Homewood Reserve - East End Brewing Company

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours jet black with a tan head. In the aroma, bourbon, molasses, and oak. In the taste, chocolate, dry coffee, and bourbon notes. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry, bourbon and coffee aftertaste. Big nose and flavor, but kind of thin.

Serving type: cask

09-13-2010 21:23:12 | More by OWSLEY069

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.51/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 ml bomber from Capone’s. 2012 edition, however when you call something reserve it should reflect more quality. Black with foamy head. cocoa and infused coffee, some sour notes that stand for bourbon.Rather expensive catch for the value, and then again I am not a fanatic for dry stouts.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 11:24:57 | More by northyorksammy

mbrasi

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +19.4%

04-14-2013 00:28:30 | More by mbrasi

penguinstout

West Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

04-12-2013 19:21:55 | More by penguinstout

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

03-02-2013 18:55:40 | More by Tucquan

HopFace

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -29.8%

02-18-2013 17:28:56 | More by HopFace

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

12-18-2012 01:23:44 | More by stereosforgeeks

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

10-23-2012 01:07:44 | More by RblWthACoz

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +19.4%

09-25-2012 22:59:55 | More by t0rin0

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 32 oz swing top bottle into a Surly Darkness snifter.

A- pours black with an1 finger beige head. Small blotches of lacing remain on the glass.

S- sour dark fruits and slight roast.

T- dark chocolate, roast, and sour dark fruits.

M- medium body and low carbonation.

O- this beer just did not do it for me. Not sure if there is some infection or this beer just took a sour mash characteristic from the barrels.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 01:34:53 | More by kawilliams81

CP20

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +26.4%

05-07-2012 10:49:00 | More by CP20

billab914

Virginia

2.68/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

2010 vintage poured from a 1 liter swingtop into my Devil's Backbone tulip. It poured pitch black in color with a sticky tan head leaving its mark all over the glass. Pretty nice looking beer actually.

The aroma shows a little too much tart fruits to it. Enough to let you know that something isn't right in it. I do get some sugary molasses and a little toasty component to it, but not enough to overcome the signs of infection. It's not a good aroma for the style, but overall it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.

The taste shows a little more roasted malts with some bitter chocolate to it. Again though I get some tart fruits coming through that point to an infection. The infection wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it still noticeably threw the flavors in a different direction.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied, but the carbonation seems very high and off for the style. Overall It wasn't that bad but something definitely was off in it. Given other reviews of this vintage I was actually surprised the infection wasn't worse. I hope to try a better vintage of this sometime.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 18:24:47 | More by billab914

Rhettroactive

Virginia

2.28/5  rDev -36%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

From 750mL capped swingtop growler to Portsmouth glass on 3/24/12
*From notes

-- Yet another want ticked thanks to billab914 --

Vintage 2010

A: Not too shabby. Healthy bark-like brown. A big pour yields an average .75 finger head.

S: A bit like muted chocolate chip cookies that have sat out in the open air a bit too long.

T: Bland cardboard and wet paper. As you'd expect, this isn't really doing it for me.

M: Overly carbonated and ultimately too thin.

O: Yay for infection! This ain't a shitshow like a lot of infected beers turn out to be, but it's certainly a dissapointment. It never really comes together, and ultimately dissapoints.

I can't recommend this vintage.

Serving type: growler

03-25-2012 20:13:23 | More by Rhettroactive

IrishColonial

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

03-25-2012 03:40:06 | More by IrishColonial

dtx00

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.7%

03-24-2012 19:47:41 | More by dtx00

ef88

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured 1 liter flip-top growler (2011 vintage) into conical pint glass.

A: Pours like motor oil. Black as night with a nice light brown 2 finger head. Medium lacing that hangs out for a while.

S: Dark malt and leather with a bit of sweetness.

T: Coffee and dark chocolate dominate. Subtle toffee, woodiness, and alcohol at the end.

M: Heavy and it coats the corners of my mouth.

O: Glad I grabbed two of these from the brewery in--guess where?--Homewood. One for now and one for much later. Taste and appearance are the strengths of this beer and that's a great thing.

Serving type: growler

02-05-2012 18:10:42 | More by ef88

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 poured from the flip-top growler

A-pours like black motor oil but with decent bubbly dark tan head

S-bourbon, dark roasted grains, and oreos. medium strength

T-comes in with a sweet and syrupy taste of dark roasted grains aaand bourbon. it is a good and clear taste. its also fairly creamy with a hint of dark fruits. the after-taste is matching with some more definition to it

M-medium carbonation with a creamy finish

O-the lowest alcohol bourbon aged stout i've had. i like it a lot, though not as much as the blackstrap stout. the whole growler will make for a good night though a bomber might make more sense. its easy drinking and seems to improve as the night goes on and it tastes better as it warms up.

Serving type: growler

01-24-2012 18:39:22 | More by AdamBear

uvm2003

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.7%

01-24-2012 00:31:06 | More by uvm2003

jodan

California

4/5  rDev +12.4%

01-17-2012 05:37:41 | More by jodan

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 bottle, barrel-aged blackstrap stout

Serving Type - Flip top bottle

Appearance - Dark black, nice 2 inch thick foamy head, plenty of lacing.

Smell - Roasted malts, coffee, oak, chocolate, dark fruits like plum and rasin. Some smoke and nut also. Smells amazing.

Taste - Oaked whiskey flavor hits you first. Its mild mixed with some roasted malts. Mollasses and a honey flavor in each drink. Not alot of hops at first, they come out at the finish. Coffee and a hint of choclate is present.

Mouthfeel - Its not overally strong, nor is the alcohol. TOunge and palette get the malts and oaked flavors. Tounge is left slighty bittered and a little dry.

Overall - Pretty good but honesty, the oaked flavor overpowers and masked the excellent blackstrap stout flavor that i love. The beer is easy to drink but it left me wishing i had blackstrap other then this. Its a nice change of flavor but blackstrap is a mild beer to begin with, so this really took away the flavor of that beer. Worth a drink but not better then blackstrap.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 03:37:25 | More by wvsabbath

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

East End Brewing : Homewood Reserve

Pours a dark brown bordering on total blackness. Brownish head forms and eventually dies down. Aromas of bourbon, roasted malts, vinious qualities and some smoke. In the taste, lots of bourbon, alittle bit of barrel, vanilla, roasted malts and dark fruits. Almost has a whiskey flavor, and alcohol gains momentum as the beer approaches room temperature. Distant chocolate and oaky tannins are on the tongue. Mouthfeel is full bodied, carbonation is medium/low and the beer is smooth. Overall, Homewood Reserve is an interesting beer, and the barrel really comes through in a big way.

Serving type: growler

01-02-2012 18:25:40 | More by Stinkypuss

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4/5  rDev +12.4%

12-31-2011 18:22:00 | More by coreyfmcdonald

kbuzz

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a one liter flip top bottle into a club-footed goblet glass. Not bottle date, but this was just released at the brewery a couple weeks ago, so it's pretty fresh.

A: Pours an opaque dark brown/black. A half finger of dark tan/mocha bead quickly rises. Retention is average. Nice lacing.

S: Bourbon. Some sort of funky vinegar. reminds me of like a weird magic marker smell...like a sharpie. As it warmed, this faded a bit and the bourbon really took over. I have to dig around, but I do get a little chocolate...not much roastiness to speak of.

T/M: Oakiness and bourbon. Now I get the roastiness and chocolate malts in the taste. Baker's chocolate. Molasses. Interesting beer. I think what came off as a magic marker in the smell is actually just oak tannin combining with whatever molasses didn't ferment out...gives it a very striking, almost sour/bitter sweetness that molasses gives you on the tongue. It's very unique, that's for sure. Mouthfeel is a little thin for being oak-aged, I'd say medium or so. Definitely coats the mouth, not dry at all. ABV isn't noticable...very easy to put back.

O: Solid, solid beer and super interesting. I just don't think I'm used to lower ABV beers being oak-aged, but the malt backbone held up to it. Nice oak and bourbon qualities. I can appreciate how the bourbon taste isn't over the top. Some beers over do it with whiskey/bourbon qualities - this strikes a good balance...sort of just gives it a thin layer of bourbon aging. If there was such a thing as sessionable oak-aged stouts...this would be it. I dig.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 01:01:19 | More by kbuzz

maximum12

Minnesota

1.9/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Thanks to a top-notch trader for this bottle, received in a great BIF a while back & tenderly cellared ever since. I have no idea why this one's lasted so long. No longer. Big 1 liter swingtop, 2008 vintage, initial pours into the biggest snifters we own.

Pops with a satisfying gunshot; plenty of carbonation, then plenty of tan head on even a soft pour. Nose is solid, big roast covers most everything but a fleeting glimpse of cocoa. Mmmm. Char.

Homewood Reserve pulls an odd bait & switch on the gustatory senses. Roast crashes into harsh bitterness, sprinkled with ashes. There's a displeasing tartness in the middle that fruits up as it warms; not bad when cold, it goes south, fast. Ends with must.

Well, based on the smell, I was hoping that the poor reviews of this beer had bypassed my bottle. Alas. That's a lot of beer to pour, but I'm game.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 04:24:39 | More by maximum12

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -15.7%

12-04-2011 17:26:53 | More by xnicknj