MacTarnahan's Spine Tingler - Portland Brewing Company

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.29/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a balloon glass.

Look: Dark golden, almost orangish yellow body. Thick off white head recedes to a film, good world map lacing.

Aroma: Yeasty, sweet banana peel, malty.

Taste: Deliciosly sweet and smooth from malts, almost a bubblegum candy taste. Good amount of fruity banana comes through.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and mellow, very drinkable for 8.5%.

Overall: Quite simply, wonderfully sweet and smooth. Makes me want to explore more triples.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 00:44:36 | More by JuicesFlowing

deltatauhobbit

Maine

4.23/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a hazy golden color, tinge of orange, decent sized bubbly head that fades super quick, no lacing on the goblet.

Smell has a nice aroma of banana and clove, fairly spicy to the nose, some bubblegum.

Taste has a nice sweet malt backing, good deal of Belgian candied sugar, banana and bubblegum have a nice presence, has a large citrus presence as well which is nice, hops are very muted with little bitterness but I'm not sad it's lacking in this beer, carbonation is very active and aggressive yet works, finishes semi-dry, alcohol is very well hidden.

Not bad for a bottle that's been discounted down to $2, I may need to pick up a few extras for the basement if there's any left.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 23:37:27 | More by deltatauhobbit

constantine_272

Oregon

2.23/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

A: Extremely carbonated. Pale yellow and very clear. White slippery foam with good retention and small thing bubble texture.

S: Sweet melon and honey. Free range bacteria funk.

T: Wheat flavor up front with a lot of sweetness and some green apple. The Belgian fermentation funk follows up with a vengeance with a one-two punch with alcohol; too much for me. The green apple works, but the yeast flavor lingered way too long and didn't have anything to balance it out.

M: Tongue coating and oily. It leaves a long aftertaste with a little bit of steel flavor. Very thin in texture.

O: I like Belgian style beers but this took the style too far for my taste. This was brewed with way too much sugar and the yeast went hog wild. There is still a lot if residual sweetness as well. The over carbonation didn't sit well in my stomach either. I had high hopes for this beer, I was even in the mood for a Belgian ale, and I couldn't bring myself to like this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:55:00 | More by constantine_272

nickfl

Florida

3.46/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with one finger of loose, white foam on top of a clear, golden body. The foam settles rapidly and leaves little lace.

S - Clove and pineapple with a bit of pear.

T - Some cidery malt up front with a bit of pear flavor. Honey and clove in the middle with a transition to melon as the beer finishes. Lingering notes of honey, clove, thick malt and a touch of spicy hops.

M - A fairly thick body, moderately high carbonation, and a cloyingly sweet finish.

D - The head is sad, the aroma is kind of promising, but the flavor profile and excessive sweetness lock this in as a sub-par effort. Sadly, like many American examples of the style, it has too much malt character and way too much sweetness to be properly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 06:29:34 | More by nickfl

schoolboy

Ohio

4.21/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is tripel in the tradition of the tripels that fool you into thinking they are light. It pours a lovely light golden color, semi-translucent, with a fantastic pretty head. The head sticks with it too, like the best belgians. It keeps producing bubbles!

The taste is slightly thicker than the best of the style, but it's great. The yeasty taste is well balanced as is the sweet/tartness. Very interesting without being overly complex.

The aftertaste is similarly sweet and tart. Nowhere does it get too boozy - it would have been nice to see them make it just a tad stronger to see if it holds up, but it is extremely drinkable as it is. I will consume the entire bomber in short order.

Based on this I would have another of these and try others from this brewery (I am pretty sure this is my first MacTarnahan's).

PS - I am seeing others got bombers for $1 to $2! I would buy a large quantity for that price. I paid $6.99!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 17:45:14 | More by schoolboy

jsisko01

Michigan

2.73/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a hazy, bright yellow color with a thin white head that leaves a nice lacing.

Smell - Has a sour funk to it.. along with citrus and coriander.

Taste - Very sweet, like sugar cane. Honey, some light spices, a sharp bitterness, and a somewhat strong alcohol bite.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall - The honey is a little too strong and the alcohol bite isn't enjoyable. But maybe that's how this style of beer is supposed to be..? I don't know

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 05:10:51 | More by jsisko01

Vilkes

1.28/5  rDev -66.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Bought this beer from a local bargain type supermarket. It seemed odd and out of place there. The style and Oregon brewery caught my attention.
I paid $1.54 for a 22oz bottle. I was like wow if this is good i'm coming back for all that they have.

I poured the beer into a large glass, three finger head and super sweet smell. The only thing I could think of after the first drink was steel reserve. This was horrible ghetto brew and in the right store apparently...very disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:25:23 | More by Vilkes

ricchezza

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a chalice glass. Color is somewhere between gold and sunflower. Highly carbonated; lot’s of tiny bubbles producing a nice white lingering head.

This beer is pretty close to what I expected as far as style guidelines are concerned. Taste and aroma is a balance of bitter/sweet from the pilsner malt and candi sugar. Subtle to moderate earthy hops to evenly round things out.
Though I mentioned balance, it is perhaps just a touch heavy on the candi sugar and very light on any discernable yeast character.
Faint hint of bubble-gum.
Smooth on the palate. Easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 14:29:16 | More by ricchezza

mdaschaf

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a clear golden color with a two finger, white foamy head on top, great retention. Nice, sticky lacing clings to the glass.

S: A bit of lemon and green apple with some grainy malt. Very slight Belgian yeast aroma. A but of alcohol comes through.

T: Very light fruit ester flavors with a little bit of spice/yeast mixed in. Some light grainy/pale malt with a touch of alcohol coming through here as well.

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: An average tripel, the alcohol coming through hurt a bit. At least it was only $1.99.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 01:40:08 | More by mdaschaf

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomer into a snifter, the beer is a bright, slightly hazed, corn yellow coloring with a thin, sparse, filmy white coating on the surface. Aromas of bready richness, a light and fruity sweetness, both citrus and banana, and spicings of clove, nutmeg, coriander, and pepper. Flavors are all over the palate on the initial tasting, covering every tastebud. Fruitiness turns a more tropical head, supporting the more peppery and slightly cayenne spicing that highlights it. Tangy sweet backbone also has touches of more traditional Tripels, such as caramel and old world fruits like date and fig, but overall this has an updated approach, with the spices controlling the puppet strings, so to speak. The spicy bite at the end of the palate continues to grow as you continue to drink, but never lingers behind to cause a long-standing burn. Impressive control of flavors. The carbonation level and spicing also help to keep the body light and smooth. Tangy fruit aftertaste, mostly the pineapple, banana, and melon, but again with a touch of the date and fig. The finish is clean and smooth, with only a slight buzz that lingers shortly after. Looking forward to having this accent a spicy dish in the very near future.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 00:32:33 | More by GarthDanielson

Kendo

New York

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bomber into a Duvel tulip. Body is hazy golden-honey in color with a small white head on top. The occasional splotch of lacing clings to the side of the glass.

S: Definitely some barnyard funkiness going on here. Bubblegum sweetness and yeasty fruitiness, with a touch of lemony bitterness.

T: Follows the nose - modestly sweet malt and stone fruits - think apricots, ripe nectarines. Finishes with a lingering lemony bitterness that provides nice balance - in fact, it seems to become more bitter as it lingers on the palate in the aftertaste. Heat from the 8.5% ABV is felt in the belly.

M: Excellent mouthfeel - real nice Belgian-like airy-light fizziness that makes it seem lighter on the palate than it is.

O: Good stuff. Well worth the 99 cents I paid for the bomber. . . .

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 02:06:37 | More by Kendo

tdm168

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - translucent gold with a short-lived white head

S - yeast, alcohol, some faint spice

T - fruit, alcohol, light malt, white grapes

M - warming alcohol, medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a pretty alcoholic. It's boozy. The flavor is simplistic. It's all booze with some fruity yeast notes. Ultimately, this is a simple, one-dimensional beer that I won't be having again.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 02:25:13 | More by tdm168

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Starts with a two-finger head, but it settles quickly to only rim lace. Some spots left on the glass. The color is golden with a minimal haze.

Sweet and sour nose. Some yeast bite. Some citrus rind even though I do not detect any significant hop. Light alcohol. Classic Tripel smell.

Rich, almost oily, body with a very high level of carbonation. It works. The flavor matches the smell, mildly sweet with a sour bite in the swallow. There is a small hop bite in the aftertaste. Notable alcohol warmth. No yeast in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 23:30:37 | More by smcolw

BucannonXC5

California

3.83/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22-oz. bomber into a pint glass at my house on July 30, 2012 (picked it up for $2.99 at KnB Wine Cellars in San Diego, Calif., on July 28, 2012). About two fingers of head. White, gray lacing. Light head/lacing with minimal retention.

Smelled banana, bubble gum, caramel, sweet candy, light cloves, pear and apples. Very nice.

Got a sharp taste of alcohol up front, but then went to a watery blah. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, I was right. It got better with honey, caramel and pear. Really grew on me. Picked 4.0 over a 3.5.

Light body. Thin texture. Below average carbonation. Water, but long lasting finish.

Not a bad beer overall, especially for $2.99 for a bomber. I’d definitely try it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 05:24:04 | More by BucannonXC5

CookstLiquor

British Columbia (Canada)

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 650ml bottle. Featured a thin, off-white head. The colour was deep gold. Typical tripel aromas of bubblegum and tropical fruits. Great carbonation and lots of exotic rioe fruit notes on the palate. A little boozy, but a nice tangy finish. Loved it.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 00:28:50 | More by CookstLiquor

Pencible

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: This poured a clear light gold with moderate white head.
S: It smelled like grassy and waxy hops, with some sweet candi sugar and lemon zest and wild honey and alcohol.
T: It tasted like white wine and lemon zest, with some grassy hops and candi sugar and wild honey. It had a clean and sweet aftertaste with a little lingering sourness.
M: It was oily with lots of carbonation. Full and lively body.
D: This was an interesting tripel with good scent and unique zinfandel-esque taste. The body was nice and the finish was surprisingly mellow, so it was quite easy to drink. Not for aging, already nice fresh.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 19:17:24 | More by Pencible

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

4.88/5  rDev +28.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Did a sample taste of this awhile back and enjoyed it but wasnt about to pay $8 for a bomber. But my beer guy came through and I got a bottle for $3.

A: Carbonation is extreme that compliments the nice light straw color. Has a bright white 1 inch head that sticks around.

S: Has a belgian-style aroma that is complimented with banana, grassy notes and coriander. Slight hint of honey in the smell as well.

T: The taste shoots with tropical fruit, the banana flavor really shines through. A very nice triple, tastes like a saison, but without the bitterness. Lots of floral hops present.

M: Mouth feel is pleasant, very easy to drink and the carbonation really brings the flavor to the forefront.

O: I havent had many Triples at all, but if this is any indication of what to expect, I look forward to many more. This is a great beer!

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 04:03:54 | More by SouljaSaia17

Badssinblack

Maine

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up at Roopers in auburn maine, 2 for $5. Unsure if this is just a promo price or old stock, but it is certainly delicious and I will be buying more!

Appearance - poured from bomber into chalice with thin maybe half finger loose head that disapated quickly, what remained was a very thin head with moderate lacing. Very crisp and clear with a light golden yellow color.
Nose - alcohol banana and cereal, no hope aroma.
Taste - yeast character dominates with notes of fruity ester/banana and very sweet. No hop character and low alcohol taste, very well balanced and on par for the style.q
Mouthfeel - average carbonation for the style, and somewhat thick/syrupy, and slightly warming.
Overall - surprised with this one, very balanced and enjoyable. Matched the style well, only real negative was the head retention.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 21:50:55 | More by Badssinblack

CloudStrife

New York

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle split and poured into a chalice. Enjoy by 053112

A: Pours a hazy golden with a thick white 1 finger that sticks around for the entire glass. Tons of visible carbonation. Some lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: Yeasty belgian aroma with a hint of a sweet sugar. Light fruits like banana or pear. Malts in the background. Slightly lacking for a tripel.

T: Starts off with a sweet belgian yeast, transitioning into some malts. A well constructed light flavor, that makes you want more.

M: Ample carbonation, fairly light body. Crisp finish. The light flavors add to the drinkability.

Overall a good american take on a belgian beer. Lacks certain belgian standards like body and unique flavor, but makes up for it in drinkability and price.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 00:35:30 | More by CloudStrife

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thin white head, with a crystal clear body which is actually yellow.

Crisp, strong nose that is mostly coriander.

Bitter for a tripel, but with sweetness towards the end. Still finishes pretty dry. Faint citrus.

Thinnish, but not too thin.

Quite a decent tripel if a bit coriander-heavy.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 00:00:19 | More by zaphodchak

katan

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz into a goblet

A - Pours a light golden color. Strong head formation that breaks down with little lacing, right into a film. No hazing or yeast suspension.

S - Strong spicy nose, hints of coriander, white pepper, citrus, clove.

T - Starts off smooth and sweet, a few hints of pilsner. Gets much more spicy mid-stream, brings in the coriander and some citrus to back it up. Finishes with a light sweetness, and a hint of alcohol warmth.

M - Fuller bodied, lower carbonation on the mouthfeel. Finishes a little bit sticky. Alcohol warmth is noticable.

O/D - A good and easy drinking tripel. On the sweeter side, and reasonable in alcohol levels. A worthy tripel.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 23:57:31 | More by katan

bigflatsbeerman

New York

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

Appearance: Poured into a chalice. Gold color with quite a bit of carbonation (is it bottle conditioned?), but only about a one finger head.
Smell: To me it smells like Duvel Golden Ale a benchmark beer for the style. I am struck at the lack of head compared to Duvel which probably would have had a 3 finger head.
Taste: Quite nice, again comparing it to Duvel I would put it in a similar league. Pricewise this beer wins at $7 for 650 ml vs. $11 for 750 ml for Duvel.
Overall: Very good. I had never heard of this beer before buying it. I live in upstate NY and have never seen MacTanrahan's beer in this area (maybe I missed it?). I would definately seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 01:15:25 | More by bigflatsbeerman

superspak

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into chalice, no bottle dating. Pours fairly crystal clear golden amber color with a small foamy white head with poor retention, that reduces to a thin ring of lace. No glass lacing, and a fair amount of carbonation streaming up. Aromas of big apricot, banana, clove, bread, pepper, grass, apricot, apple, pear, candi sugar, and yeast spices. Very nice and well balanced aromas with good strength and complexity. Taste of big apricot, pepper, pear, banana, clove, bubblegum, bread, earth, candi sugar, and yeast spiciness. Fairly dry on the finish; with lingering notes of banana, pear, apricot, pepper, clove, bread, and earth spices on the finish for a good bit. Great balance of sweet/peppery flavors; with no cloying sweetness at all. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy and slick mouthfeel as expected for the style, with crisp carbonation. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming after the finish present. Very smooth and easy to sip on. Overall this is a damn nice Tripel. Very nice flavor balance and complexity; and very smooth to sip on. A really well done effort. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 03:12:34 | More by superspak

Philousa

California

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear sunshiney gold in appearance with spotty, airy head. Strong banana aroma, clove, allspice. Some light herbs, like parsley. Belgian yeast brings out many spices with a swirl. Complex. Banana again in flavor, some spices kick in, but the Belgian malt really packs a wallop. Most Tripels are too sweet from cancied sugar, but not with this one. Well balanced in that regard. Feel is on the heavy side with a very dry finish.

Great alternative to a "true" Belgian at American prices. Worth a purchase when you see it.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 03:56:16 | More by Philousa

BMoney575

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on 5-26-12

Appearance: bright golden yellow color, with a huge white head and craggy lacing. Just right.

Smell: fruity, Belgian, boozy, everything you'd expect. Very well made with a nice depth.

Taste: the smell but better. An outstanding example of the style, smooth and fruity, lots of alcohol in the finish. The aftertaste is fruity again, with none of the harshness that tripels can have.

Mouthfeel: perfect, creamy and light, accents the flavors and booze.

Overall: a great choice if you can find some.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 23:26:45 | More by BMoney575