Small Animal Big Machine - Half Acre Beer Company

jrallen34

Illinois

2.6/5  rDev -28%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Chris for this growler... pours a dark cola, decent head... aroma is terrible its all currants, pepper and generic chemical caramel... the taste isn’t as strong as the nose or it wouldn’t be drinkable, some cherries show, but the finish is terrible... tough to drink

Serving type: growler

06-18-2011 20:13:56 | More by jrallen34

MasterSki

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

THIS PRODUCT IS NOW A BOTTLE-BOMB. HANDLE WITH CARE!

Thanks to Chris (spycow) and Alison for picking this up while I was out of town. Served in a Russian River tulip.

A - A late-rising tan foam settles to a thin ring, with some hazy swathes and minimal lacework. Transparent dark orange-red-brown body.

S - Red licorice, cherries, spicy phenolic yeast, some fruity spirit alcohol character (brandy? grappa?). Alcohol presences grows as it warms up, along with the sour mash characteristics.

T - Taste is actually a bit understated. The sour mash contributes a malt character that is similar to the one I tasted in Sour Plead the 5th. Doughy malts, some buttery toffee, and light tart cherries. Finish is tart currants, but somewhat unexpected and not totally integrated all that well. Alcohol is less present than the aroma.

M - Pleasant carbonation tingle, smooth pleasant texture, medium body, and a little bit of alcohol warmth in the finish. Some gritty tannic character from the fruit.

D - I really wanted to like this beer. I think all the different collaborators are great people, and all of them have made some great beers too. Unfortunately I thought this was a boozy, jumbled mess. Seemed higher in alcohol than the listed 8.5%, which is unexpected considering most of Urbain's beers have masterfully hidden alcohol. It's certain complex and unique, but in this case too many cooks may have spoiled the broth. Perhaps it is better in the bottles. I struggled through my one glass, and had no interested in refilling it.

Serving type: growler

06-16-2011 20:10:28 | More by MasterSki

AgentZero

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Chris aka spycow for sharing this with Alex and I at our BRUINS WIN! (and I don't care) get together.

A - Pours a brownish red color that ambers a little on the edges. Not much head on it and no stick on the sides.

S - Couldn't put my finger on it at first, but MasterSki is right, this smells like strawberry twizzlers. I'm not a big fan of twizzlers, particularly in my beer. Smells a bit harsh, with some cocoa and cherries and other weird fruit odors.

T - You can taste the currants, I think, it's some odd fruit. It's actually quite boozy, tastes like a hard mixed drink and has a spirit-alcohol taste. Some harsh phenolic yeast and a really bad finish. As it warmed up, it smelled worse, and started to taste a little better with the cocoa coming out, but the finish still killed it. Only reason I gave it a 3 instead of a 2 was that it's quite complex, although not real good.

M - Mouthfeel is actually fine, smooth, syrupy, somewhat active carbonation.

O - This beer is exceptionally hard to get down. I had one small glass and was done. I am horribly disappointed, and really had high hopes for this beer. It seems it's getting the Hellshire treatment from locals, or my tastebuds are just different from most other peoples'.

Serving type: growler

06-16-2011 16:19:22 | More by AgentZero

claaark13

Indiana

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shout out to Kayn169 on this one (growler). Edits have been made after a bottle serving.

A - I'm convinced that this category can be bogus. However, this beer poured fantastically from the growler. From a couple feet away, it appeared black. Upon closer review, the true colors of deep reddish brown came out. There was a thick, creamy head of about 1/2" that lowered to 1/4". Fantastic retention.

S - Although the smell was good, it was difficult to get. A little faint. Once I took a couple whiffs and then sipped and smelled again, the aroma got more prominent. It was good towards the end, but not very potent up front.

T - I got flavors similar to the beginning of an imperial brown or quad upfront. I think the slight sweetness made me think of the imperial brown, but overall I'd say quad. Cherries then began to smash the flavor. I had a tough time deciding what I thought about the fore-flavors because the cherries came on quickly. Red wine came to mind in the finish. Through the fist few sips, I was able to find the tartness of the cherries. However, it was not sour. I was finding more of the subtle tartness of a natural cherry than anything. As I drank, I began to appreciate that the cherries and natural tartness were there but not overpowering. Its a lot like if you were to take a drink of Rochefort, replace the bread flavor with cherries, and then ride the cherries out to the end. Although good, its lacking some complexity for the first few sips. So, so smooth though.

M - Good substance here. Moderate thickness with a creamy head. It was thick enough to make me happy and thin enough to make it drinkable. Great balance between the two for the "style".

O - Expectations aside, I was happy with the beer. I'd drink it regularly. Although the mellow cherry tartness is nice, I would enjoy something a little more sour here.

Serving type: growler

06-14-2011 04:46:44 | More by claaark13

laikom

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A – Poured a deep reddish brown with beautiful ruby glow. 1 inch head with minimal lacing which quickly fades.

S – Heavy malts and subtle cherry

T – A virtual rainbow of flavors. It started off malty, transitioned nicely to some subtly bitter hops. The hops were quickly overpowered by the tartness of the cherries and surprisingly a good flavor of the currants (I thought the cherries would stand out the most). The tartness was well balanced by the malts. I found the tartness to be well balanced with malty smoothness, not sweetness necessarily. I was led to believe this was going to be a sour beer, which is the only reason I did not rate it higher. I think it was (for some unknown reason) rushed and could have stood to age much longer with some extra bugs to sour up a bit.

M – Medium bodied, with decent carbonation.

O - Overall, very well balanced. A complex deep and flavorful brew, but refreshing enough to down a growler with another friend in one night and wonder if there’s more! I’ve always been a fan of Half Acre, and though it’s a collaboration this favorite Half Acre beer to date.

Serving type: growler

06-14-2011 04:05:53 | More by laikom

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

1.9/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

pour is murky dark brown with tan head. Nose is overly sweet with a messy malt. Plums, cherries, tobacco, peppery spice, lightly smoky meat. Taste is less smoky, more sweet, with a strange twang in the finish. Plums, cherries, faint leather, faint peppery spice, fairly dry finish, moderate carbonation and oily palate.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 14:32:36 | More by cpetrone84

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a beige head. Color is a caramel brown.

Aroma: Berries and cocoa. Some roasted malts. I have never had a carrot beer before, but knowing they are in here allows me to pick them out.

Taste: Cranberries, cherries, and carrots. Then a touch of chocolate malts. So many berries.

Mouthfeel: Fizzy. Light bodied with a high amount of carbonation. Ends roasted.

Overall, a unique beer with lots of berries. Too much carbonation as well. It's okay, but I don't want a lot of it.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 16:41:58 | More by mothman

Spider889

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours with no head. Reddish brown in color.

Fruity but tame. Getting some cranberry in the aroma. Sweet.

Tastes of light caramel. The fruit is subtle but there.

Medium/light body. Sweet and sticky.

Nice beer, but hype worthy? Nah... the label is easily the best aspect of the entire enterprise.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 20:16:56 | More by Spider889

UCLABrewN84

California

3.45/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared at FosterJM's birthday celebration.

Pours a murky brown with a dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is sour and tart with some fruity and spice aromas. Taste is the same with an emphasis on dark fruit flavors. This beer has a super high level of carbonation with an extremely prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the carbonation level is much too high.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 23:12:52 | More by UCLABrewN84

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bonus points for the imaginative and creative artwork on the label. The beer is hazy and chestnut brown in color with a ginormous tan head that leaves ample lacing on the glass. A bit over-carbonated.

Sweet fruit dominates the aroma. Currants followed by berries.

The flavor is lightly tannic, offering some oak character and a healthy serving of currants. Definitely more sweet than tart / sour. Alcohol presence is mild. A few ounces is plenty. This was fun to try, but not a big hit among the guys in the tasting group.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 22:48:13 | More by Huhzubendah

drabmuh

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by the other Matt, beer served in a snifter, Beer is brown and hazy with a thin tan head, low retention, the bottle artwork is sort of amazing really. No lacing.

Aroma is sweet, dark fruit, nice malt presence, smells nice.

Beer is a bit of a letdown, thin body, sweet on the finish, beer is just OK, mild dark fruits, prunes perhaps, an interesting beer but nothing too special. I doubt I'll have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 18:51:40 | More by drabmuh

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of Geist. Served in a snifter.

Pours a moderately dark brown with a really nice off white head and loads of lacing on the way down. Good cap throughout. The nose has some cherry and dark fruits. A bit of oxidation in the nose. The flavor corresponds with all of this and adds a bit of dark malt. Medium body with plenty of fruit; semi dry finish. Okay.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 20:28:37 | More by Thorpe429

sidetracked

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear, deep ruby brown with a good cream-colored head that lingers only as a ring around the glass.

Aroma is unripe cherries, currants, and tart raspberries with some bready yeast and toasted malt. Some raisin-like sweetness as it warms.

Upfront taste is tart fruitiness, currants and cranberries mixed with some fruity esters and Belgian yeast. Some light biscuity malt and cherry sweetness manage to cut through in the middle. Tart finish of unripe cherries, currants, and cranberries with some toasted malt. Light tartness lingers.

Medium body with high carbonation. Bubbly. Crisp finish. Seems appropriate.

A nice, tart fruit beer. Good, but nothing outstanding. Worth trying.

7/9/2011

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 18:11:10 | More by sidetracked

mdfb79

New York

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From 11/27/11 notes. Big thanks to the Chicago Group for sending this in the Group BIF. Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a tulip.

a - Pours a dark brown color with two inches of off white head and moderate carbonation evident. Lots of lacing on the glass.

s - Smells of sour cherries, currants, roasted malts, light spices. An interesting mix here, and the sour cherries dominate, which I kind of enjoy.

t - Tastes of sour cherries, currants, roasted malts. Less sour than the nose and more roasted malts, a slight step down for me.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall an interesting beer. I enjoyed the sour cherries in the nose, but would have liked more in the taste. Wouldn't seek it out again, and not Half Acre or De Struisse's best work.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 20:12:47 | More by mdfb79

iadler

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle split into two tulips.

A- Pours a dark brown with a reddish hue. A huge slightly off white head slowly dissipates leaving some nice sheets of lacing and a cap that sticks around.

S- Tart cherries, brown sugar, peppery spice, toffee, coffee beans, dark chocolate and some grass. An interesting aroma for sure.

T- Tart cherries emerge first, followed by some coffee, dark chocolate, toffee, and some earthy/spice notes. Finishes with some red grapes and bit of metallic taste.

M- Medium carbonation and body with a dark fruit sourness and metallic finish.

O- A decent beer that is certainly different, but nothing outstanding. The flavors seem to clash with each-other a bit and there is this metallic taste that is noticeable. Not one of my favorites from Half Acre.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 04:21:38 | More by iadler

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly darker then your normal ale. Lots of visible carbonation was evident from the start, chains of bubbles rippling up from the bottom of the glass. Lots of haze, literally made this opaque. Nice one inch thick white head receeded rather quicky leaving behind a thin film on top of the glass and a nice amount of lace drooping down the sides.

The smell was strong, and very fruity. Large hint of raspberry was readily apparent from the start. A very sugary aroma aroma was present as was a slight hint of grain in the back, slight hoppiness was present in the finsh, quite dry actually. Very smooth feel, great carbonation, led to that nice silky, bubbly light feeling. Overall the flavors were very very intense, and the fruit and hop flavors made the profile really jump out at you, and made it actually rather ejjoyable as the session wore on.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 14:54:03 | More by mikesgroove

axeman9182

New Jersey

2.28/5  rDev -36.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle, allowed to warm a little before being poured into my Brooklyn Brewery tulip.

Small Animal Big Machine pours a very dark maroon, approaching black, with plentiful ruby red highlights shining through. There's about three fingers of khaki colored foam topping the beer, and it displays good head retention. Lacing is barely there though. The nose has a little sugar, a little caramel, and a little cocoa to it. Cherry, and moreso currants dominate. It doesn't all come together well though, reminds me a bit of Coca Cola. The flavor is more of the same, heavy, almost metallic cola taste to it. I don't pick up more than a faint twinge of tartness, which for all I know could just be in my head because I was expecting some sour. The body is nice light, but the carbonation is way over the top and harsh. Small Animal Big Machine is a beer I was really looking forward to, which made the contents of the bottle all the more disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 04:14:36 | More by axeman9182

stxSS07

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber into a Duvel tulip.

A- Huge hiss/pop upon cracking this one open. Pours a dark brown with 3 fingers of pillowy, khaki head that hangs around forever. Leaves nice lacing.

S- Tart cherry and currant, sweet sugary malt, maybe a bit of an herbal medicinal note? Bit of toasted grain/mineral notes as well.

T- Again leads with tart cherry and currants, followed by a milk chocolate-like sweetness, sweet and toasty malts, and ends with a nice bready finish that lingers despite the carbonation. No detectable ABV.

M- Medium-light with high carbonation that attacks the palate. A bit too aggressive for my taste.

O- This is definitely a polarizing beer...I mean just look at the pDev. I happen to be on the side that thoroughly enjoys this brew. It combines elements of a sour, brown ale, and a porter that really clicks with me.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 04:45:57 | More by stxSS07

Arbitrator

California

1.43/5  rDev -60.4%
look: 1 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Chilled bottle into a glass, courtesy of lurchingbeast. Thanks, Frank!

A: Gusher. This thing basically converts to foam the moment it leaves the bottle, creating a billowing, 4" foam presence in my glass with just the barest hint of liquid beneath it. Ridiculous.

S: Cherries, spice, and a chalky, alcoholic note. It has a potpourri-like scent that I can't quite pinpoint, down to the woodsy note. Weird.

T: I imagine this is like drinking spiced potpourri juice. It has a tart/sour currant flavor backed by lots of must, with a yeast-cakey aftertaste. Weird adornment of spices, cherries, and green apples.

M: This beer is foam. All foam. 'Nuff said.

O: I didn't realize until I came up here to write this review that Struise was involved. That explains a lot; I think they're terrible, and I'm blaming Small Animal, Big Abomination on them.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 06:22:08 | More by Arbitrator

monitorpop

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown-ish red with a cream ring.

S: Sweet cherry.

T: Malt, Slightly sweet/tart ripe cherry.

M: Clean and smooth with a medium carbonation. No alcohol burn.

O: Unique ale with a nice cherry accent that improves as it warms up. Very drinkable. Plus, the best label art ever!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 13:32:06 | More by monitorpop

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a snifter.

Appearance: This pours an elegant cranberry brown color with lighter transparent edges. A beige head rises up to a nice level before gently fading to a thin film while leaving some nice lacing.

Smell: Actually fairly sweet. Ripe cherries and soft currants provide the fruit aromas, with some brown malt and light tartness.

Taste: This is much less sour than I was anticipating. The cherry flavor is strongest, with the currants a little bit in the background. The sweetness blends with a sweet bready brown malt flavor. A light tartness comes in toward the end, but it is very subdued.

Mouthfeel: Very lightly tartness creates salivation toward the end of each sip. It is lightly sticky and creates a resiny coat on the inside of my mouth. The carbonation is smooth and controlled, with a medium body.

Overall: This was sweeter that I would have liked. Although it had a number of different flavors, I would have preferred it to be more sour.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 04:17:20 | More by KickInTheChalice

readbaron

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to KickInTheChalice for sharing this one.

Dark, reddish brown, the color of plum skins. Tan head, 2 fingers, then it fades into a small ring. No lacing.

Smell is intriguing. Good - but odd. Cherries, currents overwhelm the rest of the nose. Maybe a bit of malt and earthiness underneath. A bit boozy.

Taste is equally interesting - fairly sweet. Cherries & currants are present, some sweetness as well. Simpler than the nose.

Mouthfeel is good. Well carbonated, a bit creamy, and a bit sticky.

Overall - pretty good beer. Not at all what I expected, not sour at all, and quite unusual, but still pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 03:57:37 | More by readbaron

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to lurchingbeast for sending this in a recent trade.

Pours a hazy dark ruby color with mahogany edges and a 1.5 finger light beige head.  Good retention slow fading into a lasting ring.  Spotty lace left behind.

Interesting aroma with hints of roasted dark malt and vinous dark fruit.  Slightly somkey and chalky with hints of cocoa and caramel followed by a bunch of sweet fruit notes.  Hints of grape, cherry,  plum and dark berries.

Medium bodied with some tight carb up front and some dry roasted malt that lingers into a dry finish while being countered by the sweeter dark fruit notes.  Toasty with hints of cocoa, caramel and roasted coffee countered by hints of grape, dark cherry, plum and other dark berries.  Slightly chalky with a dry finish.  Lots of boozy sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 02:28:15 | More by corby112

cosmicevan

New York

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

picked this one up on release day at the brewery. been looking forward to having this since that day. hurricane irene seemed like the right night.

a - opened and filled my duvel tulip. glass poured with almost all head. liquid was a deep reddish brown.

s - cherries and booze. some candied sugar.

t - nice and sour with a chunky fruity kick. again, boozy. spicy. a little nutmeg sweetness. has a bit of the belgian struise flavor characteristics. kind of sweet tartish. dark chocolate covered fruit. mostly cherry.

m - lots of carbonation, a bit thicker than i expected. has a bit of a flanders vibe...a bit fizzy...a bit sour. aftertaste leaves a bit of a grimace on my face.

o - overall, i was hoping for more with this beer. i don't find it to be as bad as most people are saying, but certainly not a MUST try kind of beer. mostly sour cherries with some struise flavoring in the mix.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 01:38:26 | More by cosmicevan

Soonami

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to ThoreauLikeAGirl for sharing this bottle.

SABM sounded like a flanders red from the description, but it is not. It looked pretty good, a rusty red with a little film of foam. One taste and it was not nearly as sour as expected or desired. There are a lot of dried currant fruit flavor, there is no funky, just a little lactic acidity. The beer has a metallic, phenolic finish. A disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 22:25:08 | More by Soonami