Magnumus Ete Tomahawkus ESB³ - Rock Art Brewery

mshallah

New Hampshire

4.72/5  rDev +24.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Orange beer with a 3 finger sized head and very sticky lace. Looks like my kind of brew.
S-Strawberry-kiwi snapple nose. No...really. There are no alcohol aromas in this 8%abv beer.
T-Sweet grapefruit citrusy hop on top. Strawberry-kiwi fruitiness underneath. A very sweet and sticky juicy malt surrounds with lip smackin' goodness. Very balanced and delicious. Hop bitterness builds as you drink to add to the sweetish finish.
M-Medium creamy ale mouthfeel for a session appeal.
D-Wonderful aftertaste. The strawberry-kiwi flavor and aroma is so unique I can't get enough. A well crafted, big american ESB of balanced complexity. One of my alltime favorites.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2007 17:25:37 | More by mshallah

Applesauce1

Virginia

4.63/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on-tap at The Independent in Somerville, MA, while visiting my friend in Boston.

Appearance: hazy, copper-orange with a nice white 1/2" white head on the pour

Smell: hops and lots of them

Taste: hops dominate with a tinge of some caramel malt in the background....good balance though

Mouthfeel: medium to full body

Drinkability: goes down well for being pretty high in alcohol....could do two glasses of this in a night

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2008 13:08:13 | More by Applesauce1

scottum

Vermont

4.6/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wow! Pours an amber with a white headskie. Wow! So crisp, so smooth, so mouthsmacking good with all the salvation anyone would ever need to know about. This beer kinda just jumped out of the ground and said it was the new thing to drink in our land of Vermont. Yum! Yum! Yum!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2006 00:19:40 | More by scottum

DevilDogBeer

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rock Art Magnumus ete Tomahawkus ESB3 poured a great amber color with a little haze indicative of the bottle conditioned beer. The beer poured with an off-white head that had great lacing and stayed for the duration of the beer. The smell was nice and hoppy with floral and citrus notes giving the greatest bouquet. The taste was exceptional; the floral hops hit the front of the tongue with a pleasant hop bite that mellowed in to a citrusy aftertaste. The mouthfeel was smooth but not heavy. The alcohol was not detectable in the taste of this strong ESB making it very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2007 02:22:44 | More by DevilDogBeer

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

4.45/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rock Art- Magnumus Ete Tomahawkus

A- Deep cloudy brownish orange with a big thick ringed lacing head.
S- Strong pine hops with a sugary citrus and sweet caramel backbone.
T- Thick sweet caramel malt which quickly is overpowered by an even sweeter citrus and pine hoppiness. Very sweet throughout.
M- Starts of malty but the hops take over and dominate. Very smooth and sweet. Alc. well hidden.

Overall- Smoother than I was expecting and too easy to drink. Awesome beer, and my favorite from Rock Art!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2009 21:24:36 | More by NJpadreFan

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.4/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, served in a pint glass.

A - murky, orange/amber color with a big, fluffy beige head that settled down to a layer of foam in a few minutes, leaving lots of lacing on the glass.

S - almost sweet smelling, citrus hop aroma, very pleasant.

T - very good bitter tasting brew, exactly what I came for.

M - medium bodied with very crisp carbonation.

D - I had no problem knocking off a bomber and could have gone for at least one more.

Final Note: after reading some of the reviews of this beer, maybe I was the lucky guy who got a really fresh bottle of this stuff? I thought it was delicious and I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 21:31:31 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

Billolick

New York

4.35/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bomber, no freshness dating, pours lightish, washed out amber, cloudy, with a nice looking, tiny bubble, egg shell head, leaving plenty o' fine, scattered lacing. Nose is of boldly mild British style hops. Flavorful, hoppy Brit style creation, interesting, complex, quite dry stuff. Nice job here by Rock Art. Probably the best one of theirs I've tried. Not quite a double IPA, as others have suggested, more of a double ESB. What ever you want to call it, I like it.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2006 04:58:02 | More by Billolick

plinymafia

Vermont

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First of all, it's not esb^3 it's esb^2. Second of all, this may be the best of the best in bottled VT bombers. Nothing McNeils produces can touch the flavor this beer leaves on the palate. Anything from Long Trail, Magic Hat & Wolaver's (Otter Creek), simply don't compare, and should all bow to this absolute monster. All in all a great beer, and vastly overlooked. (Hill Farmstead not included, as, they don't really bottle yet)

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 21:10:27 | More by plinymafia

lpayette

Vermont

4.3/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22oz bomber. 80 IBUs 8.0% ABV

Appearance- Light to medium amber. Small head, but good lacing.

Smell- The small head makes this hard to smell, but sweet amber or caramel? malt and evidently english hops dominate the nose. A touch of honey tops the whole thing off.

Taste- If this is really and ESB, then it's one of the best tasting I've had. Well balanced malts and hops, but they are both bold. Caramel is followed by a bitterness and grapefruit taste. Hints of honey. Finally there is a delicate mist of smoke. Slightly grainy. An intense ESB, very interesting.

Mouthfeel- Medium-bodied. Low carbonation, but ample for the style. Slightly crisp, and almost smooth.

Drinkability- Very easy to drink. Sessionable. Reminds me just a bit of a DFH 90 minute IPA that has been tuned down.

I think that Rock Art is onto something here- an interesting twist in the way that this brew is marketed as opposed to their normal offerings, and a bigger and bolder taste to match.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2007 23:44:40 | More by lpayette

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, translucent honey color. Lots of slow moving bubbles emanating from the glass bottom--must be thick. Medium white bubbley head with good retention. Minor lace spattering up top.

Smells of floral, earthy hop and poundcake.

Thick, pineapple birthday cake malt hits first then gives rise to a springy floral hop bouquet with honey and jasmine. Very balanced and very refreshing for something so strong (both abv and ibu). Mouthfeel is thick and relaxing, I almost want to just hold it in my mouth for awhile. Aftertaste lingers just long enough to beg for another sip. Overall this beer rocks my socks.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2009 03:34:39 | More by donkeyrunner

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a deep orange/amber color, with a large foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a think lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of floral hops, caramelized malts and some citrus.

T: The taste starts with a strong burst of hops bitterness that is quickly followed by some citrus and caramel sweetness. Although the sweetness isn't that strong, if the label didn't tell me otherwise I would think this beer was a 2IPA. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and there's a good balance. The after-taste is slightly bitter and hoppy.

M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean and dry.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, not too filling, good kick, nice representation of style, this is a good stronger than average beer with some good substance to it that makes it worth drinking for a long time.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2009 01:20:19 | More by TheManiacalOne

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Apperance: Into a pint glass comes a dark copper with hazy orange hues around the edges. On top is a very thick almost marshmellowy head that has great head rentention. Upon thinning out it leaves behind thick lacing.

Aroma: Quite a bang of citrusy hops lots of grapefruit notes. Subtle simple syrup notes. On the malt end of it there is a trail of bready sweetness in the back.

Taste: As sharp bite of citrus and piney bits. Caramelized sugars from the malts that gives it a little bit of a crisp mouthfeel yet still has a stickyness to it. The finish is pleasant and smooth with the subtleist bit of dryness.

Notes: This is my first offering from Rock Art a good find and a good one pick up again. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2010 23:16:20 | More by horshack7

FLAbeergutinMASS

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer has the unfortunate duty of having to be my third reviewed Rock Art beer, when the first two did not earn above a "3" rating. They did a fair good job with this one, but in no way have they completely redeemed themselves.

Very fruity nose, kind of a smoky after bite as well. I've often had a little bit of difficulty distinguishing the effects of hops on a hopped up beer and an ESB. To me this one is very hopped up, and bitter.

A pretty heavy beer, definitely not a session beer, but very good.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2007 02:38:43 | More by FLAbeergutinMASS

EPseja

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served from a 22oz. bottle in a pint glass at just below cellar temperature.

A - Vibrant orange and gently hazed with a creamy off-white head that instantly grabs hold of the glass sides and digs in for a ride down the sides of the glass. Head retains well, and lacing comes in sheets.

S - A pretty standard big-hop profile with leanings toward the juicy citrus side rather than the pine side. Malts are unassuming, and just barely able to carry the weight of the big green cones. Nice, but nothing out of the ordinary.

T - Just when you expect to be bashed in the face with hops, you get a very pleasant repreive. Up front is a mild, English malt sweetness with nice undertones of baked goods and light caramel. In the middle, the hops join in the fun, but play nicely with the muffins to create a very pleasant balance. After the muffins go to bed, the hops stay out late and party on the back of your tongue, taking turns sliding down your drying throat into your belly, where a gentle alcohol glow awaits. Not nearly as extreme as the label might have you think, but excellently balanced.

M - Hangs just over the "watery" fence on the "slick" side where it belongs. Gentle puff in the mouth and a great, throat coating finish with little gassiness. Excellent!

D - Given things like the word "Extreme" and "ESB3", I was expecting to be blasted with a crazy, uber hop beer like everybody and their mother seems to be creating nowadays, precariously balanced on the brink of a gustatory cliff. Instead, I was presented with a genuinely tasty and super enjoyable ESB that, even though it uses a heavy-handed dose of hops, allows the malts to have a say in it's direction and character. My suggestion? Next time, let the "super-colossal, big, bold, and brash, you're-not-worthy, crazy and kooky" marketing bandwagon pass you up by creating a not-so-misleading label and let this well-crafted beer speak for itself.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2007 01:02:07 | More by EPseja

Casey10

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I really liked this one perhaps I was just in the mood I don't know it's big sticky and floral. I just really like this one.

A - Dark golden hazy pour with a thin head.

S - slight pine reminds me of a bit of a barleywine type smell.

T - Maybe it's just me love the sticky floral taste of this it's a bit sweet but so what thats what I was looking for in this style.

M - Sticks with you resiny some pine.

D - Will definately have again. Not a bad price for a bomber either.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 02:30:18 | More by Casey10

JayQue

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Interesting mix. Mild bitter English ale meets mad California hoppy brewing!!!!

This is like" ESB meets DIPA" and it works. Pours a hazy apricot color with a big frothy , slightly off-white head and good thick lacing. ARoma is fairly mild but you know there is hoppy goodness coming up!!!

Taste starts out like a good ESB, flavorful, malty and slightly bitter. Then a good blast of hops bitterness kicks in and remains till the end. I am not familiar witn Mgnum or Tomahawk hops but they are not as citrusy or piney as the big three "C" hops favored by West Coast brewers. This is an interesting and tasty combination.

Mouthfeel is rich, crisp and slightly oily, no hint of alcohol. Drinkability is very good considering the abv. I sipped the whole bottle myself and enjoyed every drop. Another winner from Rock ARt!!

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 13:49:36 | More by JayQue

cavedave

New York

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice cloudy caramel color, topped by a finger of beige head, and some streaky lace on the glass.

Smell is bready caramel, rounded yeast, some really fragrant floral and herbal bitter. Nice.

Marvelous taste. It starts bready and caramel/toffee, quickly picking up some tart yeast which carries into a decreasingly sweet, increasingly complex, and tasty finish of floral, herbal bitter, and even a bit of spicy hop and citrus pith. Very clean taste, nice slow motion appearance of the flavors on palate, finish gets even drier as it warms.

Mouthfeel is tastefully low carb., medium side of full bodied for style, and an excellent finish.

I love this style, and I could drink this one until ice forms on the equator of Venus.

Impression: One of the better ESB's out there, get this if you can, you won't be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 19:53:33 | More by cavedave

beerphan

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

** My bottle says ESB2 also.**

22oz brown bomber -> american pint
no date

Pour bubbles over off a medium pour. Let it sit for a bit and did a slow pour. Thick pungent head pulsates with life as it dwindles to thick clumpy pillow of lace. Appears a clouded pale orange with golden highlights. Ringed patches of sticky lace. Carbonation appears abundant and rapid.

Nose: Grassy funk. A nice balance between hops and malts lets each stand out as the beer is drank. Dank tobacco?

Thick juicy body. Thick malts base with a touch of burnt smokiness from those abundant malts. Hops are large and balance this beer with an aggressive bitterness that lingers. Grassy, herbal and bitter, what a great compliment to the expanded malts.

Imperial ESB anyone? Swap out the hops for Cascade and Columbus, and I'd give it an American Imperial ESB, Rock Art you reading this :)

Picked this and few other Rock Art beers up in VT for the Phish Phlood benefit show. Glad I got this one for sure. Get it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 19:06:08 | More by beerphan

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This came with a fluffy, light-tan head. The color was a very cloudy (unfiltered, I was told) deep-amber. The nose was rich with hops, accompanied by a lightly malty sweetness. The mouthfeel was medium, with a piney, sticky, resinous (hey, what am I reviewing here?) hop presence. This is the type of beer that will remind even a novice as to which family of plants from which the hop is derived. I was further told that you have to like Tomahawk hops, or you will be sucking wind before your first sip. The disclaimer on the bottle said it all. Yes, I had it on tap, but I also looked at the bottle. The finish was where the malt really came in. Tasty? Oh, yeah, for a hophead. More? Well, at 8% ABV, I had to go easy.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2006 13:45:37 | More by woodychandler

geexploitation

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a darkish, cloudy amber with a decent sized head that fades to a collar with a bit of dusting. The nose is full of earthy English hops, alongside some cinnamon spice and zesty caramel malts. The overall aromatic impression is one of dryness. On the palate, sweet caramel malts with an orange tinge give way to hop bitterness at the mid-palate and a dry finish. The hops are rather piney, but they also have a funk that fits in well with the malts. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a bit of alcoholic hotness, and brash-but-not-overdone hop oils. This is a fair interpretation of an "double" ESB -- hoppy and malty at the same time, but retaining drinkability. One of the better Rock Art brews.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2006 03:43:33 | More by geexploitation

jjayjaye

New York

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a shade lighter than amber with a huge stiff foamy straw colored head that fades in a rocky pattern to gobs of 3D lacing. The smell is first an aggressive toasted lager malt with a flowery pine resin aroma . The back half is slightly clouded and notably fragrant. Medium-full bodied, the mouth feel is nice. A constant stream of effervescence in this SA Perfect Pint, its adequately carbonated and there is a nice creamy texture offset by a warming hoppy character. Full flavored, the toasted malty taste laced with a bitter resin flavor lingers appropriately. Didn't know what to expect, but its a nice drinker. The 8% ABV is warming, but not the least bit distracting. Really glad that i had the opportunity to sample this one. Looking forward to visiting Morrisville, VT.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2007 23:08:42 | More by jjayjaye

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz into .5l Swiss Boot. 8&, 80 IBUs.

A- Incredible head on a golden, tawny, orangey beer. Caramel in color. Head lasts for days, took about 5 minutes to pour a full glass. Lacing from the pour and all the way down; spectacular.

S- Hops on parade! Judging by the name, it's a safe bet that Tomahawk hops are the main note. Piny, resiny, very octane-like in aroma.

T- Wow. Bitter doesn't even begin to describe this. Hops are overpowering, choking, strangling my tongue. Malt profile is pretty hefty to counterbalance and pretty sweet. Does a nice job playing between the two, with the hops coming through in the end. Peppery, pine sap, resin, and maple sugar malt. Interesting. Like a DIPA mixed with a barleywine.

M- Scathing from the hops... but I'm a sucker for that kinda feeling. I like it. Medium body, decent carbonation. Solid all the way around.

D- Moderate, but enjoyable. I think this is one 'ell of a beer, with major points for style and originality. Rock Art has really started to impress me. Not sure if I'd call it a triple bitter, but it's a malty DIPA with some fantastic hops. I'll be buying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2009 23:03:28 | More by ShogoKawada

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Yep, it's the color of an ESB with minimal head and mild carbonation. Pours a copper color.

S - Mild toffee biscuit malt, some citrus, and not much else going on.

T - Much better than the aroma. This beer packs a big pine, ruby grapefruit, orange, floral punch. Starts out with a slight malt zing and then immediately moves into a huge wall of bitterness. The bitterness aspect is mostly resinous, it's huge, not your grandfather's ESB -it's an ESB on 'roids. Very unbalanced.

M - Gentle on the tongue, heavy medium body, a little slick on the tongue with a very dry finish and an alcohol forward effervescence.

D - I love it but unless you're a hop head, you'll be shaving your tongue.

I want another bottle of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 02:13:23 | More by jzeilinger

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Julio's, Marlboro, MA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" white head over the slightly cloudy amber brew. Head holds acceptably, with coating lace. Aroma is nutty malt with a light piney hop note. Flavor shows the same ample nutty grains upfront, and balancing and more so hoppy bitterness to follow, with some citrus as well. Mouthfeel is smooth and soft, and drinkability is great. Nice one here from Rock Art, hope it becomes a more regular offering.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2006 00:09:45 | More by ppoitras

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

ESB x 3

AP: A semi-cloudy copper/amber color with a bubbly but thin and a scattered head that eventually recedes to a thick ring around the edge with little delicate designs in the bubbly cap.

Nose: A strong sweet-fruit and citrus (lemmons for sure) hop scent upfront and a semi-sweet malt scent underneath. This has the nose of an double IPA with a slightly stronger malted scent.

Taste: Triple ESB...very interesting indeed, this one tastes much like a Double IPA with it's fruity effects but this also displays some hearty, wheatie, caramalized malted flavors as well.

MF: Medium body, crispy feeling and rather substantial feel on the palate.

DA: 8.0 % ABV hits pretty hard after the second 20 oz'er!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2006 20:30:16 | More by GratefulBeerGuy