Life & Limb - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.73/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sierra Nevada/Dogfish Head Life and Limb

Appearance: This highly sought after collaboration pours a dark brown, akin to maple syrup (what a coincidence, huh?). It has a very creamy looking, light tan head three-fingers thick that takes what seems an eternity to work its way down the glass to the point of drinkability. The bubbles are of all different sizes, but the top is so satin smooth that it looks like a root beer float. There is all kinds of lacing as well. This is a very appetizing looking beer that really just screams “dessert” right from the get-go.

Aroma: Lots of chocolatey sweetness mingles with maple syrup throughout the nose. There are almost no hops at all. This seems like it is going to be a malt-bomb, but a delicious one at that. Lots of alcohol is smattered throughout the nose as well. Honestly this smells Hopefully the maple syrup comes through, as this reviewer has never really experienced a good maple syrup beer.

Taste: Syrup is the only word to describe this. Maple slaps the tongue repeatedly, accompanied by vanilla, dark and roasty malts and general malty sweetness. Alcohol is also present in the taste, but it is not unpleasant. This tastes like a liquored up version of Founders Old Curmudgeon, but with that signature Dogfish malt taste that we all know and love. That strange cola aroma comes through in the taste as well, but it is actually surprisingly complementary to the rest of the beer. This is delicious.

Mouthfeel: Thick, viscous, sticky, everything you would expect from a beer made with syrup as a primary ingredient. Perhaps it is transference, but the minor carbonation (which is natural and expected to be minimal) gives a certain credence to the cola characteristics. There is also a warming from the alcohol, which is always welcome in a beer this style. Overall, the mouthfeel does a great job of benefitting the taste.

Overall: This old ale tastes more like a huge barleywine. Even with it’s enormous taste profile, it is strangely drinkable. I do not really feel Sierra Nevada’s presence in this beer, but Dogfish’s propensity to brew with maple syrup (thanks to the Calagione family) and their willingness to branch out (ha, pun not intended) is felt throughout the beer. This is a very impressive offering, and I would love to have this available all the time. It is truly a shame that this is a one-time thing. 18.5/20

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 02:34:10 | More by THANAT0PSIS

beernads

Florida

3/5  rDev -25.4%

05-24-2013 07:17:49 | More by beernads

stanowsf

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

05-19-2013 20:30:25 | More by stanowsf

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-18-2013 05:54:21 | More by megamass

FUwolfpacker

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

05-18-2013 03:11:03 | More by FUwolfpacker

jkane101

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-18-2013 00:39:14 | More by jkane101

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -19.2%

05-16-2013 02:14:01 | More by SmellsofMahagony

Rob315

Kentucky

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-15-2013 12:32:47 | More by Rob315

rderedin

Maine

3.25/5  rDev -19.2%

05-15-2013 00:55:05 | More by rderedin

vitese

California

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-12-2013 18:13:00 | More by vitese

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-12-2013 04:47:41 | More by Kelp

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-10-2013 17:37:02 | More by twenty5

paulromeroii

California

3.5/5  rDev -12.9%

05-10-2013 06:34:48 | More by paulromeroii

caslansis

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +18.2%

05-10-2013 02:45:52 | More by caslansis

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.7%

05-09-2013 23:52:33 | More by tommyguz

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-09-2013 00:07:09 | More by cadaugherty

HopAttack3

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +18.2%

05-08-2013 10:35:47 | More by HopAttack3

Prost76

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -0.5%

05-05-2013 11:09:50 | More by Prost76

strongaf

Washington

4/5  rDev -0.5%

04-25-2013 06:18:10 | More by strongaf

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled 6/29/2011. Pours fairly clear extremely dark reddish brown color with a 1-2 finger dense khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of raisin, toffee, molasses, toast, biscuit, wood, chocolate, maple, clove, light vanilla, and roasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with great balance and complexity of malt notes with well balanced wood notes. Taste of raisin, toast, toffee, chocolate, dark bread, wood, maple, molasses, light clove, roasted malt, slight char, and roasted earthiness. Slight earthy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of toffee, toast, raisin, chocolate, maple, molasses, dark bread, roasted malt, light clove, slight char, and earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity and balance of malt flavors with wood notes; with light hop balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent strong ale! Great balance and complexity of malt flavor and wood aging; and very smooth to sip on. Really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:55:48 | More by superspak

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%

04-21-2013 18:05:37 | More by drgonzo2k2

Chisfinest84

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

04-20-2013 22:42:34 | More by Chisfinest84

tvv375ia

Iowa

4/5  rDev -0.5%

04-19-2013 01:54:14 | More by tvv375ia

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a beautiful dark brown pour with 3 fingers of beige head, excellent lacing, great head retention. smells of licorice, caramel, maple, honey, vanilla, slight hint of bourbon, chocolate. an earthy bitterness up front followed by a sweet brown sugar/bourbon flavor.. notes of vanilla, chocolate, very sugary sweet.

medium body, a bit thin for the abv.. low carbonation.. a nice burn on the gums, warmth in the chest.

overall, a really nice offering. way different than the ipa they came out with this year. but still really nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 00:51:38 | More by facundoCNB

Skott1123

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +11.9%

04-13-2013 17:21:14 | More by Skott1123