Christian Moerlein Over-The-Rhine Ale - Christian Moerlein Brewing Company

neenerzig

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a bottle of this sitting in my fridge for about two months now, purchased when I went to Jungle Jim's back in the beginning of August so I figured it was finally time to drink it. Poured out ot a 12 oz bottle into my mug, this beer is a clear medium amber/copper color. White head is about 2/3 inch thick when poured before quickly settling to a decent surface coating and then a medium sized ring lining the inside of the glass. Pretty good lacing left on the inside of my glass. Aromas of caramel malt along with a citrus and floral hop presence. The taste is a good balance of some caramel maltyness accompanied by the floral and citrus hops. Neither flavor dominates. Unique choice of a hop profile for a pale ale I thought, which makes this beer stand out a bit from most other pale ales, which is a plus in my book. Has a crisp, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with fairly heavy carbonation. It would be a bit more drinkable if it did have quite as much carbonation. A good beer all around, but nothing too special.

Eric

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2010 03:08:59 | More by neenerzig

rand

California

3.38/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Another surprise from joel6615. Thanks Joel!

OTR poured a beautiful, slightly opaque amber with red hues. There's a decent amount of carbonation forming a 1-inch head and plenty of lacing. The nose is lemon-citrus and strong, bready malts. Also noted some lemon rind, pear and earthy, leafy tones suggesting tea.

The front of the sip is as expected for an APA with notes of orange citrus, subtle pine and lemon rind. The hop bite lingers a bit for the style, only to be met with a malt onslaught. The doughy malts have several flavors and leave notes of honey sweetness, chocolate and cinnamon on the palate. The combination of citrus and bready sweetness is a little off-balance here, leaving a slightly acerbic tea flavor that was noted in the nose. The hop bite carries to the back of the sip, finishing citrusy and bitter.

OTR has an oily-slick mouthfeel, quite viscous for an APA, but there's enough carbonation to carry away any residue.

Overall, this beer is easy to drink for APA - the huge malt-backbone lends plenty of sweetness to counter the hop spice, but it isn't the most balanced ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2010 07:35:41 | More by rand

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Single bottle poured into a shaker pint glass. Lots of numbers on the bottle, but nothing that I could interpret as a date.

Appearance: Very slightly hazy coppery orange color beer, with a 1/8" off-white head that died down to form a ring around the edge and a skim of foam across the top. Some strands of lacing as I drank it down.

Smell: Orange, citrus, a hint of pine, and a good malt backbone.

Taste: Quite good when cold. Upfront citrus flavor (orange-to-grapefruit) with a solid malt sweetness to temper the tart hop/citrus flavor. However, this beer is best cold, as it warms up there is point where it starts to taste (to me anyway) like artificially sweetened iced tea with lemon...which for me is not a good thing. Note I say, starts to taste like. It's in there, but it does get washed out by the other flavors. I think the fuggle hops that they identify on the bottle are the problem - I think they're clashing too much with the other flavors and creating that tea-like flavor for me. Could just be me.

Mouthfeel: Some carbonation on the tongue, typical thickness for this style of beer. Nothing special.

Drinkability: This beer is best when cold, but for me it had a very narrow temperature window, after which I did not care for it. So when cold very drinkable, but past that temperature, it becomes a bit of a chore to finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2010 22:46:50 | More by damndirtyape

rembrant

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

They don't really say it's a Pale Ale (or isn't) on the bottle,do say it's based on a beer early settlers made when there was not much refrigeration.

Then again...most styles began that way.

Look- Nice Amber,minimal head covers the surface Brief viscosity film will cling to the glass but no lace.

---later,a bit warmer,a bit more head and some lacing.

Aroma not big but nice with mild malt and a bit of hops leaning to a citrus + floral

Taste...The Caramel Malt steps up nicely so there's a sweet split second before the hops kick in and balance...then briefly finish. I guess the Fuggle hops do the fruit + floral while the Cascade does a rather understated Pale Ale thing...but nothing near the long sharp finish of SNPA.

Then again....maybe you don't care for bitter or don't want a long finish to alter your lunch?

Subtle,but pretty good The malt hop interplay is nice,staying near the balance point with a few shifts to keep it from being too simple. More an "Amber" than a Pale Ale..IMO.

Fairly tasty "middleweight" that's hard to fault much....or hard to rave about. I got a Discovery 12 pack (3 of these) and it came to about $1.25 a bottle...or 1/3 the cost of a bottle of Bell's Expedition Stout.

I'd rather have a fridge full of my favorites...can't often afford that.

Good mouth for the type,carbonation could have a bit more zip,a bit more Cascade would add some finish. Not boozy,or real filling,a good 'workday" beer

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 19:57:46 | More by rembrant

movingtrain

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle poured into a standard pint glass.

Pours an amber-red with a touch of brown. Fine head on top, about one and a half fingers worth.

The aroma on this one is quite spicy...hints of cinnamon, black pepper, brown sugar, and cloves. Lots of malt are present in the nose, backed up by a faint hint of bitter hops.

The flavor of this beer seems to be a balance between a malty lager and a minimally hopped pale ale. Interesting. Brown sugar comes across the palate, as does caramel, cinnamon, cherries, black peppercorn, and some hope bite. There is a huge malt profile in this beer, as with many Moerlein beers. This tastes more on the side of a German-style lager with the hops amped up (but not too much) more than usual. Some fruited notes in there as well--plum, mild grapefruit, banana, and apple.

Overall, this is a decent beer. Drinkable, for sure. The carbonation is going strong, lending a nice flavor-enhancer across the tongue. This would be a great beer for a cool Fall night, or even one for the campfire in the early summer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2010 22:10:06 | More by movingtrain

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter on 7/20/10

Thanks to my Uncle Todd for bringing me some Moerlein brews a couple weeks ago.

Coppery, almost a crimson hue in the light. Poured a burnt orange, though. One finger of foam thins pretty quickly to a skim & a collar. Swirling draws a thin layer of retention. Patches of lace all slide down the glass.

An interestingly robust aroma. Nips of earthy hops with a faint lemon zest twinge. Quite malty, though not giving the impression of sweetness. Baked bread & caramel notes. Yeasty undertones. Effervescent aromas of juicy dark fruit, namely plum.

The taste follows the aroma closely. Earthy hop overtones occupy the peripheries; just a touch of subtle bitterness leading into the finish. Notions of grass here & there. However, it has a penchant for juiciness, especially on the first half of each sip. From there, malts swoop in: lightly toasted bread & a dollop of caramel. Maybe even a spot of brown sugar.

Somewhere between medium & full bodied. Carbonation is in the average range, maybe leaning toward the low side; fits the brew nicely. Light spice & the aforementioned subtle bitterness finish it out.

Over the Rhine isn't at all what you might expect from an APA, so I have to dock some for style. However, it's a good beer nonetheless. The German influence really stands out in this beer, I think. Worth a shot, as long as you aren't expecting an aggressively hopped APA.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2010 01:11:20 | More by Ryan011235

bamadog

Kentucky

4.47/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I've had this beer multiple times and absolutely love it, but am sadly just now getting around to reviewing it. Review is from notes taken on 6/21/2010 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a nice deep coppery color; starts with a nice two finger off-white head that becomes rocky and pock-marked as it slowly fades to a rough and uneven surface; body is very clear and shows moderately strong carbonation; nice webs and washes of lacing are left behind.

Smell: Nice caramel malts and a toasty grainy presence are right up front; a very faint hint of citric grapefruit hops in the back; nose is nice and robust and makes me even more thirsty just smelling it.

Taste: Really almost just like the smell -- nice sweet caramel malts are the most dominant flavor and is followed by the nice grapefruit and citric bitter hops; the toasty dry graininess trails in afterwards; slight presence of alcohol; I love the flavors and find them to be warming and refreshing all at the same time.

Mouthfeel: Body is really quite smooth and creamy even though the carbonation is present, it's soft and compliments the body; a thick and sticky coating is left all over the palate and the belly is left a little warm.

Drinkability: I love this beer and could drink it all day, every day all year long; great flavors and a nice sticky mouthfeel, it can be filling/warming and refreshing all at the same time and the moderate ABV makes it perfect for getting through 2-3 in a night.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 23:06:47 | More by bamadog

ToasterChef

Maine

2.7/5  rDev -27%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured from a chilled bottle into a pint glass. The beer is amber colored. It has a lot of carbonation bubbles clinging to the bottom of the glass; every so often one releases and rises to the surface. Atop the beer is a thin tan foam head that quickly disappeared. I can now see the rising bubbles reach the surface and pop. The aroma is sweet and oak-like. There is also an aspect to it that reminds me of cookie dough. The beer is light and malty at first, with a big sweet, finish. It reminds me of melted chocolate chips. I'm not sure the beer is supposed to taste like this...I'm afraid the bottle may have turned. The beer has a lighter body and an average amount of carbonation. There is a little bit of coating, but nothing significant. I'm finding this one a bit hard to drink, but as I said above, I think this may be a bad bottle. I'll have to try another and modify my review as needed.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 21:13:48 | More by ToasterChef

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Grabbed a bottle of this at Wolf's Premium Nuts and Wines in Findlay, OH. 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a very dark amber. Much darker than expected. A big frothy off-white head caps this off. Decent retention; leave some pretty sip rings and sticky lace. Scents of toasted caramel, sweet tea, and fresh toffee. Different.

The body on this crisp, but it's a tad heavy. The flavor profile of this beer is much maltier than expected. Lots of caramel sweetness, some tea, and a little charring on the finish. Hop presence is surprisingly absent. Bitterness is moderate. This is odd. I guess I'm probably pushing the limits on the the freshness of this bottle (as spring-releases are probably released in the winter), so I could expect the hops to fade. But upon further inspection of other reviews, this seems to be the norm for this beer. I most likely wouldn't chase this one down, but it still was an ok beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 17:41:04 | More by Onenote81

beerhistory

Ohio

3.23/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: bottled beer poured into a glass; I was surprised by the appearance, as I thought I was getting a pale ale -my first impression was that it looked more like an amber lager...a foamy head formed that was not unpleasing...good lacing on the glass as i began to sip the brew
Smell: definite malty aroma -somewhat fruity
Taste: I was surprised by the taste, my initial reaction was that it tasted nothing like a pale ale -again too malty and not enough hops, but did have a nice bitter hoppy aftertaste, but too much malt up front
Mouthfeel: good -carbonation was good,well-balanced- overall, mouthfeel was good, but nothing spectacular
Drinkability: too heavy for a session beer -one or two tops

Overall-I was not really pleased with this beer, as it does not (in my opinion) adhere to the pale ale genre of beer...I have had the Moerlein IPA and it is much better.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2010 04:56:01 | More by beerhistory

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Amber color that pours a thin head that slowly died down to a film that rested on top of the beer.

S- this beer had a sweet caramel aroma, with floral AND fruitiness coming through the nose from the hops. Much more fruity than expected...

T/M- This was a fairly inconsistent tasting beer. The first one I had, I loved! It was a very balanced and fruity hopped pale ale with nice medium body. By the last one I had, it felt overrun by a warming rum alcohol flavor. The flavor started hoppy, but in other drinks just wasn't there. The mouth feel was medium, but had a gritty aspect that left the palate a little bothered.

D- not very drinkable due to inconsistency... could have been a great beer, but just didn't enjoy the ups and downs associated with the drinking

Overall, just too damn inconsistent. Loved it half the time I spent drinking it, didn't enjoy it as much the other half...

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 03:54:13 | More by TheGordianKnot

hooliganlife

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

thanks bamadawg!

pours a deep ruby and copper with a fluffy light creamy white head. great retention. some lacing.

very faint on the nose. light sweet bread, light earthy hops.

a great balance between the hops and the malts. lots of deep malt character with an equal amount of pine and earthy hops. more sweet malts up front and bitterness in the finish.

very full bodied, this is quite malty. moderate carbonation.

pretty easy to drink, it is a pale ale. nothing really ground breaking but a solid APA all around. i would not say no if i stumbled upon this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 00:32:03 | More by hooliganlife

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.18/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dark ochre with bright tangerine trim. There must be a fairly high percentage of the mid-range malts in there. A thick slice of golden beige foam rests up top. Texture is fine and what lace sticks is pleasing to the eye.

The aroma isn't very APA-like. OTR smells like butter caramel and English hops. Cascade and Fuggles comprise the hop bill, but their usual citrusiness isn't prominent. This should still be pretty tasty beer.

Over The Rhine Ale is a strange sort of brew that doesn't taste like the stated style. Well, maybe a little, but it isn't that close to what we've come to expect from an American pale. Hop bitterness we got (40 IBUs). Good hop flavor we don't got.

The beer is impressively toasted bready and is steely caramel-like. Cascade is still a head scratcher and Fuggles... yeah Fuggles tastes like this. Apricots, oranges and tea leaves compromise the top notes. All in all, the flavor profile is a semi-interesting mess.

There's enough heft for the ABV and the bubbles are a little too spritzy. Time doesn't seem to be helping the latter, but then it wasn't that bad to begin with.

Over The Rhine Ale is not Christian Moerlein's most accomplished ale and is pretty far off the beaten path for the APA style. That would be fine if it tasted good, but I'm struggling to find anything that would bring me back for a second bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2010 13:54:49 | More by BuckeyeNation

mwa423

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Poured out of the bottle a finger of head. Color is a slightly hazy reddish amber.

S - Tons more carmel than I remember. no hops to speak of.

T - Lots of malt, toffee and caramel. Slight hop bitter aftertaste.

M/D - Mouthfeel is actually the high point of this beer. Very smooth and rich, aka; just right. This is reasonably drinkable and easy findable around Cincinnati

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 05:47:12 | More by mwa423

BellsFan

Michigan

3.4/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - pours a dark amber, about a 15 SRM
S - the nose is sweet molasses and matches the taste
T - molasses and caramel malt - the first few sips had hints of green apple
M - medium body and crisp
D - at 6% ABV and medium body it's not quite a session beer. I stopped after one.

I'm glad I tried it but with the green apple taste I would not purchase it again. Perhaps my bottle came from a batch with some off flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2010 01:06:15 | More by BellsFan

biggred1

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Honey amber with a creamy tan head that leaves some decent lace on the glass. This beer smells of toffee and butterscotch with an underlying faint fruity, piney note. Toffee maltiness with a bready quality and some nice floral hop flavors to balance. Decent heft and mild carbonation make for an easy drinking ale but not what I look for in an APA, it's more like an English PA.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2009 22:27:52 | More by biggred1

fightingwords

Kentucky

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A--cloudy dull copper, creamy foamy white head falls quick but laces the glass

S--warm bready smell, slightly raisiny, earthy and piney hops, very balanced.

T--pleasent caramel flavors some toasty hints, with a very smooth but commanding hop profile, not too ditrty not too flowery.

M-- very creamy mouth feel, medium body, just a little oily on the finish. good.

D--pleasently sessionable drink.

This beer is something different than. Your typical pale ale, i feel it has a flavor closer to an old ale/strong ale but with a lower ABV. It's a good beer worth a shot and favorite of many.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2009 01:02:52 | More by fightingwords

DavoleBomb

Ohio

2.7/5  rDev -27%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a pint glass.

3.5 A: Hazy dark orange/amber color. Two fingers of half frothy/half creamy head with good retention, but minimal lacing.

2.5 S: Big hit of buttery pungent breadiness. Caramel malts with some graininess. Slight citrusy twang from the hops.

2.5 T: Buttery breadiness and some off flavors that I can't put my finger on. The taste is reminiscent of a poorly executed homebrew. Pine and orange hop flavor.

4.0 M: Medium fuller body. Good carbonation, creamy.

2.5 D: Not a big fan of breadiness in an APA.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 00:31:18 | More by DavoleBomb

hosehead83

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a Sam Adams "bubble" glass
Cloudy-copper in color with a decent two inch head of foam
Aroma-Clean malt and some spice
Taste-Spices and malt , nicely balanced with some subtle hop notes-clean finish
Overall, very drinkable, would make a fine session beer

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 23:33:16 | More by hosehead83

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Let me just say I'm not digging the name for this beer. OTR. Over-the-Rhine. Not being from Cincinnati, the reference is entirely lost on me, so I had little knowing of what kind of beer I even had beyond an ale with, per the tiny-font text I was struggling to read on the back label, Fuggles hops. O-kay!

Appearance: Pours out a faintly hazy, dark amber body with a sudsy, white head.

Smell: Pale malts with a distinct scent of toasted biscuits, meager hint of fruit, and an aroma of spicy, floral Noble hops.

Taste: Pale malts with some toasty, biscuity qualities and a small touch of toffee sweetness. Faint fruit esters. Earthy, spicy, floral hop character with a medium-low amount of bitterness. As is often the case, it starts drying out on the back half for the finish, but there's still some maltiness to be found. Then it's gone - Over-the-Rhine and In-My-Stomach.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A reasonably decent, quaffable ale, though, I will say it's the best of the Moerlein's lot that I've had thus far. I will also say that's not saying much.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2009 22:40:54 | More by ChainGangGuy

Soozy

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Pours a thick head that quickly diminished. The beer is a ruby copper in color, not exactly pale. Powerful orange zest smell from the Cascade, some malt aroma but the hops overpower. The taste is a rich caramel malt, smooth, crisp with a lingering citrus bitterness that leaves you wanting another sip. Very refreshing, smooth carbonation. Excellent drinkability I was surprised to find out it's 6%.

Overall, a very solid beer, I could drink this all night, and it'd probably put me on my ass.

I would consider it an ESB though before labeling it as an APA, but hey, it's a good beer, so who cares.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2009 03:44:50 | More by Soozy

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle. Pours a pretty clear darker copper color. White foamy head disappears after a minute. No lace.

Darker caramel, and biscuit malt comes to the front. A few fruity notes, mainly citrus. Some earthy and floral hop aroma as well.

SOme caramel and fruity flavors. A bit of an overwhelming earthy flavors comes out, and takes charge. Not as crisp as I would have thought.

Light to medium body. Lower carbonation. Alcohol is hidden well. Not overly exciting, but not bad.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 14:21:21 | More by Bierguy5

thryn

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Copper color, fairly bright. Dark for an APA. Head is white but fades quickly. Leaves a ring of foam and a spotty layer atop the brew. A bit of spotty lace clings to the glass.

Bread, toffee, faint piney hops, metal, diacetyl. This is striking me as much more of an English ale than an APA, again.

Taste is much the same. Heavy toffee flavors, even a little raisiny fruit. There is still a bit of a metallic tinge to it, but it's not prominent. Are there hops here? I can't find them. Slight bitter aftertaste, but not hoppy. It's not bad, but it's no APA.

Heavy mouthfeel, slightly sticky, low carbonation.

Drinkability isn't bad, but it's not good, either.

I can't find any indication of how old this beer is, and I'd really love to hear that it's way better fresh. If I was grading it as an English-style ale, I'd rank it half a point higher across the board. As is, this is not at the top of my list of beers to revisit.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2009 07:14:27 | More by thryn

jdflyer06

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Nice deep amber/copper with a fairly thin head that just barely makes it to the end.

S: Nice, sweet, malty smell with some floral hop aroma, maybe a little light citrus

T: Stiff malt body with some very nice, bready notes. A little bit of citrus bitterness. As it warms, the alcohol becomes a little more pronounced, but not overpowering.

M: Very smooth, rich and creamy on the palate with just the right amount of carbonation and a dry finish.

D: I'm not sure if this is a good session beer or not. The experienced drinker probably wouldn't have a problem putting away a six pack, but I suspect it would get pretty filling. Overall, a pretty unique interpretation of an APA.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2009 00:34:46 | More by jdflyer06

briman

Texas

3.35/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a medium reddish copper color, clear, with a moderate off-white head which retains well.

Aroma is slightly malty, with a mild citrus hop aroma.

Flavor has some mild toasted malt, with a mild citrus hop flavor. Hop bitterness is generally mild. Fairly dry finish.

Medium body, with moderate carbonation. Overall a fairly mild version of an APA. Balance is towards malt, as the hop bitterness seems a little too restrained for a pale. That said, if you judge it strictly as an APA it falls short. Other than that it is a very pleasant, enjoyable beer. Smooth, easy to drink. Certainly sessionable. Needs more hop presence to qualify as a decent APA, but might be a better fit in another category.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 01:02:38 | More by briman