Solstice D'hiver - Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.5oz bottle from Sherlock's (Marietta, GA). 6.49. Bottled early 2012. Served in a Red Brick snifter.

Pours dark chestnut brown with a half finger of pale head. Zero lace.

Smells of toffee, earth, sugar and slightly grassy.

Taste follows the nose with sweet toffee, brown sugar, mild earthy grassy hops, caramel, faint dark fruit and a healthy kick of alcohol burn. A nice blend with the booze present but not distracting.

Creamy medium full body with moderately light carbonation. Long dry bittersweet finish.

A smooth and easily drinkable barleywine. Rich and pleasantly multi-layered. I'll most likely be picking up another bottle or two for the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 23:15:10 | More by ThickNStout

Seanniek91

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served From a 12oz bottle into a Redhook Limited Release Tulip.

Appearance- Copperish brown with no head and very little carbonation visible. Nice lacing though around the glass.

Smell- Raisiny booze. Some cherry or plum and vanilla. Candy sugar and caramel malts.

Taste- Caramel. Some chocolate. Stone fruit. Light boozieness (pretty well hidden). A little hop bitterness at the very end which lingers nicely.

Mouthfeel- Very low carbonation. Smooth and sticky (in a good way).

Overall- This is a solid barleywine. Its nice drinking it while the snow storm of the century that closed down work for me today is going on outside my window. Im pleased with this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 17:58:28 | More by Seanniek91

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 11.5 oz. bottle into a short-stemmed tulip/snifter. Enjoyed on 12/21/12, the winter solstice

Pours a dark amber with copper highlights. Cream colored two finger head. Average retention the leaves behind a bit of splotchy lacing. Caramel, ripe fruit, and phenol alcohol on the nose. Caramel throughout, mixed fruit: apple peel, date, cherry, hints of cocoa. Finishes with candied but lightly bitter citrus rind. Syrupy, slick full body, low carbonation. A very solid barleywine-style brew that seems to be a hybrid containing aspects of both the English and American styles (and is brewed by a Canadian brewery).

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 05:19:10 | More by chanokokoro

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First time I’ve seen this beer, but it intrigued me enough to buy it. Plus, it’s Dieu du Ciel, so I know I’ve most likely got something good here.

A: Smooth beige head over a translucent, dark topaz body that shines beautifully in the light. No lacing and only a dusting of retention.

S: This nose is quite mild, showing just a little bit of vanilla cola and sweet, buttery aromas of roasted dates. Some maple syrup, eggnog, and bubblegum notes play around in the middle, too, but that’s really it.

T: Peppery, hoppy, and alcoholic to a heavy degree, this palate shows intensity in every area. Stings with the tastes of black pepper, hibiscus, and bitter lime rind; it’s a complex hoppiness that’s almost salty in its character. Malts exhibit tastes of burnt caramel, biscuit, apple butter, and the soft, dark sweetness of dates or honey. A dark, brooding winter beer. The aftertaste is pretty damn spicy, too; this beer is just all bitterness.

M: Bubbly and light; it definitely doesn’t feel like 10%+ alcohol. Thin-bodied yet warm on the first few drinks down.

O: Weird beer? Sure, but it’s strangely delicious. Sometimes, odd combinations of flavors work – this is one of those times.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 03:46:40 | More by BarryMFBurton

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Dark burnt tan. Not much of a head, some sticky lacing.

Smell - Caramel, rasin, plum, fig, molasses, brown sugar, roasted malts, cherry, apple, grapes.

Taste - Malty smokey note up front with some dark fruit, sugars and plenty of alcohol. Sweetness of sugars at first, then bitter sour grapes mixed with warm alcohol comes in. A decent wood/smoked flavor is present.

Mouthfeel - Tounge gets malts, dark fruits and sugars. Palate gets more smokey malts, caramel, bitter fruits and booze. Aftertaste is alcohol, bitter fruits and smokey malts.

Overall - Not bad, plenty of flavor, a big warm and a real bitter finish. I enjoy the wood/smoked flavor this has. Would like to age for a year to see the alcohol die down and let some more malts come out. Would be a great barrel aged beer. Worth a drink but way, way overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:55:46 | More by wvsabbath

Auror

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is an old bottle. At least 2 years, probably 3 or more. Batch code has 0 and 8 notched, how I wish DDC made it more clear when the batches were from on US bottles. As a barleywine, I'd expect this to hold up fairly well though.

Poured into my Kate the Great snifter.

Appearance- Pours a dark muddy, reddish-brown. One finger head diminishes quickly to a slight ring. Carbonation bubbles are evident, a good sign considering this bottle's age. Mild lacing.

Smell- Chocolate, fruity malt, strawberry, wood, damp leaves.

Taste- Some malt sweetness upfront reminiscent of cherries. A little bit of a chalky flavor in the middle (oxidation?). Finishes with a tingling, lingering bitterness. Hops might have been prevalent once, but now only the bitterness remains. No alcohol present.

Mouthfeel- Surprisingly sharp carbonation. Medium feel.

Overall- I'm only guessing here, but from reading other reviews this beer has lost a lot of flavor. In exchange for that, the 10% alcohol is just non-existent.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:26:40 | More by Auror

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours medium brown with no head. Thick looking with some slow rising bubbles.

Cherry wood, toasted malt, some alcohol, dark fruit in the nose.

Nice rich sweet malt up front. Some burnt nuts, over-ripe bruised stone fruit, a little vanilla, brown bread, and mild bitterness. Nice complexity. booze is hardly noticeable.

Full bodied. Good chewy brew.

Nice version of the style. This was a dusty bottle, so the age on this took off any edges that may have existed at bottling.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 13:50:10 | More by OtherShoe2

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

341ml bottle poured into a goblet. ABV 10.2%.

A - Poured a murky dark brown with copper highlights. Thin head was quickly gone. Not much lacing.

S - Dark fruit, brown sugar, hint of dark dark chocolate, burnt coffee, some pine in the background. Alcohol is only slightly noticeable after the drink warms up a bit.

T - Brown sugar, some whole wheat bread, dark fruit, hint of burnt toast, hint of citrus, some pine in the finish. It's more complex than I can describe it.

M - Medium-heavy body, medium carbonation, slick, syrupy, sticky, slight burn in the finish.

O - My first barley wine. Found it pretty good. That ABV is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 04:26:03 | More by decimator

aasher

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a medium bodied hazelnut brown in color with amber highlights and a slight off white lacing around the glass. The nose is both rich and sweet. It features a bouquet of molasses, sorghum, slight cherry, and a touch of oak. Nice nose for a barleywine, and smooth. The flavors too, full and sweet. It features candied sugar, molasses, brown sugar, light oak, a light bitterness, with a touch of cream in the finish. Well rounded flavor as well. For being 10.2%, there isn't any alcohol at all. It drinks pretty full in body with plenty of residual sugar. It is big but isn't overpowering in one facet or another. It's just a well rounded barleywine. I recommend it. It's barleywine season, and this was a nice way to start it off! If only Dieu Du Ciel would barrel aged this!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 21:59:41 | More by aasher

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours pours reddish brown with a creamy off-white head that quickly dissipates to a thin cap. Plenty of lace clings to the glass. Lots of malt sweetness in the nose. Prunes, caramel, sherbet, toast and herbal, green tea notes in the back. Peaty whiskey notes in the taste. Dried apricots and cranberries mix with fruit compote, banana and stern, warming alcohol. Hops provide the requisite bitter ballast to the malt assault, but not much more. The mouthfeel is full bodied and sparsely carbonated with a numbing feeling from the booze. The finish is long and sweet with an accompanying alcohol burn.

This is a decent malt-centric barley wine. Tons of malt complexity going on, just a bit too much alcohol flavor, even for the immense ABV.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 03:34:14 | More by CAMRAhardliner

jegross2

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewing the Solstice D'hiver from Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel out of Montreal in Canada.
Score: 83

Unknown vintage bottle with the 1 and 0 ticked on the side of the label. Served in a Surly Darkness snifter and enjoyed on 10/16/12.

Appearance: Pours two fingers of beige foamy head that slowly recedes to a thick layer atop the glass. Crazy lacing and retention. The beer is a deep mahogany color with a blood-red halo around the glass. Not quite opaque. 4.5/5

Smell: Vanilla, toffee and malty caramel. Faint, musty hops. Light plum, raisin and pine. Yum! 4/5

Taste: Sadly, the taste does not live up to the inviting appeal of the nose. Malty caramel, faint dark fruit and ample stale hops. There is a hint of vanilla upfront, but it is very very faint. There is a slight nuttiness too. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium-light carbonation. Super malty, slightly creamy. 3.5/5

Overall: Taste is a mediocre, unincorporated mess of flavors and stale hops, but the aroma was nice.

Recommendation: Definitely not worth the price tag.

Pairings: Spicy Pad Thai.

Cost: $5 for a 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 01:02:03 | More by jegross2

socon67

New York

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Orange\amber pour. Creme colored foam retains well. Slight carbonation noted.

S - Scents of dark fruit, caramel, and a boozy scent of scotch. As it settled a bit of toffee was present.

T - Surprisingly mellow. Initial sweetness of dried fruit. Has a warming burn and qualities of scotch whiskey. Notes a caramel and hearty grain.

M - Very drinkable barleywine. I was amazed how smooth this was. Syrupy thick and with a hearty ABV, but I didn't feel it.

O - Tasty barleywine that I'd happily have again. I'm finding plenty of love for Dieu Du Ciel. Another offering from them that I liked alot.

Serving type: on-tap

09-22-2012 15:07:57 | More by socon67

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.88/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this in a trade a while back. Cheers!

From a bottle into a snifter
Vintage: 2010

APPEARANCE: Pours a smaller, medium looking, fluffy, off-white head with good retention. Opaque burnt umber with no carbonation evident. Head fades to a thin wisp that remains the whole way and leaves some dots of lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Caramel, toffee and pale malts. A touch of piney hops and melon notes as well. Milder, but nice.

TASTE: Caramel, toffee and notes of melon sweetness up front. Some piney hop bittereness and more toffee flavors at the swallow. Bold and lingering aftertaste with more piney bitterness, sweet malts and some butterscotch as well. A little mild up front, but the flavor comes out really nicely after the swallow.

PALATE: Medium-full body and medium carbonation. Enough weight, nicely creamy smooth on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes slightly mouth-coating. A bit of a scratch at the swallow as well.

OVERALL: Really nice stuff. The nose could be a little bigger, but otherwise, this is a quality American barleywine. This one is definitely worth checking out, so if you happen to see it somewhere, give it a shot. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 20:20:09 | More by Jeffo

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle date notched 09-2010 received via trade. Could have sworn it was via papat444, but i traded before that date. Thanks to whomever it was. Poured ~6C into a fluted beer glass.

Pours a rich reddish brown and quite clear with next to no head, and thus no lacing. Aroma is quite nice with raisins, dried fruit, peppery spice with a hint of alcohol underneath it all. The beer itself has a solid body with a slight syrupy nature to it with spiciness, some complexity in the malts mainly being levels of dried fruit and caramel notes seemingly from crystal malts. The bitterness is surprisingly noticeable in the beer for such a sweetness, but it keeps the palate cleaner than I had expected. A well put together barley wine, that is really worth having again.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 01:41:57 | More by kjyost

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11.5 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours cloudy very dark reddish brown color with a dense 1 finger light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Good spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, molasses, caramel, toast, bread, earth, herbal, and yeast spiciness. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good complexity. Taste of big raisin, prune, toast, roasted malt, molasses, bread, caramel, earth, oak, and herbal spiciness. Fair amount of spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of dark fruit, caramel, molasses, toast, earth, oak, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance of spicy hop flavors with the fruity malt backbone; with good complexity and no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very nice creamy, thick, and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice barleywine. Nice flavor balance and complexity; and extremely smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 06:23:09 | More by superspak

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Huge, bold flavor. Brown sugar, molasses, some moderate dark fruity esters, raisins are prominent. Very malts, but some mild to moderate hop aroma also.

Appearance: Light to medium brown in color, very hazy. Head is light brown with some patchy dark brown throughout. Good retention and lacing. Looks a bit evil and intmidating in my tulip glass.

Taste: If this isn't full flavor then nothing is. Maybe the strongest beer I've had to date and my favorite styles are American Strong Aleas and Quadrupels (Belgian Strong Dark Ales). Huge malt flavor. Raisins and prunes. Alcohol is noticeable. Some nutty flavor in the aftertaste, mostly walnut. Hops are highly floral. Just a touch of black pepper spice. Some earthy molasses in the aftertaste as well.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body. Feels creamy, but it turns the mouth dry leaving a chalky feeling. Almost numbing the tongue and roof of the mouth. Mild and smooth carbonation. Finishes moderately dry.

Overall: I figured this would be bold, but this is extreme. Great stuff. Never harsh, a flavor-explosion. Lots of sugar as expected, but the bitter hops and spicy alcohol balance nicely.

NOTE: Not sure what I was smoking today, but I actually snapped the top of the bottle of when opening with my stainless Spaten bottle opener. Maybe it was the funky Canadian bottle sizes.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 23:02:35 | More by soulfly1492

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Solstice d’hiver opens with a rich, sugary, syrupy nose that smells immediately like several beers’ worth of concentrated aroma. The notes center especially around gloopy fruit esters, including fig, date, raisin, prune, and black cherry, with lesser (but still quite potent) orange and nectarine touches. There’s also a heaping dose of molasses and brown sugar, as well as pure vanilla extract to add to the sweetness. All of this is balanced by thick, mealy breads, with rising wheat dough and brown toast crust, spent grain loafs, and a near pumpernickel-rye touch. Some anise and pepper spices linger at the edges, as well as ash. There is an overarching alcoholic vapor, which when combined with the dark fruit esters lends the beer a cognac overtone, but this blends nicely. As a whole, the nose is excellent, being everything that a solid Barleywine should aspire to: excellent balance, superb range, enticing aroma. There’s not a thing about this beer I would so far change.

On the tongue, the first notes are deep, dark sugars, including fig, raisin, prune, plum, and black cherry. These are joined quickly by the aforementioned dark bread combo, here especially leaning toward slightly-burnt toast crust and doughy pumpernickel-rye. A good dose of pine resin and grapefruit rinds adds a bitter hop counter that blends nicely with a touch of tangerine from the malts. Molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla add further sugar flavors, and pepper and anise add a spicy touch. Heavily noticeable is an alcoholic burn, which when combined with the burnt toast crust and ash flavors lends the beer a barrel-aged feel, and imparts a rum-soaked raisin addition to the fruits. If held in the mouth long enough, this alcoholic burn with increase in strength as the sugars die off, until it will eventually come quite close to bourbon. The aftertaste is also a strong bourbon-like burn, with lingering sugars, and lasts for a long time. Mouthfeel is medium to medium-heavy, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is a fantastic Barleywine, and one I would gladly reach for again and again. The fine balance and delicious flavors in here mark a brew crafted by true experts and lovers of the style, and even the heavy alcohol burn is a perfect complement to the dark sugars and ashy notes. I certainly know what I’ll be drinking when the snow comes.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 18:26:57 | More by jondeelee

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a flute.

Appearance: Dark amber sediments floating throughout the body with light bubbles, head is off-white rising to maybe 1/3" off the body.

Smell: This bee wreaks of greatness, very good and de3op barley scent.

Taste: This is a strong taste, you feel the alcohol the second it hit your lips. Strong barley feel, A notch sweet off taste that is complimented with a caramel feel.

Mouth: Doesn't feel like a beer more like a elixir of greatness. Goes down smooth, soft but hard after feel.

Overall: Try this for yourself and you be the judge I bought this literally on a whim, I give everything a shot and I never head a review before making my own, this beer was money well spent. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 05:30:07 | More by BlurryVisi0n

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Appearance: Murky dark brown with red highlights without a lot of carbonation. The head was practically non-exsistant and thus did not lace or retain.

Smell: Datas and figs are dominant, but it's quite yeasty. Also notes of hop oil can be gleaned in the background, but the spice of the yeasty hides them well.

Taste: Starts out with some rough, dark toffee that turns to a yeasty fruit jumble of figs, dates, a light berry note and grapefruit hops as the hop oil soon takes control and reveals the boozier elements of the beer.

Mouthfeel: Complete lack of head and very low carbonation, although I will give some slack as it is a barley wine. However the hop oil clings to the back of the tongue and the transistioning needs some work. Nice toffee aftertaste though.

Drinkability: A little bit too boozy for my liking, and the lack of carbonation makes it very akin to drinking wine. I dunno, it sits down and it's drinkable, but it's not my cup of tea.

Final Thoughts: It's hard for me to really judge this beer, having only had one other barelywine before. Still, I didn't find it all that enjoyable, so I think it's more of a fault with the style then the beer. I would pass on this in the future though.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 22:25:15 | More by TheHammer

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ST: 11.5oz poured into a snifter.

A:Reddish brown with a thin off-white almost brown head. Lots of lacing is left in the wake of the vanishing head.

S: Intense, spicy, and fruity. Burnt caramel, alcohol esters, raisin, and raspberries.

T: Spicy alcohol, malt, and dark fruit quickly turns to burnt caramel, hops, and alcohol. There is a liquor quality to this beer.

M: Heavy and thick.

O: This beer is a palate destroyer. Its intense flavors and strong alcohol have more in common with scotch or rum than beer. It does, however, mellow as it warms. Solstice is a sound sipper.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 22:31:35 | More by ianjsullivan

tony223366

California

3.83/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A murky dark caramel color. The head is an tan/off-white and very thick and fluffy. Nice head for a barleywine! The color isn't anything fantastic but all in all pretty good.

S: I'm getting tons of caramel and lots of dark fruits. Figs and raisins... mmm! It smells great and just like a barleywine should. Some milk chocolate as well. Not getting the hops that they said were so apparent.

T: I think this beer strikes a good balance between American and English Barleywines. Yes it is bitter and yes there are some citrusy hops but the caramel and fruitiness match nicely. There's even some nice spicy yeast flavors. It strikes a good, if not harsh balance. But it's really the caramel/fruit's show here. Oh yeah and the booze is definitely a star player. This beer desperately needs some time to age and take the edge off.

M: Fair amount of prickly carbonation in this full bodied beer.

O: A good, if not great beer. It's harsh, but lots of young barleywines are. There's definitely tons of potential of this beer being rich and decadent in about 5 years. Tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 05:13:01 | More by tony223366

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-deep dark brown with very little head but decent lacing.

S-oaky with fig and date abundance. very dark candi sugar and a hint of licorice.

T-same as the smell with a nice dryness. dried fruit, candi sugar and a hint of booziness. Hops are muted but present. This will age gracefully!!

M-full body with a nice carb level. Love this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 23:37:49 | More by danedelman

ONUMello

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.5oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: A hazy dark brown. Thin head to start and even that disappeared in a heartbeat.
S: Caramel/toffee, cherry, a hint of vanilla ice cream- pleasant and complex.
T: Wow this is nice. Bold flavors of cherry, caramel, raisin, molasses, and cream then a bit of an orange peel kick before turning back to a fruit ester/brown sugar finish. Very complex.
M: Full-bodied, a bit creamy which matches the flavors. Surprisingly the 10.2%abv doesn't show through for me.
O: A complex, enjoyable beer- definitely one to sip slowly.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 19:49:51 | More by ONUMello

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

11.5 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. No discernible bottle date.

Appearance - Pours a deep mahogany with a small off-white head. Again, I poured into a CCB snifter, which limits the amount of head I can pour. Settles with some bubbles on the surface and the occasional bit of lace.

Smell - Caramel, toffee, and vanilla, but it's got a huge grapefruit hop aroma infusing all of it. Interesting, but not terribly appealing.

Taste - Way better. The hops are more subdued. Toffee is more pronounced than the hops here. The caramel fades to a wonderful vanilla flavor that makes this a much better beer than I expected. The finish is bitter with that same grapefruit hop flavor. It's a little much for the remainder of the beer, but not unforgivable.

Mouthfeel - That hop bitterness detracts. I'd love this to be more English-style than American, but it is what it is. Not as sweet as the flavors suggest, but a little syrupy.

Overall - That vanilla kick really makes the beer tick. Transcends the Third Coast Old Ale I had yesterday because of it, but the hops are more pungent in this one. Enjoyable, if not a little unbalanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 02:14:07 | More by Alieniloquium

merc7186

New York

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Deep Amber/Brownish Hue, Passes Little Light, Mild Off White Head, No Lacing

S: Raisins, Cheeries, Black Plum, Mild Boozy

T: Raisins, Cherries, Boozy

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Boozy, Mildly Sweet

Overall, some nice fruit notes and taste but definitely doesnt cut through the booziness of it...a good beer but wouldnt seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 02:56:32 | More by merc7186