Bracia - Thornbridge Brewery

Greywulfken

New York

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great bottle design, hefty price tag.

A: pours a thick black and coughs up a finger or two of creamy head that clings to the sides of my tulip as it recedes. I immediately went into stout mode.

S: great malt aromas from the Maris Otter, brown, Munich, Dark Crystal and chocolate, among others - rich espresso and cocoa.

T: chocolate and honey - reminded me of a silky alcoholic dark chocolate Toblerone bar; wonderful mix of malts (cited above) and hops, including Hallertau and Sorachi Ace - a very rich taste of distinction.

M: silky, full, slick, sweet honey and bittersweet chocolate aftertaste

O: I thought this a fantatstic beer - truly unique flavors and a lucious body. Gotta grab one if you spot it. I would shell out the dough to pick up another one if its still on the shelf when I go back.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 01:47:02 | More by Greywulfken

Kopfschuss

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -17.5%

06-02-2013 02:19:16 | More by Kopfschuss

ajzy

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-27-2013 21:10:04 | More by ajzy

ngeunit1

California

4.16/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown-black with a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Sweet dark caramel and toffee malts, dark fruits, honey, smoke, nuttiness, vanilla, oak, bit of booze.

T - Sweet dark caramel and toffee malts, dark fruits, honey, vanilla, oak, smoke, nuttiness, black licorice, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sweet, warming finish.

D - Nice complex and balanced English Strong Ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 04:47:56 | More by ngeunit1

campfirebrew

New York

3.5/5  rDev -17.5%

05-18-2013 12:09:27 | More by campfirebrew

avschmitt

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -11.6%

05-13-2013 15:20:30 | More by avschmitt

Ale-ienation

California

4.41/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Black as midnight with a thick and creamy toasted-beige head that retains well.

S: Toasted chestnuts, roasted malt, dark chocolate.

T: Sweet malts and honey up front balanced by a pleasant roasty bitterness. A rich nuttiness abounds in the middle; chestnuts, walnuts, almonds. The slightest floral note of sage also comes through with the clean and bitter finish. Profoundly blended and delicious.

M: Full bodied, creamy and silky smooth.

O: Beautifully complex dark ale that benefited from the firkin treatment.

Serving type: cask

05-07-2013 05:12:22 | More by Ale-ienation

HopHeadCnK

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

05-05-2013 21:12:44 | More by HopHeadCnK

CTJman

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

04-28-2013 02:33:51 | More by CTJman

PEIhop

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +17.9%

04-23-2013 01:04:26 | More by PEIhop

seand

California

3.89/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque dark brown with a small amount of dark tan head. Just a ring around the edge of the glass retains, which leaves small sheets of lacing.

S: Sweet and malty; somewhat scotch-like, smoky and peaty.

T: Quite sweet and somewhat whiskey-like. Thick malt, with roasted smokey notes and a thick aftertaste.

M: Full body, medium carbonation.

Overall, thick, nice, and whiskey-like. It's quite strong, but a good flavor combination.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 06:14:34 | More by seand

rderedin

Maine

4/5  rDev -5.7%

03-23-2013 20:27:06 | More by rderedin

jsteel2

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

03-23-2013 04:42:31 | More by jsteel2

Tone

Missouri

3.58/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a black color. 1/4 inch head of a tan color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of anise/licorice, sweet malt, dry hop, hint of pale malt, hint of floral hops, alcohol, honey, and tea. Fits the style of an English Strong Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of dry hops, sweet malt, hint of roasted malt, alcohol, honey, hint of hops, and tea. Overall, good appearance, decent aroma, blend, and body.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2013 17:28:06 | More by Tone

BKArmstrong

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -5.7%

03-12-2013 02:24:14 | More by BKArmstrong

CheapBeerBuzz

California

4.25/5  rDev +0.2%

03-10-2013 05:41:51 | More by CheapBeerBuzz

t0rin0

California

3.25/5  rDev -23.3%

03-03-2013 00:09:05 | More by t0rin0

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

On tap at Prime 16, served in a B. United goblet.

A: Black body, one finger of dense light brown head. Great retention and lacing. Darker than I expected, but lovely.

S: Intensely malty and roasty, with dark chocolate, licorice, and smoky char being the biggest components. Some dark fruit and spicy booze, too. Bold, but too astringent.

T: Follows the nose, with the addition of some floral bitterness and additional emphasis on the fig-like dark fruit notes. Astringent roastiness still dominates up front, with alcohol brining up the back end. Not pleasant, sad to say.

M: Creamy medium-full body with lots of soft carbonation. Great.

O: I was really looking forward to this one, being a big fan of the brewery, but this was a disappointment. More sweetness would have gone a long way toward allowing the complexity to shine without the more...assertive...flavors absolutely taking over. Perhaps a bottle with some age on it would make a better impression? I'd love to revisit it, but probably won't considering how expensive bottles are.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2013 02:53:59 | More by woosterbill

Telestic

Washington

5/5  rDev +17.9%

02-12-2013 04:13:15 | More by Telestic

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

(poured into a tulip)

A: wow! pretty damn impenetrably jet black - throws up a caulk-y, coffee-colored head with not much stick, if any on the glass, however, it keeps a thick collar going

S: leather (oxidation?), chocolate, roasted nuts, bubblegum cigar, urinal cake (and I suppose licorice...the wildcard...) - very interesting, unlike any other beer I've smelt - alcohol, straight clean booze, of course, emerges as it warms - amazing depth and misfit character - might just make me rethink how critically I judge the aromas of other beers, past and future...

T: much of the same flavors as the aromas (thank you!) - old notebook paper - perhaps a tad licorice in the finish - super malt complexity paired against lovely yeast-derived phenolics - I suppose the honey is in the background, supporting all else - later in the finish, I do get some dark, black fruit (grape, but not quite raisin) and a silken roasted barley - espresso crawls back up on the tongue long after (compounded residual)

F: warmth very slowly rises like slowly turning up the volume; Doppler effect, as it fades into the gut - little bit of a bitter tingle up front followed by a sloth wash of sooty body - soft, delicate, and smooooth and, oh!, does it drop off stupid-clean dry

O: unique, as far as my scant experience - what a dynamic, expertly-rendered ale - wow! - the alcohol is so beautifully woven in - do break the bank on this one, please!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 05:58:08 | More by Bouleboubier

JimmyTango

California

4.75/5  rDev +12%

01-15-2013 17:43:15 | More by JimmyTango

Manoftyr

New York

4.95/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance- Pours a rich, dark, nearly black chestnut brown with a finger or two of mocha colored head. No real lacing to speak of, and the head dies down to a thin ring rather fast but the color and pour were both beautiful.

Aroma-Honey and deeply roasted nuts are at the forefront of the aroma, hints of peat around the edges. Cocoa is prominent as well, some black licorice as well, caramel and some dark fruity plumlike notes round it out. Smells utterly fantastic.

Taste-Follows the aroma closely, the deep nuttiness and honey are right there upfront and lasts all the way to the very end. Hoppiness is fairly aggressive without being dominating, very well balanced, cocoa and caramelized malts come in towards the middle again with peat on the outside. Finish is floral-sweet and honeylike.

Mouthfeel-Lush, thick and rich, not quite as full as an Imperial stout but on the fuller side of medium; perfect for the beer.

Overall/Drinkability-Really, really fantastic stuff here, a unique drinking experience; addictively drinkable and keeps you coming back.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 00:05:01 | More by Manoftyr

MisledTitan

United Kingdom (England)

4.75/5  rDev +12%

10-30-2012 00:55:57 | More by MisledTitan

eawolff99

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%

10-04-2012 01:40:39 | More by eawolff99

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from Lakeview Liquors. A stout and a mead. Black with a bubbly head. New Zealand honey is a noticeably premium honey and here. Lacey. Wickedly Smooth mouthfeel. Chestnuts, a bit intense flavour in the finish. Good drinkability, something unique and special.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 03:38:59 | More by northyorksammy