Rapscallion Premier - Rapscallion

kirbsicles

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

While at the Blues & Brews Festival today I stumbled upon this amazing brew. I thought nothing of it at first since many of the beers at the event were ordinary, but once I tasted the rare Premier Ale from Rapscallion I was delightfully surprised. This beer was easily the best beer at the event, and I suggest that any Belgian beer fan try this brew. Again, I would like to commend Rapscallion on this delicious beer! Hopefully it will be available in the North Shore.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2009 23:17:51 | More by kirbsicles

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Maybe its just me, but I was reallly, really impressed with this beer. It was my first taste of Rapscallion, which I think is only available here in Massachusetts right now. It was served in a large "snifter" type glass which definately brought out some intense aromas. The color was a sandy blonde color with an unfiltered hue to it. The taste blew me away, just so much flavor. It was malty, hoppy and citrusy all at once. It had a smooth texture that was a little heavy on the tongue but overall just right. An outstanding beer all around.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2003 13:59:58 | More by indiapaleale

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Plain label stating Artisanal Golden Beer on Lees with an illegible Bretrak number. WTF! Plain bottle cap.
Golden cloudy apricot orange hues under a tight spumescent cloudy antique white one finger head. Suspended scrod chunkies floating in this brew. Lattice lace slicks down the glass.

Apricots and citrusy lemony scents pervade the nose.

Huge carbonated foamy sizzle coats me tongue. Yeasty apricots and bready body are the prevalent characteristics in the taste. Complex flavors dominate the intriguing adventure. Clean crisp fruitiness and easy sweet hops create a totally unique flavor. After a bit of warming, the awl-kee-hawl scents pervade, eventually even some phenolics pop out. Jeese, gimmie another minute and it might develop into wine! Ooops…all gone. Can I have another?

Last swigs: This would be an excellent cellar ager, I imagine. Me like. Almost a Belgian due to the quality of yeast, carbonation and hops. What a great beer! One of the best I’ve enjoyed in a long time. Received through a BA trade. Reminds me of when my Grandma makes an orange cake with actual orange peel pieces in the cake. I can’t help but mention CHIMAY in comparison. I will definitely seek this beer again.

Beer (on lees) is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2004 04:51:11 | More by blitheringidiot

pezoids

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was a pleasant treat of a beer. Pale and hazy golden orange in color. A beautiful and large creamy white head topped this beer off. There was a snotty looking floater hovering just under the head - I hope it's yeast!

The aroma is very appealing. Fruity, soft sweet like nectar, with oranges, apples, apricots and even some grape juice. The taste is equally appealing. Very much tangy and has a bitter fruitiness. There's an apple cider tartness in the finish. Overall, I think this is a beautifully crafted beer. Light to medium in body, with a sharp fruit tang in the finish. An awesome beer.

Thanks to Paceyourself and BIF4 for this treat!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2004 19:26:48 | More by pezoids

Longstaff

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The bottle version is out. 4 pack of bottles packaged with its own glass (big brandy snifter with Rapscallion logo and graphic). No description of the beer and no drink by date on the bottle. But instead there is a brewtrak # where you can go to their website and look up the details about that particular batch - pretty cool to see the brewers notes.

Batch # 1622
Pours with a half inch head that dissapates down to a thin layer that floats on top of the awesome looking, crystal clear, dark golden -almost reddish body. Smell is a little dissapointing - wheatish, apple cider like with almost a lager yeast aroma(phenols?). The magic of the brew is in the delicate yet complex flavors of apple, pear, and pineapple at first, followed by a soft grainy flavor and earthy hops. Hops are not overbearing but has a dry-hopped characteristic. I love the lingering aftertaste of the grainy pale malt on the front and middle of the tounge while the hops dance around the back of the tounge and mouth. Very easy to drink and after each glass, I wanted another. A little pricey compared to other belgian ales like Ommagang, Allagash, or even Unibroue.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2002 09:08:13 | More by Longstaff

yankeeheel

Maine

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a beautiful golden coppery-orange with a gorgeous puffy three finger white head. Little traces of yeast fizz awat their destiny. Looking up through the bottom og th chalice I can see the beer reflected in the bubbles. Just heavenly looking.

Smells nicely sweet with a little ester edge.

This is what a great balanced beer should taste like. Lots of big malty sweetness up front. Caramel, toffee, and a hint of butterscotch. Then the flavor turns a little nutty. Then after a long malt kick you get a rush of hop bitterness to finish it off. Well done.

Mouthfeel is moderate and this is easily drinkable to many. Not just a beer for beer geeks.

This is fairly stellar stuff IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2004 00:30:46 | More by yankeeheel

AllThingsNinja

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I enjoyed tasting this brew on cask at NERAX. The appearance was impressive, as the golden orange brew grabbed the dim light from the VFW hall and shimmered. The hop nose was interesting, but not the beer's strongest point. I enjoyed the melange of flavors. It was buttery, nutty and had subtle fruit flavors as a backbone. This full-bodied ale had a crisp, dry finish and a bit of an alcohol flavor. It's a wee bit strong for a blonde, but I'm not going to take off points there.

Serving type: cask

05-11-2004 00:58:16 | More by AllThingsNinja

Hibernator

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Rapscallion Premier was served into a goblet out of a 12 oz brown bottle. The brewtrack # is 1632 (I think, its smudged).

The appearance is golden orange with a striking head and beautiful lacing.

This brew smells sweet. Mix of fruit and citrus.

The taste is syrupy and sweet. Serious carbonation is present in every sip. This beer is complex with juicy flavors and a crisp finish.

This brew has Belgian origins all over it. Another winner from the Rapscallion series at the Concord brewery in Concord, MA.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2004 23:43:46 | More by Hibernator

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased a four pack with the proper drinking goblet included. I had tried this beer at the brewery after one of their Saturday tours. The head was small and didn't seem to last. The smell is sweat and gentle and is a beautiful cloudy golden color. Well balanced and full of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2002 19:05:21 | More by CharlesRiver

twelvsies

Maine

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a great Belgian style brew. Poured into a snifter at the Moan and Dove in Amherst, this one looks like a treat. Puffy head with lots of swiss-cheesy holes in it. Smells almost like milk or English tea, with a dash of dirt, in a good way. It tastes very creamy and sweet, but I can still taste that musty dirty flavor, very complex. Smooth and sweet going down the hatch, very drinkable. It's a keeper.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2004 05:02:19 | More by twelvsies

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served chilled in a chalice. Poured a pale amber in color. Decent carbonation that gave the beer a thin head. It congealed to form a dense circle in the meddle of the glass. No lace. The taste was sweet from the malts. Caramel apples. Cloves. But the hops balanced out nicely. The aroma came through as mildly bitter hops, and that also very noticeable in the beer's finish. The mouthfeel was quite happily crisp. Very good overall (definitely one of my new favorites) and would definitely pick up another beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2005 02:21:46 | More by MuddyFeet

tastybeer

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Glowing fairly clear, golden orange with a two finger white head atop. A few bits of sediment are evident. Very nice color and some spotty lace. A white ring remains after the fine bubbly head fades. Smells of sugary fruits, bubble gum, with mild sweet soft malts. Refreshingly spicey and floral. Taste is soft and sweet as well. Cloves, fruit, herbal and floral hops, honey, toasted bread, and bubble gum. Great smooth carbonation gives way to the variety of (very well balanced) flavors. There is a very mild sense of spicey alcohol that occasionally makes a welcome appearance. Mouthfeel is smooth and delicate. Very drinkable in my book. What food to have with this remains a mystery for me. My boyfriend made some popcorn and though I had to hide from the smell to review this, the addition of butter seemed to compliment the candy-like fruits, honey, and toasty malts.

Certainly worth the while.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2006 03:40:25 | More by tastybeer

UnionMade

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a hazy orangey amber, with a giant off white head. Poor retention, despite the legion of bubbles rapidly working to maintain it.
The aroma is sweet and authentically belgian. Sugary malts, with tons of fruitiness. A touch of caramel mixed in with the candi sweetness. Hints of pear, grape, and peach. A faint whiff of alcohol. No apparent hopping.
Flavor is an explosion of malts. Very well done, with a pleasant sparkly texture to the mouthfeel. Lots of complexity in the esters. Giant sweet floral fruitiness, a mix of pear, peach, grape, and maybe a touch of strawberry. A little bit of astringency, and a mild alcohol bite at the end. Some alcoholic warmth down the throat, with a lasting malty sweet aftertaste.
I had this a long time ago, and I didn't like it nearly as much as I did this evening. One of the better american brewed belgian beers, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2003 05:19:06 | More by UnionMade

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from a 4-pack (with glass) from Yankee Spirits, MA. Brewtrack code is possibly 624.

Poured into Rapscallion glass, formed a fluffly 1"+ beige head above the dark amber/light copper brew. Nose consists of Belgian pale malts and slight fruit essences. Taste is upfront with the pale malts, and then expands voluminously in the mouth with the fruits portended by the aroma. Another great Rapscallion. Mouthfeel is excellent, and drinkability is good as well. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2004 23:44:38 | More by ppoitras

JasonCoop

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

poured into the rapscallion snifter. a very nice hazy gold color. nice head too. good looking.

smell - very buttery, little caramel and honey. ginger. some hops but the smell is predominantly buttery

the taste is extremely smooth. very very laid back, and a lot like it smells. very buttery and i swear, some ginger. hops round it out but don't bite, just very smooth.

mouthfeel is creamy and light, very nice. couldn't ask for something smoother. drinkability is ok. i don't usually drink too many of a beer that is so creamy.

overall very good. a nice sweet ale with good hops. i definitely prefer the rapscallion blessing brew, but this on is pretty good. probably just a preference in style.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2005 05:03:48 | More by JasonCoop

skynxnex

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured out of a brown bottle with an unread Brewtrack number into a Rapscallion snifter. A pretty dark golden color, with slight chill haze and some suspended protein/yeast. Fine bubbles rise to the surface. The head isn't quite what I expected--about one finger--but perhaps I didn't pour it quite strong enough. Lacing lasts throughout, but is slightly watery.

Nose is bready, touch of alcohol with some sweetness. Slight citrus fruit. Taste is similar, sweet slight hop flavor and bittness there. Surpisingly clean tasting, but still complex yeast esters come through. Very interesting, and quite drinkable, hybrid beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2007 20:52:00 | More by skynxnex

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on 9/18 at Not Your Average Joe's in Watertown
poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours a visibly carbonated, translucent deep copper color with a white film of a head. No lacing to speak of.

S: Nose is of honey, coriander, and yeast.

T: Taste starts with strong coriander and pepper flavoring and then moves in to a yeast and biscuity flavor. Lemon zest then moves in with the yeast and holds through the finish.

M: Light to medium body, high carbonation, crisp feel with a sticky finish.

D: Goes down easily, nice kick, not too filling, and a nice representation of style. I could have a few of these any given day.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2010 00:51:52 | More by Jayli

rbd13

Rhode Island

4.25/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice golden color with visible carbonation, two finger head fades fast and leaves light lacing on the glass.
Smells of sweet banana and sugars.
Flavors of sweet light fruits and spice, banana, cloves and lingering white pepper.
Medium / light body, tingling sensation with a lingering refreshing finish.
Very easy drinking considering the ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2011 02:31:42 | More by rbd13

edchicma

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Beautiful large, long lasting head...nice amber yellow color...flowery and fruity elements in the smell..Very nice tart taste on the tongue with some alcohol elements. Medium mouthfeel with crispness that was satisfying. Tasted like it was 6.7 abv....This beer would probably be even better in the winter time..wil revisit when the snow flies. This beer was a bit different than others I have tried, so another tasting to give a better review will also be in order.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2003 22:37:30 | More by edchicma

ipogios

Cyprus

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A big thank you flies out to rosebud for sending me this beer. Pours a beautiful amber colour topped by a rich thick head that sits quite fast leaving lace on the glass. This Ale is quite sweet with hints of honey. Very smooth and well balanced this beer is one of the finest Ales i've tried so far.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2003 06:14:40 | More by ipogios

radshoesbro

California

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured a deep golden color with a good head that left very little lacing. smelled very sweet on the nose with hints of malts and alcohol. the taste is basically what i expected. sweet with hints of fruits, maybe even candy. when i licked my lips i could definately taste the alcohol, but not as much as when it was actually in my mouth. sort of weird. another great beer from concord!

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2005 03:29:49 | More by radshoesbro

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is yet another beer that I always see, but never get. Actually, this is the first Rapscallion beer I have tried, but not the first Concord beer I have tried. Anyway, it poured a nice amber color (blonde ale?) with a small head that faded away quickly. Smell was pretty malty, with lots of candied sugar and fruit. A fair amount of spice came through in the aroma as well. Taste was incredibly juicy at first, then faded into a more herbal tea esq kind of presence. Mouthfeel was medium in body. A very drinkable beer we have here. I'm a little confused by their calling it a blonde ale though, in that it tastes much more like a Belgian Strong Pale to me. It reminds me a great deal of Pranqster by North Coast Brewing (another awesome beer). I guess it doesn't matter much what it is labelled as. Just another great beer to try. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2007 00:27:32 | More by jamie2dope

gfreed

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Consumed last in a short string of surprisingly bad beers at the normally well-informed Cambridge Common, this saved the evening in terms of beer drinking. Built along the lines of Duvel but a tad thinner and fluffier, there's an adequate supply of nutmeg and bananas and yeastiness, none overpowering the other but instead playing nicely in the tulip. Dry finish; actually quite dry all around yet still presents malty qualities that give it a good sturdy base. Not as rich as the Belgian ales on which it is modeled, but a good beer to have in the neighborhood.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2011 13:23:54 | More by gfreed

danadeny

Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Bukowski's in Boston. Served in a huge rapscallion brand snifter. I was disturbed that of the huge snifter only 1/4 was filled with beer, 3/4 head. I let it settle, to about 1/2 and 1/2, but still for the price I expected a little more beer. The body was a clear medium brown, I could see though to the other side of the glass. It smells very floral and spring like, very refreshing. The flavor is of sweet malt blended with floral hops. Nothing bitter here. The mouth feel is watery which leads to a high drinkablility. Overall a very smooth sweet malt and floral hops blended perfectly together, each of equal power.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2004 12:33:55 | More by danadeny

clvand0

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light amber color with a medium head and leaves a little lacing on the glass. Aromas of corriander and spices and some citrus. Nice. The flavor is much the same as the aroma. Lots of spices and corriander and some citrus make it very nice. Well made brew here. The mouthfeel is moderate and the drinkability is good.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2005 22:11:27 | More by clvand0