XS Old Crustacean - Rogue Ales

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I forget where I picked up this little bottle. Was in a barleywine mood and figured I’d try it.
7oz bottle that is marked “bottled in 2010” & “Best when Aged 1 Year”
Poured and left the sediment behind. Yep, looks like a barleywine! Thin film of head that actually shows surprising retention. Classic deep amber color with some burgundy tones. A spot of lace believe it or not.
Some hops in the aroma and a deep malt character. A hint of what surprise lay ahead for me in the flavor.
The flavor is MUCH more hoppy than expected. I am quite shocked actually. Pretty balanced, in that that hop bitterness offsets a hearty base of dark toasted malt.(not roasted or burnt) A touch of sweetness that really gets overwhelmed by the aggressive bitterness.
The body is actually a little thinner than some, but the bitterness offsets this and it’s a big beer.

A hoppy surprise in every bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 00:13:46 | More by Reagan1984

Kornoms

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice copper color with a decent head and lacing, but soon dissipates. The smell has definite notes of malt and a bit of fruity notes. The beer tastes awesome! You can taste the hops but it is smoothed out with the malt and the subtle sweetness of the fruit. You can definitely taste the higher alcohol content, but it doesn't take away from the beer. The smoothness mixed with light carbonation makes for a great mouthfeel. Overall, this was a really well done barley wine.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 19:54:13 | More by Kornoms

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Originally reviewed on paper 2/3/12.

Received this bottle at my tasting as a gift for my recent birthday. :) I've never had this before. This is a 2009 vintage bottle.

Pours a ruddy, reddish-brown hue with virtually no head. Despite the very thin crown a straight down the middle pour provides, it leaves decent enough lacing behind. The smell on this is lovely. It's a bit on the hoppy side of things, but overall it has that lush vanilla, caramel, dark fruit, and generally sweet nose to it. I just love the smell of this barleywine. The taste is decent enough too. The smells don't translate fully into the taste, but the hops certainly shine through, to the beer's detriment, IMO. The mouthfeel has a lot going on. Boozy, hoppy (very), and sweet...this has a pretty smooth draw. It's not as thick and lush as I'd prefer, but it's nothing to sneeze at. Overall, this is a very solid barleywine. Despite it possessing some characteristics that I typically don't find appealing in a BW, the beer as a whole is very successful.

P.S. 11.5% ABV? WHERE? VERY well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 13:58:17 | More by Retail1LO

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An old favorite of mine... rare to see this on tap outside of the NW in my experience. On tap at Max's tonight.

The beer pours a copper amber color with pretty good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive, with cherry cough drop, lots of sweet malt, vanilla, and something of a meaty flavor. The flavor replicates the nose in this sweet beer, except there's even more cherry cough drop, along with some noticeasble alcohol and hoppy bitterness in the finish. Mouthfeel is full, with a long, sweet and bitter finish. Alcohol is noticeable, but is not over the top.

There are better barleywine's out there these days, but this is still an impressive, well made, very well crafted beer from the folks at Rogue. Definitely a walk down memory lane with this one....

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2012 23:13:47 | More by johnmichaelsen

EricCioe

Montana

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2009 vintage on tap at the Rhino. At their February 2012 barleywine fest there is 2009 Old Crustacean, 2008 Alaskan Barleywine, 2008 Bigfoot, 2008 Gnarleywine, and 2007 Old Guardian.

This pours ruby red with a small head that dies down leaving decent lace for the abv. On the nose there is a mixture of raisin, smoke (?), toasted malt, and pine resin. In the mouth there is an immediate strange saltiness combining with more standard dark fruit flavors. There is still a surprising hop presence given the age. The body is medium sticky with a long bitter finish.

Overall, this was probably the least good beer of the flight. There seems to be a weird amalgamation of flavors here, almost like rather than a well-integrated barleywine it's a mixture of scotch ale and DIPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2012 16:10:02 | More by EricCioe

Meerkey

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: No real head to speak of. Muddy orangey brown. Kind of like thick, dark honey.

S: Grainy malts and some hops. Some fruit.

T: Yum! Lots of strong, drying hops accompanied with bready malts. Some fruit. Alcohol is definitely noticeable.

M: Bitter, very drying. Sharp, but smooth on the tongue. Nice.

O: A very good beer. Surprisingly hoppy. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 03:48:55 | More by Meerkey

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 7 ounce bottle into an Albemarle Ciderworks glass. 2010 vintage.

A: Light but dense off-white head is short-lived. The beer is an ugly sort of translucent, muddy orange-brown. Unfiltered.

S: Bready malts, older hops that still have some kick, and significant amounts of fruity alcohol.

T: This is a damn good barleywine. Loaded with hops that have barely mellowed over the last year+, but balanced with a heavy malt base and a subtle sweetness of fruity esters and alcoholic body. The back and forth across the tongue is oh-so-pleasant. By the end, the hops have finally won out. 110 IBU? I believe it.

M: Astringent, but full-bodied. Bitter, but only lightly dry on the aftertaste.

O: Really great Rogue beer -- one of the best -- and a steal at under $2 a bottle. Highly recommended; a stellar example of the American Barleywine style. I have no idea what it's like fresh, but this aged bottle is a thing of beauty. Would have again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 03:37:04 | More by AgentMunky

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

While enjoying my birthday dinner in New York I came across the 1995 vintage of this beer. (there was also a 1994 old ale... but I forget the brewer) I ordered it while hardly being able to contain myself. I love a good barley wine, and a bottle aged for over 15 years blows the mind. [If you are looking, they are serving it in very small supply at Dylan's Steakhouse]

This beer pours in a very dark ruby color. The head and carbonation was missing... as expected for a beer that old.

The smell and flavor was amazing. You get the vineous quality, the fruityness, the sour, the sweet. It was an amazing combination.

It was served in a small bottle, and I just sipped it through the first couple courses with a smile on my face.

It is amazing getting to drink a beer with this kind of history. My hat is off to this restaurant for stocking this bit of history and to Rogue for making a barleywine that keeps so well.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 02:05:55 | More by ummswimmin

hiku7

California

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Delicious barleywine.

Pours orange reddish, somewhat cloudy, with a small quickly dissipating cream-color head. Good lacing though.

Caramel and toffee dominates the aroma, followed by a tangerine citrus blast, then some nice hearty alcohol warming.

Flavor is also tangerines, caramel, toffee, plus some nutty burnt sugar. Hop bitterness is substantial, especially in the finish. Slightly gingerbready spiciness also in the finish. Sweetness is balanced somewhat by the hop bitterness, but stays sweet enough per the style.

Medium full body. Moderate carbonation. Sticky sweet mouthfeel with plenty of residual sweetness in the finish.

Overall, this is a solid west coast hoppy barley wine. Very big feeling beer and great after dinner on a rainy cold night.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 02:58:29 | More by hiku7

JTSbeerislife

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On draft, poured into a 10 oz tall snifter at Cobblestone’s York PA, 1/8/2012.

Notes taken at bar.

As poured a rather thin head, but this glassware leaves a little something to be desired.
Deep, brown amber color.

Medium rich malty aroma, with a hint of yeast. Could be a little more distinct, but it’s pleasant enough. I believe a larger more open glass would have helped the smell quite a bit.

Thick creamy entry on the palate of crisp bitter hops, followed by very rich malt. The yeast tries to come forward but loses to the hops and malt. Very full mouth feel and great carbonation.

Very long finish of bitter hops and rich malt.

A somewhat different take on the American Barleywine Style. Scotch Ale like flavors and somewhat candyish malt. Still there is a really distinct hop kick to this ale that hangs in from the first sip to the last. Very tasty. Best at 55 degrees or so. I would love to try this in a proper glass.
Recommended!

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 00:57:43 | More by JTSbeerislife

vitrael

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 Vintage poured from XS bottle into snifter glassware.

A: Deep amber, slightly hazy, with a thin oily tan head.

S: Spot on, wonderfully bready and sweet malty aroma. Very appetizing.

T: Hops, aggressive and harsh, rather spoiled the experience for me. The biscuit / toasty malt flavor is exquisite, but cowering behind a harsh hop bitterness. Tastes really quite overhopped to me, though I can tell the malt body is quite good. The bottle is 12-18 months old so could possibly need more time, although it recommends 1 year cellaring right on the bottle. I'm still going to buy more.

M: Appropriate to the style, a very heavy and viscous body, although perhaps a little overcarbed. Difficult to appreciate the sensation of this one in the mouth as the hop aggressiveness sets in after a few seconds.

I'll still get more bottles of this and give them a couple of more years to mellow. I wouldn't approach the 2010 vintage until at least 2014.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 02:43:26 | More by vitrael

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2009 vintage on tap at St Augustines in Vancouver.

A: 1/4" tan coloured head that left a nice lacing over mahagony liquid.

S: Muted rich toffee malt and vanilla.

T: Bitter pine hops up front with rich toffee malt. Peppery and vanilla flavours are present as well.

M: Thick viscosity and a medium level of fine carbonation.

O: Complex and drinkable, a very good barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 02:33:37 | More by DaftCaskBC

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.3/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

7oz into New Belgium glass. Raiding the cellar. just shy of 2 years old at this point.

A- Nice copper, head is 1cm tall, sandy tan, settles out and sticks nicely to the glass.

S- Hops are still pretty strong.. Nice malt sweetness to counter.

T- Wow, bitter. Hops are still abrasive. Lovely fruity malt undertones, hope are strong but subside and let the malt come through. Still very bitter, though.

M- mellowed out a bit, bit still not tame by any sort of a stretch.

O- Fantastic, but I think the best is yet to come. Glad I still have a bottle in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 03:44:15 | More by ShogoKawada

jpro

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

7oz bottle (2010) poured into a snifter...

A: Pours a hazy, cloudy pecan-orange; virtually no head other than a light beige ring of foam; no lace on this 11.5%er.

S: Heavy caramel malt; candied fruit; sweet, boozy aroma.

T: Holy hops! Wow - the 110 IBUs are still well intact... the hops blast the palette right from the start. Sweet malt is there, but is destroyed by the borderline harsh hop bitterness; pretty raw stuff! Maybe another year or two would tame this beast of a barleywine.

M: Full; high carbonation; crushingly bitter.

D/O: A definite sipper. So bitter, though, its tough to get through 7oz; probably the most bitter / intensely hopped barleywine I’ve had - except for fresh Bigfoot, maybe.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 15:19:16 | More by jpro

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy deep amber to brown-ish color with a light tan head. In the aroma, fruity and a small alcohol presence. In the taste, dark fruits, with a pleasant alcohol burn all the way through. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry dark fruit and alcohol presence in the aftertaste. Does not seem huge in alcohol, quite smooth and mellow.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 21:45:37 | More by OWSLEY069

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

gnarly beer. pours a hazy golden amber color and looks thick and sticky. like the texture of marshmallow fluff. smells mildly hoppy and just super strong. was told by the barkeep it was 121 IBUs, which would make this the most bitter beer i have ever consumed, but it didnt feel bitter, or certainly not 121 units bitter. did little to mask the alcohol in any event, this was just brimming with boozey punch. a pint of this could kill a casual beer drinker. overall just a huge beer, not for the faint of heart, and even gnarly for a barleywine, which tend to be burley to begin with. cool to try around the holidays for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2011 20:11:17 | More by StonedTrippin

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from the '04 vintage into a Darkness glass. Thanks to Chris for sharing. I'm glad I'm popping my Crusty cherry on a nice vintage bottle.

A: Intermittently hazy orange-brown body with a wisp of off-white head. I'm impressed that it's still carbonated at all. Weak legs, though, for being 11.5%.

S: Rich, pure maltiness - huge toffee and caramel, as well as some light, sherry-like oxidation that brings notes of dates, raisins, and prunes. There's even a hint of earthy hops underneath the big sweetness. Impressive, and pleasantly old-smelling.

T: Even hoppier here, with some earthy and herbal bitterness constantly balancing the toffee and sherry. More oxidation here, though, which combines with the big bitterness in a less than terrific way. Still, it's quite tasty.

M: Medium body, beautifully creamy carbonation. Fantastic for this kind of vintage beer.

O: While I didn't instantly fall in love, I can definitely say that Crusty is my favorite Rogue beer, and one that I look forward to drinking more of in the future. I just don't think it's much better than Bigfoot, and since the Sierra is less than half the cost I find it hard to justify buying anything else to age in high quantities.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 02:42:41 | More by woosterbill

Pahn

New York

3.73/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

7oz bottle into a snifter. Bottled 2010, drank November 2011.

Appearance: Free pour yields a half inch frothy offwhite head that dissipates quickly and lacelessly. Pours a murky orange-ish red, has huge legs, and leaves small arcs of lacing.

Smell: Lots of raisin and brown sugar. Some lingering orange-like hops and a nice effervescence. Cinnamon, nutmeg, anise highlights. Smells well developed.

Taste: Similar to the nose, with brown sugar blasted apart by maximum hop bitterness. Some raisin skin. Finishes moderately dry, with a raisiny aftertaste and persistent hop bitterness.

The taste is almost as complex as the aroma, with some cinnamon and nutmeg like flavors along with burnt toast, but even calling these "highlights" is being a little generous. It's mainly brown sugar and bitterness.

Tastes well made, with a strong suggestion that it would improve with a few more years on it.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and creamy. Heavy bitterness leading into moderate dryness. Ample but unobtrusive carbonation. Very good.

Overall: This is a good beer for a cold night, and its target audience is clearly "barleywine lovers with discerning palates." Unfortunately, I can't shake the impression that I walked into the kitchen and ate the chef's work when he was only half done.

I am guessing that this beer would be well above an A average if Rogue sold vintages like J.W. Lees Harvest Ale. I can't speak from experience, but this has "masterpiece at 5+ years," written all over it.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 23:16:01 | More by Pahn

andrewinski1

Maine

3.03/5  rDev -24.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip. Pours a nice amber color with some haze. There isn't much head, just a thin layer when poured straight down.

My first whiff emphasizes the malty aroma, with nice pale bready malts coming through. There is some dank hop aroma as well; it's just not as strong.

The taste is incredibly bitter. The bitterness drowns out almost all the sweetness from the malt flavor, which isn't much. My penchant for bitter beers is really what keeps me enjoying this, but I can't recommend this as a nicely balanced beer in that regard.

This is nice and medium bodied, the strength of the beer is well hidden behind the IBU's.

I enjoyed drinking this to an extent, but there are much better beers of this style out there. For what it's worth, I prefer a barleywine with a touch more sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 05:07:13 | More by andrewinski1

Kendo

New York

3.78/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Consumed on 10/15/11. Bottle says it was bottled in 2010, says it should be aged for 1 year. Not sure of the month of bottling, so this one's anywhere from 10 months old to 22 months old.

A: Poured from the 7 oz bottle into a Piraat snifter/tulip-type glass. Body is slightly hazy coppery-orangey-amber with a wisp of an off-white head. Leaves some "legs" of lace.

S: Cold, I get a bit of caramel malt and brown sugar, but nothing really strong. Waft of booze too.

T: First impression: finishes with a bitterness that's almost wood-like in its astringency. Makes me wonder what this would've been like perfectly fresh, as it's palate-shreddingly bitter now, with quite a bit of life behind it. Reminds me a little of fresh Bigfoot. Letting it warm up a bit, I get a sense of malt underneath those hops, but only because I'm really looking for it - think brown sugar, mainly, with some caramel malt. But the resiny, piney hop bitterness is the most noted flavor. Drying (and warming) booze at the end, and felt down the gulley.

M: Medum in heft, carbonation is moderate.

O: OK - not exactly what I expect from a Barleywine, but as a west coast American version thereof, I guess this makes sense. I wonder what a few years in the cellar would do for this, as it's really quite bitter at its current age.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 01:20:56 | More by Kendo

bobhits

Kentucky

1.43/5  rDev -64.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Really, who makes a beer with a statement like “best aged one year” and doesn’t give you the month it was bottled?

Opening a bottle that was bottled in 2010 so I have to assume that January 1 2010 was the bottle date so this is ideal and the perfect version of this beer. No more age could possible help this one based on what Rogue says.

A cloudy and orange with a touch of red color body, yeast and sediment clearly present. The head is about a half inch of off white with caramel colored bubbles. Lacing forms almost instantly down the side.

Caramel and amber malt is about all I can pick up on. This beer smells like some child’s candy. That lack of complexity makes the sweet aroma far from good by beer standards but I suppose just below average for barely wines.

Despite the nose this beer is a hop bomb like few I’ve ever had. Opens with a pillowy sweet caramel and sugar malt profile, but quickly turns to a sharp and bitter funk. A coy and unenjoyable fake candy malt flavor mixed with a beer far over the top with hops leaves the mouth confused and disappointed. This beer claims 110 IBU’s and they are there. The problem is they aren’t balanced and this is a freaking barely wine. Much like Bigfoot this beer tries to create a barely wine that is hoppier than any double IPA and with less malt than most.

Not much to talk about here. Thick but not brandy leggings thick and well carbonated for the style but true to style.

Pass on this one. Rogue I want to give you credit for going away from those awful oversized over priced bottles, but you give us these very drinkable sized 7 oz servings and charge 5 bucks for them. Then you fill with one of the worst barely wines I’ve had…shame on you. Oh and you don’t give a bottled on date but have the audacity to tell me to drink at a year old? I should score this beer all 1’s just for that!

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 20:04:25 | More by bobhits

Phelps

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a 9-ounce glass at Mellow Mushroom.

Dark burgundy, with a waxy look. It’s mostly murky and opaque, though it clears up to a lighter burnt orange at the edges. Very thin head the color of beach sand.

Sweet nose. Burnt sugar, orange juice, some sweet floral notes as well. Orange blossom? It’s a little hard to pick up, but it’s not bad.

The flavor, in contrast, is kind of toasty. Crumbly cocoa, hints of caramel and overripe oranges mix with toasted bread, lots of burnt sugar, molasses and maple before a toasty biscuit finish. Good amount of booze.

Light massaging carbonation inside a sugary, syrupy medium body. It’s not crusty, but it is rather thick and blasts with fire in the nose.

I had tasted some Old Crusty from the bottle once and found in heinous, but Rogue beers do have a tendency to sit on shelves around here. From the tap, it’s a heavy, sweet, syrupy, above average barleywine.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 22:08:08 | More by Phelps

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ the Rogue Brewer's on the Bay (Newport, OR) on 8/29/11. Served in a goblet.

Pours a deep clear ruby (with some coppery edges) and topped with a thin frothy covering of off-white head. This sticks around with a nice creaminess to the look, leaving back a good bit of spotty lacing down the sides of the glass. The aroma smell quite bold in the nose, with a warm stickiness of caramel, toasted grains, green fruit, pine, spice, and alcohol sweetness. This definitely has some strength in the nostrils.

The taste has a big mouth filling combo of sticky caramel and grainy sweetness. Green citrus and sharp resinous character really helps add some assertiveness to the profile, as this finishes very piney and bitter with a sweet kiss of warm spicy alcohol on the tail-end. The hops and grains feel at even strength here. The mouthfeel is full bodied and large and in charge with a LOT of presence in the mouth. The ABV is well done here for an 11-12% beer, never being stinging on the palate but definitely giving this a hefty warming nature and there were plenty of extra flavors of sweetness and spice being thrown off by the ABV. Well done.

For a fresh American Barleywine, I thought that this one got it about right. Although the complexity wasn’t quite here, the base ingredients were definitely in place for more to develop as this ages and while there is a pretty hefty hop presence, I was pleased to find that it didn’t beat you over the head like some of these one that are borderline DIPAs. Bitter and sticky wrapped up in an easy sipping warming package about sums this one up. It had been a while since I’ve had this and I couldn’t think of a better beer to have during our chilly late afternoon visit to the brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

09-15-2011 18:41:57 | More by Kegatron

TheJollyHop

California

3.53/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 Vintage poured into a snifter.

Right off the bat, herbal and lemon hop scents on top of a burnt sugar/toffee/caramel malt backbone were noticeable.

The beer pours a beautiful red hued amber with off white lacing and a small (1/2) finger's worth of head.

Citrus lemon and lime mixed with toasted malt strike first, but then a wave of hops bitterness takes hold and remains well into the finish. Raisins and burnt toast come to mind. Wow, this beer is bitter! The sweetness barely managed to make its presence towards the finish and the lingering, dry mouthfeel seems to last forever. This beer with one year of age is definitely too young for my tastes. It just leaves an unpleasant lingering herbal flavor that makes you want to scrape your tongue somehow. On the plus side however, the alcohol has become mellow and warming with age.

The mouthfeel is creamy, medium/low carbonation and medium bodied which is immensely enjoyable, but regrettably just ends up being the perfect texture for is wildly bitter beer.

Overall the nose is solid, as is the mouthfeel and the appearance, but the taste is so biter that it makes for a less than enjoyable experience. With some aging this beer "could" be great, but even with a year it just is too harsh still.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 05:40:32 | More by TheJollyHop

output01x

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 7 oz. capped bottle (Bottled In 2010) into a pint glass.

A strong pour yields a 2-finger tan-colored head that fades after a good few minutes to a thick coating. The body is a murky orange mahogany. Thick lacing clings to the sides of the glass in sheets.

Dark, caramelized malts give notes of dark fruit, brown sugar, and molasses. The nose is rather straight-forward and lacks complexity, but is definitely good and mouth-watering.

The taste is not nearly as dark and sweet as the nose. Instead, a slightly sweet breadiness and caramel flavor comprise the beginning of the taste. Once the beer is swallowed, a completely unexpected grassy bitterness strikes the exact middle of the mouth leaving a dry, bitter aftertaste. The alcohol is not noticeable as a warmth but is seen in a medicinal way.

Medium bodied with good carbonation, this beer is very drinkable despite the flavors. The body is not really thick but is rather sticky. The carbonation is a little fizzy but does not seem to detract from the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 06:49:45 | More by output01x