Black Sheep Ale (Special) - Black Sheep Brewery PLC

Jason

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 16.9 oz brown bottle with no freshness date. Raised glass of a hop vine around the base of the neck is a bit showy.

Appearance: The head is quite spectacular, it is just a big stick foam messy. Nearly clear with a dark orange amber hue.

Smell: Lightly buttery and fruity, faint esters and some earthy herbal hop makeup the aroma.

Taste: Lightly smooth with a slim carbonation. Juicy and bursting palate of malt hops and yeasty by-products. Juicy fruit with some cracker-like maltiness, fruitiness is more of faint apple and pear. Hops are through with a sufficient bitterness and arousing flavour. Some mild ester and buttery diacetyl within the nuttiness of the yeast adds much complexity. The diacetyl almost doubles in the finish as the hops come back with a leafy finish add to the flavourful after taste.

Notes: I am quite pleased with this brew, flavours and aromas bouncing all over with an impressive head. All of this is the big picture for what an English ale is supposed to be.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2002 14:01:35 | More by Jason

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

05-03-2013 05:42:41 | More by Kelp

nkp765

Iowa

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%

05-03-2013 01:47:04 | More by nkp765

doktorhops

Australia

3.33/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Finally we have the normal cousin of Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale, the kind that is like a bespectacled man named "Simon" who wears a brown flannel suit with a pocket protector, hello Simon! Well I'm hoping this doesn't turn out to be as average (for an English ale) as Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale, which I gave a 3.05 out of 5.

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Simon has a light white dusting of a head (going bald I suspect), with a clear orange body (Carotenoderma methinks).

S: Toasted biscuit aromas dominate with a hint of buttery diacetyl, some light earthy hops and minimal yeast presence. Quite a typical English (ale) chap this Simon is.

T: The flavour is a very relaxed, almost sedate, mix of the above; toasted biscuit base, mid buttery diacetyl, and light earthy hops, but it comes with a more chunky bread yeast note and finishes slightly bitter. There is a mild caramel sweetness in the centre as well but this beer isn't slamming anyone over the taste buds and shouting "Ave it!", frankly wouldn't expect Simon to do such a thing anyhow.

M: Also a bit on the light side, well light for an EPA, and with that traditional borderline flat English carbonation.

D: Easy drinking fellow this Simon, a little too easy drinking perhaps. This is a PPSA (Pommy Pub Session Ale) if ever I saw, or tasted, one. I could down a dozen pints of this before I even thought about staggering home and microwaving a pizza pocket (only to bring it up later). Is it worth getting? At this price; no, at a more reasonable price; maybe - though stacked up against a brew like "Pride of Oxford" it doesn't stand a fighting chance.

Food match: PPF (Pommy Pub Food); pot pies, Guinness pie, stews of various flavours with unreliable meats in them, and fried battered fish with a wedge of lemon and chunky chips (or "fries" as Americans call them). Also if you're still peckish: crisps! (or "chips" as Americans call them).

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 11:55:19 | More by doktorhops

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

having the word "black" in the name threw me off but it looks tasty. Gorgeous orange maber glow with a 2 finger sticky off white head and lots of active carbonation. Brilliant clarity. Toasted biscuits and flowery hops on the nose.

Talk about a morning beer. Body a little light then expected but with brisk carbonation. Thin malts on the tip of the tongue followed by rich toasted whole wheat breads that rolls into burnt toast crusts. Faint buttery notes reminds you of heavily toasted whole grain rolls on a sunday morning. Underling euro hop bitterness comes in to play on the bready flavors while the linger in your mouth.

A very bready and sessionable beer. This will be my new standard for breakfast drinking.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 03:17:38 | More by jtierney89

kangarooAdam59

Maine

3.23/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Into a nonic:

A: slightly red yet clear body with a two finger white foamy head that dies pretty much immediately, foamy cling lacing is left in the wake

S: slightly soapy, English pale malts, light hops come out as the beer warms

T: sweet becomes balanced as hops come out slightly

M: light, very sessionable, carbonation barely felt

O: decent for an English pale ale, uh ... but I`m unsure if I`ll come back to this

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 16:53:47 | More by kangarooAdam59

diverite

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

03-12-2013 23:23:37 | More by diverite

innominat

Ireland

2/5  rDev -45.9%

03-04-2013 14:01:11 | More by innominat

matjack85

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

01-31-2013 21:40:45 | More by matjack85

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

01-18-2013 12:24:03 | More by tbeckett

His_Royal_Hoppiness

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev -18.9%

01-14-2013 22:12:52 | More by His_Royal_Hoppiness

cliff1066

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

12-09-2012 18:51:46 | More by cliff1066

WDJersey

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

11-19-2012 06:38:20 | More by WDJersey

GreyGhost4

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

11-17-2012 14:07:06 | More by GreyGhost4

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -18.9%

11-11-2012 00:24:48 | More by cfalovo97

sendbeer

Georgia

2.5/5  rDev -32.4%

10-23-2012 20:57:28 | More by sendbeer

mwar

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%

10-20-2012 20:58:06 | More by mwar

Pegasus

Texas

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Deep and clear golden orange, with a large white head of fine beads, which soon collapses t o scattered patches of foam on the surface, and circling the glass walls. Slight carbonation slowly rises to the surface.

Aroma: Herbal hop notes dominate the aroma, but there are notes of bitter apples and pears as well. There are slight hints of toasted malt and caramel as well.

Taste: Opens with strong medicinal and herbal hops. As the taste progresses, there are notes of caramel, toasted malts and a faint sweetness, but the hops take center stage throughout. Finishes with a long, lingering, mild medicinal note, and a tang of bitter apples.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, and full, very pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: An excellent example of the style, perfect for a cool, dark autumn day.

Presentation: Packaged in a custom 500 ml brown glass bottle, served in a New Belgium Brewing chalice.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 01:14:43 | More by Pegasus

bzach

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

10-16-2012 03:56:57 | More by bzach

Murrhey

Montana

3.25/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 1pt .9oz bottle into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Two finger off-white head. Fluffy and thick, middling retention. Clingy lacing. Cloudy auburn color, low clarity.

S- Pears, apples, light English hops and sweet malts. Very light and fruity smell. Smells like an autumn festival.

T- Tastes very different from the smell. The sweetness largely subsides. Apples and pears are still there with the caramel, but the presiding smell and taste is a biscuity, golden hop flavor. Quite an odd beer.

M- Light bodied, thick carbonation and relatively wet finish.

O- Odd beer with a nice appearance.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:30:39 | More by Murrhey

glib

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +21.6%

09-20-2012 13:53:55 | More by glib

griffinxi

4/5  rDev +8.1%

09-14-2012 19:13:45 | More by griffinxi

wattoclone

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%

09-12-2012 13:29:34 | More by wattoclone

Dave_Treat

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -32.4%

09-03-2012 19:50:50 | More by Dave_Treat

beerpadawan

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%

08-27-2012 15:52:08 | More by beerpadawan