Homewood Reserve - East End Brewing Company

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

1.3/5  rDev -63.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

On tap at capones.

A- comes to me filled to the brim so no head. Super dark brown almost completely black in color.

S- ashy and tart with a lot of burnt shit going on.

T- well I'm going to say it. This taste infected. Ashy that rolls instantly into a sour tart infected mess of cherries and lemons. Nothing more to say. Totally off. If this is what they intended this to be what a fucking mistake. No bourbon flavor at all.

M- feels full for a second then you realize its actually kinda thin and flat. Significant pucker for the infection.

D- I can't believe I paid for this. Total waste of money. I'm really not sure if I can finish the glass.

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2011 01:45:28 | More by oglmcdgl

kzoobrew

Michigan

1.7/5  rDev -52.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Review input from notes. Consumed as part of Bourbon Barrel tasting.

Black and opaque body, Very limited brown head. Needless to say with the limited amount of head came limited retention and zero lacing.

While it looked like it may be a stout it does not smell like one. Slight amount of roast and chocolate and blanketed with an unpleasant vinegar aroma.

The flavor mimics the aroma far too well. Astringent and sour. Slight chocolate and roast, very minimal bourbon.

Very thin bodied, carbonation is a bit too high in comparison. The finish is dry but the flavor does not leave the mouth fast enough.

Not an enjoyable experience. Awful representation of what the beer should have been. I know there were not many of these bottles floating around, I fear all to many will have this same experience in the future. I would like to give this another shot but at this point I can not recommend this beer at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 23:26:47 | More by kzoobrew

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

decadance

Michigan

2.03/5  rDev -43%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

A - Looks a little light for a stout, but the head is nice and tan. This should be hint that this beer is going to be going down hill.

S - Does not even smell like a stout. There are minimal bourbon tones. But it smells sour. This was a sign.

T - Yep. Either this is infected or East End released a failed experiment. Its unpleasantly astringent. There is some bourbon, but its dominated by vinegar. This is horrid.

M - It feels gritty, like chalk got ground into the beer. It finishes extremely dry too. Just entirely unpleasant.

D - Nope. Could not even finish my 5oz pour. No one at the tasting could.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 18:04:13 | More by decadance

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.05/5  rDev -42.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

2008 vintage.

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a two finger dark mocha head.  Good retention, slowly fading to lasting ring.  Spotty lacing left behind.  

Deep roasted malt aroma with lots of nutty pecan, slightly smokey coffee bean, cream, chocolate, caramel, dark fruit and earthy oak.  

Heavily carbonated with a mix of vinous vinegar character and very roasted malt flavor.  Very acrid with tons of burnt wood, charred oak and used coffee filter.  Very weird with a vinous/vinegar flavor countering the overly burnt malt profile.  Faint booze but no bourbon at all.  Tasted mostly of stale oak.  

Overall this beer was a big disappointment. I like this brewery a lot but this beer was a let down. It looks and smells really good but tasted awful.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 22:26:24 | More by corby112

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

alpinebryant

Connecticut

2.4/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Well after reading a few relatively harsh reviews on this one I figured I might as well get it out of the way, and or enjoy it depending on whether my bottle tasted the same as the more recent reviews. Turns out I had a similar experience although maybe not quite as disappointed as some of the others since this was an add, Thanks AdamGarcia!

Pours a dark black with a light tan head eerily similar to bottles that have been intentionally infected (Think Barrel Select from Captain Lawrence lacing)

Aroma of tartness, rich cocoa and oak mixed with rich roasted malts.

Flavor of barrel infection. For good or bad? Id say that this was not entirely intended and I have never drank an American stout with quite this flavor so I am going to have to say that this was an accident. While not entirely undrinkable, there are some good points coming out. Namely, I can taste a hint of bourbon, bakers chocolate, and some oak barrel flavors. On the negative side, there is a lot of chalky aftertaste and an astringent bite at the end. Perhaps knowingly infected and then blended with something else? Not sure what happened here, but would be interested in hearing more about it. Time to do some digging.

Overall, not a complete loss, but clearly not something I would seek out with chalk, sourness and ash being the three major components in here. Very light mouthfeel with a medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 23:38:48 | More by alpinebryant

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

stakem

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Review from notes taken 2/12/11. A 1 liter 2010 swingtop bottle poured into several snifters.

This brew appears black in color with slight indications of clarity shining through the faintest edges of the brew. It displays a lighter color of dark brown along with a dark brown head that carefully swells up to more than a finger's strength. The cap retains quite well leaving a considerable amount of patchy lace clinging to the glass.

The aroma of this brew is dark and roasty with indications of coffee and subtle chocolate notes. Some citrus hop character is present along with a lactic quality that boosts the perceived booziness of this brew with a harsh bite of acidity. As it warms, there is a faint oak note that emerges but the primary factor in this brews aroma is the lactic note that clashes with the other scents.

The taste of this brew is roasted malt tasting like chocolate and coffee. Some citrus hops and a lactic twang. A little boozy and too acidic which contrasts the roasted quality of this brew. There is an aftertaste of bittersweet chocolate however the acidic component of this brew really takes over in an unpleasant way that is somewhat reminiscent of sour cherries.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. A little chalky in the feel that is lightly gritty at times. I am a bit disappointed in this brew. I wish I could have tried it fresh before the sourness took over and hid all the other potential enjoyable traits of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 17:48:46 | More by stakem

Thorpe429

Illinois

3/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle shared by bmanning. Served in a snifter.

Boom. Loosening the latch on this one really let out a large gust of carbonation, which was then evidenced in the appearance, which was black with a huge tan head and quite a bit of lacing. The nose is really big with lots of coffee and roast as well as a bit of dark chocolate. The taste falls way off as there's really nothing there other than roast. Lots of charcoal. As mday said, it tasted like a fireplace. Even more roasty. Body is medium without any real barrel character at all. In the end, this is just super one-dimensional and I couldn't handle more than a few ounces of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 23:02:29 | More by Thorpe429

GregSVT

Texas

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

1 liter swingtop bottle into a snifter - courtesy of Stigs

A: Pours a dark black with a nice dark brown head that fades to a ring and leaves some lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is big on chocolate/cocoa, molasses, and vanilla. Starts off great with lots of rich aromas. As it warms the vanilla and molasses fade and a sour notes comes through.

T: The taste is bit of a let down based on the nose. There's dark chocolate along with a bit of molasses and a bit of an ashy/char flavor on the finish. There's also a bit of a sourish flavor in the background but it's not too bad right now...this could get ugly in a few months.

M: The feel is medium bodied and a bit chalky.

D: While this was far from bad I wouldn't say it's the best barrel aged stout I've ever had. Still worth a try if you're so inclined.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 01:17:37 | More by GregSVT

meatyard

Pennsylvania

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

2008 vintage.

Pours out black with a big, 3-finger, light brown head. It has good retention but leaves little lacing.

The smell is quite nice with chocolate, a small bit of smoke and some sour tanginess.

The flavor is very similar to the aroma with the tangy/sour taste and smoke leading the way. There is a bitter, charred taste that lingers as well as does the sourness.

Mouthfeel is medium with moderate carbonation.

Overall: I really wanted and hoped for more than was delivered. The sourness was unexpected for this stout and it just didn't satisfy. I like this brewery and expected more from this beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 22:00:00 | More by meatyard

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

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

2010 Vintage received in trade from DavoleBomb, thanks for the opportunity. Pours a solid black color with a frothy tan head that displays moderate retention and lace. Smells of roasted grains, chocolate, coffee, tart fruit, hints of bourbon and vanilla. Taste is more tart than stout, seems something has gotten into the barrel on this one. Sharp tart fruit up front, bitter roasted coffee and chocolate next, and then a mellow oak, vanilla, roasted finish. Medium to thick body with a moderate level of carbonation and a bitter tart mouthfeel. Having known nothing about this beer, my first surprise was the oak aging and my second surprise was the slightly lactic fruity tartness. This is a decent beer as is, but I'd like to think this was fantastic before the lacto got around to souring it.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 00:45:22 | More by johnnnniee

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

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes. Split several ways at New Year's Eve dinner. 1 liter swingtop bottle from the 2010 batch into red wine glasses...

A - Poured what I assumed was an opaque black (lights were very dim in the restaurant). A nice brown head formed about 1.5 fingers thick.

S - Lots of roasted malts and dark chocolate up front. Not much in the way of bourbon although there is an extremely strong woody note. Not really getting the molasses, but there is some ever so slight vanilla notes. I feel like something sour is in there too.

T - Not wowed here. Dark chocolate with some ashy/charred flavors in there as well. There seems to be a cherry flavor in there as well, but they almost seem sour in a way.

M - A bit chalky on the tongue, and everywhere really. Medium bodied with slight carbonation.

O - Was pretty psyched for this one as I love Blackstrap Stout, but was pretty disappointed. It drank ok, but there seemed to be something off about the taste of this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 22:33:19 | More by KAP1356

craytonic

District of Columbia

3.33/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance looks great, deep black pour with an enormous coffee-mocha head, took some time to subside.
Smell & taste: Roasted malts, blackstrap molasses, burnt coffee. I didn't smell or taste any bourbon. A bit ashy.
Mouthfeel: A bit thin, but good for the style.
Drinability: A decent stout, not one of my favorites.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 03:26:03 | More by craytonic

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another guy here posting his review of this bad beer

A - For the benefit of the east end guy this beer is capable of foam. Mocha colored at that but I didn't get none. Just a still glass of black colored beer.

S - Smells kind of funky. I pretty much nailed it down to a chocolate covered cherry, minus chocolate, rolled in cocoa powder with a side of licorice.

T - Pretty much described in the smell bu

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2011 02:02:26 | More by DrDemento456

DarthKostrizer

California

3.38/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Look: Pitch black and totally opaque with a solid 1 inch head and ok retention with some nice lace

Smell: Roasted malts infused with chocolate and my nose hairs

Taste: Upfront carries some dark fruits figs and dates come to mind and in the middle it has a dark sour cherry taste to it and it finishes with a ashtry like note that reminds me of a dry stout

Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation with a sticky finish

Overall: A nice little beer could be alot better but they cant all be great

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 02:43:55 | More by DarthKostrizer

pwoods

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to beachbum1975 for sharing this rarity.

1L swing top poured into a snifter.

A: Huge booming pop when the swing top is released. Pours pitch black with health viscosity. Huge deep mocha head forms and holds for quite a bit. A bit rocky. Nice lacing.

S: Mild aroma overall. Some earthy and rustic aroma from the barrels, not much sweetness, though. A hint of smokiness. Lightly roasted malts.

T/M: A pretty big stout for only a 'single', and I'd definitely say it's closer to an English Stout. Hops are on the lower side, just making an appearance. Roasted malts, dry and rich. Bitter roast with some bitter chocolate in the back. Spent coffee grinds mix with the roasted malt. Not a ton of barrel flavor. I suppose some earthy and oaky notes but not rich as in other brews. Body is nearly full with decent carbonation. Dry.

D: I'd guess the ABV around 10% but wouldn't be surprised if it was lower. Drinks decent for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 00:18:44 | More by pwoods

tpd975

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Sampled at pre-sex

A: Pours a dark black with a tall foamy head. Pretty good retention with some lace.

S: Very charred aroma to the point of almost being acrid. Burnt coffee, smoke, and booze.

T: Overly roasted flavors as well. Bitter chocolate, very deep roasted malt, coffee that has been on the burner all day. Sort of earthy with a slight sourness that I assume is a result of all the roast this one had. Boozy bourbon and light oak.

M: On the fuller side of body, bold, a bit too much to be honest.

D: Not drinkable at all, though I don't think drinkability is what they were after with this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2010 21:46:08 | More by tpd975

MrVonzipper

California

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to DarthKostrizer for the bottleshare
Pours black with a thick bubbly Brown head with medium retention and lacing. Pretty viscous and oily.

Deep dark roasted malts, dark fruits, dark earthiness and a little bitterness on the nose.

Flavor has that dark earthiness with notes of dark roasted malt, overly roasted bitter nuts and dark fruit. With an unpleasant chalkiness.

Mouthfeel is full bodied with a bitter chalkiness that is dry. Low carbonation.

Overall this beer is kind of a mess. It's trying to not be and has potential if they figure it out. But it's not there yet.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2011 22:50:01 | More by MrVonzipper

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

drabmuh

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer opened by someone at a recent tasting, sorry I don't remember who. Beer poured into a snifter. It wouldn't be a tasting without a bunch of barrel aged beers. Beer is black / brown at the corners and forms a thin head of small / medium brown bubbles.

The aroma of this beer is only mildly liquory with mostly malt sweetness on it.

The liquor component is more in the mouth than the nose. Unfortunately for this beer it finishes too ashy for my tastes. Its really all I can think about the more I drink. Not the best barrel aged beer I've had recently, its pretty mediocre.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2010 19:16:03 | More by drabmuh

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Big (1L?) swingtop of the 2008 vintage into a Weyerbacher tulip.

A: Black body with a finger of frothy brown foam. Looks absolutely huge. Huge.

S: Rich, sweet, and hugely roasty. Lots of coffee, some bittersweet chocolate, and some straight char. Again, big and intense.

T: The char and roast just completely overwhelm things here. One-dimensional, but still enjoyable.

M: Fairly full body with moderate, fine carbonation. Ok.

D: Way too ashy to be remotely drinkable.

Notes: Big thanks to Chris for busting out this obscure stout. While I really enjoyed it, its unbalanced emphasis on straight roasted barley kept it from standing up to the other beers being poured at a truly epic tasting.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 01:09:25 | More by woosterbill

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - One fingers worth of ultra rich and creamy medium to dark brown colored froth... Minimal retention gives way to full rich inviting lace... An opaque flat black color...

S - Loaded with dark chocolate and roasted malts... This is followed by more dark chocolate and roasted malts... Some brownie mix... A touch of coffee... Fudge... A bit of molasses...

T - Burnt and bitter... Overpowering woody notes... Weak coffee... A touch of bourbon worked in... Some tart cherry... Can't find any of the molasses sweetness that boot strap typically offers... Continues to open more as it warms...

M - Medium bodied... Almost not carbonation... A bit on the thin side of the equation... Slightly sleek... Vinous finish...

D - Something is a bit off with this one... Not quite sure this is what the fine folks at East End intended... It's not a complete miss, but definitely falls quite short of my normal lofty expectations for an otherwise exceptional brewery... 33.9 ounces is an awful lot to work through...

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 02:40:42 | More by philbe311