bitterness on the back end due to acrid grains.

Its nice, nothing spectacular beyond the appearance. Just a good solid stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 04:33:26 | More by Khazadum

aranheaney

New York

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this one cellared since last October, purchased at a Boys Trip to Beers of the World and stashed with some other beautiful babies that are brought out only for special occasions. I guess New Years Eve qualifies....

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into a DFH Snifter.

A-Really beautiful black with a carmel like head that hangs on for a bit and some nice lacing...

S-might be the sinuses, but I don't get a whole lot, pretty typical coffee, some roast and nuttiness, a hint of chocolate

T-More carbonated than I might have expected, a little bit thin, warms up as you go

M-again a bit thin, kind of expected it to be somewhat more

O-good, better than the SA IS from the other night, but not on a par with the Rasputin

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 02:57:07 | More by aranheaney

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is jet black in color and poured with a quarter-finger high tan head that gradually died down and left a patch of bubbles on the surface and a thick ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of dark fruits in the nose along with some notes of coffee.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of dark fruits along with notes of dark chocolate and coffee.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. A bit of warming from the alcohol and dryness is present in the finish.
O: Considering its strength, this beer isn’t that difficult to drink because the alcohol is well masked.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2011 02:11:20 | More by metter98