Big Bison Ale - Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling Co.

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.08/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Never saw this in Mizzou, but pick it up at Biergarten in Jenks, OK USA!

Pours a slightly hazed orange/caramel with 2 fingers of cream colored head. Sheets of lacing & impressive head retention, never cleared up all the way

S: Nice whiskey notes, not much else

T: Oakyness, figs, dryness, a touch of vanilla & charcoal up front. Smooth whisky mixes with a bit of pear, plum & cherry as this warms, a little bit of taffy nibbling at the edges. Finishes oaky, with vanilla, cherry & a bit of sour mash

MF: Medium bodied, over carbonated for the style, but kind of helps with the big flavor profile, warming. Carbonation mellows out as this warms past cellar temp somewhat

An enjoyable tipple, but the dubbel aspect is getting steamrolled by the barrel aging. Easily the best beer I've had from these guys. I only bought this because Freddy ( the proprietor at the Biergarten) endorsed this. He did me right!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:51:44 | More by russpowell

dtivp

West Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured a clear reddish copper with a two finger foamy tan head, very good retention with heavy lacing.

Aroma of dark fruit, spice and malt.

Taste the sweet plums, raisins, with hints of caramel, malt and a slight spice finish.

Mouth Feel was medium body, light carbonation, crisp and smooth with a nice sweet, spice balance.

Overall a very nice beer, I wouldn't classify it as a dubbel,however, it was a very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:53:16 | More by dtivp

Minkybut

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this new beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was a nice amber color and poured a really nice tight packed head that was tan in color. The beer smelled a little sweet but did not taste so. Alcohol while over 7% did not affect the taste of the beer like sometimes can happen. A very nice beer that I would drink again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 13:55:24 | More by Minkybut

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

No date. Fizzy head leaving some splotchy lacing. Fairly subdued on the nose: some sweet dark malty breadiness. Flavor is stronger, with dark dried fruit and caramel. Not unbalanced. Mouthfeel is bit fizzy, but I may be drinking this beer too warm. Still a nice creaminess. Overall, not a bad dubbel.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 01:09:07 | More by greybeardloon

Ford

Texas

3.76/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass.

I'm very excited. This is my first review using my new "scale of deliciousness!" Basically when I drink a beer I judge if it is delicious or not. Pretty simple. But for others, that might not be enough info.. as it leaves a lot of room in between.

So I came up with five delicious ratings.

From best to worst.

Magically Delicious
Delicious
Somewhat Delicious
Lacking Deliciousness
Not Delicious

This beer has the right deep brown amber color. It smells delicious. Taste is certainly that of a dubbel style. Not the best I've had, but certainly a good one.

I judge this one Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 01:26:03 | More by Ford

Gavage

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: nice orange amber color with a 2" head that last a long time. Nice lace develops.

Smell: very little bread aroma with a hint of citrus.

Taste: caramel, bread, mild citrus, A touch of honey, and a mild bitterness makes up the main flavors here.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Light crispness to start, a bit smoother and a touch dry at the finish. Short lived aftertaste.

Overall: a malt centric beer that is pretty straight forward and easy to quaff. I can see having one or two of these in a session.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 15:54:54 | More by Gavage

BeerDocT

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into ye old chilled tulip.

Appearance 4.0: Very attractive opaque, deep amber color. Nice, 1/4" head that dissipated into a foamy swirl that lasted the entire session.

Smell 4.0: Gorgeous deep and rich malty bouquet. I also smell low alpha/beta hops and caramel. Nice.

-Taste 4.5: Front is smooth and caramel. Middle is big and malty with hints of dried fruits and dark honey. Finish is where the hops pop up and then it dissolves into a fine and dandy aftertaste which accentuates the caramel and the malt. Delicious and well-balanced.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: Great mouthfeel on this brew. Creamy and it accentuates the tasting experience.

-Overall 4.0: Excellent beer. Refreshing and at the same time nourishing and deeply enjoyable. Tastes light enough to be a pleasurable session beer, but strong enough to end your session a bit early if you are not careful. This beer is delicious and is highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 07:05:23 | More by BeerDocT

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked this beer shortly after visiting Graceland, in Memphis, and heading down the road.

Much more of an amber hue than I was expecting. Not really sure what I was expecting actually. I may just be tired and thought: hey, that is quite amber. Nose is very much like cheap apple juice, though that settles and it is more candy like. Flavor is a bit too sweet for me, though it isn't so far out there that it's completely ridiculous. There is a dough tone to it that comes in as an accent. Belgian ales are hard to pull off. This one is okay. A bit out there. Some ironing of the wrinkles and a bit more definition would do it well.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 05:31:37 | More by RblWthACoz

brewskifan55

Mississippi

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter

A: A clear copper with a tan half finger head. Good retention. Significant lacing.

S: Dark fruits, leather, malts.

T: Like the bottle says: Raisins and plums highlight the show. Sweet toffee and bready malts. Didn't pick up the Belgian yeast.

M: Medium with great carbonation. Chewy.

O: Drinks more like a Belgian strong dark ale (which I love, anyway). Great with Pringles Sour Cream and Onion chips dipped in Sour Cream and Onion dip. What a taste sensation.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 15:37:02 | More by brewskifan55

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

I was gonna kick things off with a parody of Spinal Tap's "Big Bottoms", with "Bisons" tossed in for comedic effect, but I thought better of it (plus, it's grammatically awful). Lucky you. Anyway, this stuff pours a clear russet-amber topped by a finger of glowing cream-white foam. The nose comprises bread, red apple skin, mild honey, light maple syrup, and a tiny modicum of fig. The taste brings in more of the same, with the red apple and fig really popping now, and some semblance of brown sugar and clove finally coming through, the only hint of any Belgian yeast character we're gonna get here. Too little, too late, I'm afraid. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, this is a limp excuse for a dubbel. It's not bad a Belgian-inspired brown ale (I use the word "inspired", 'cause there's hardly any real Belgian character to it) or something of the sort, but it just barely passes for a shadow of the target style.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 04:45:03 | More by TMoney2591

acevenom

Louisiana

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a goblet. Pours translucent toffee brown with a finger-length off-white head. The carbonation appears to be immense with lots of tiny bubbles visible from the sides of the glass. The head recedes, but a little remains on top to form a nice cap over the beer. The lacing seems to stick to the sides of the glass. The aroma has some breadiness from the malts with some toffee sweetness rising to the nose. There's a little bit of a dark fruit aroma that is typical of the style. The dark fruits that come to mind are raisin and prune. The expected dubbel flavor notes are there. The strong bready malt backbone is accompanied by some nice toffee sweetness and dark fruit flavor. I get notes of prune and raisin that I picked up in the nose. There's some hop bitterness on the back end to help balance this beer's flavor. The alcohol is pretty well-hidden in the taste. The body is medium to full with strong carbonation. The beer finishes very dry. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 23:18:49 | More by acevenom

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Catching up more reviews from notes.

Draft pint while in St. Louis.
Clear, reddish brown color with thick tan head of foam. Good retention, sticky rings of lace on the glass. Smell of caramel toffee and dark fruits.
Taste has deep flavors of raisin and plum. Very nice malty sweetness, with a bit of spicy yeast at the end. There was a strong maltiness with a touch of yeasty spice. A touch of alcohol warmth. A great sipper. Mouthfeel is smooth, medium body, crisp and dry finish despite the sweetness. A very enjoyable brew, my first from Crown Valley.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2012 20:13:31 | More by BigBry

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.73/5  rDev +24.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My thanks to my local in-person trader, Tone77, who keeps me plied with bottles so that I do not forget that beers other than in CANs exist.

From the bottle: "Brewing a Missouri Legend"; "Big Bison Ale is Crown Valley Brewing's version of a Belgian style Dubbel, full-bodied and rich with notes of raisin & plum."

The crown cap came off of the Crown Valley Brewing bottle and I was off and running. The big, malty nose was immediate upon commencing my pour. I initially had two fingers of tawny head, but it fell pretty quickly, leaving sticky lacing in its wake. Color was a bright copper, like a new penny or one of my ex's hair, with NE-quality clarity. I really leaned in for the nose and it smelled like Christmas fruitcake! Talk about truth in advertising - not only did I fully get the raisin and plum, but the bready malt and the yeast pulled together to make liquid bread in a way that I have not experienced in some time. Mouthfeel was dense and full and the dark fruit flavors were lovely in the mouth. I really wish that I could get some more of this one for the upcoming holiday season! Finish was semi-sweet, fruity, but not cloying. I have to admit that I was very pleasantly surprised by this one and highly recommend it to others.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 22:18:40 | More by woodychandler

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a bronze color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong of dark fruits. Taste is good, dark fruits, spices, malts, flavorful and easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall this is a high quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 17:25:39 | More by tone77

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Beautiful dark brown-amber pour. Filtered and clear. Minimal head and retention. Bottle indicates raison and plum - smells more like a prune and the taste definitely brings that flavor. Strange bitter aftertaste; different but a nice change of pace. I have preferred other beers flavored with raisins.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 22:43:38 | More by Oakenator

jadpsu

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Loved this beer. Pours deep amber with an abundant brown head with decent retention.
Aroma has some roasted malts and dark fruits that come through. Deep raisin aroma is strongest.
Taste strikes a good balance with some fruity hoppiness. ABV adds some warming.
Extra dry with a bitter bite. Excellent ale, one of my favoites, but at $12.00 a six pack, I won't buy very often.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 23:00:04 | More by jadpsu

HopHead84

California

3.55/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

5/8/2012

A: Deep amber with nice clarity. The head is an inch of dense beige foam with good retention and scattered lacing.

S: Rich bready malt blends with pronounced dark fruit esters that impart notes of plum, raisin, and prune. Earthy notes are pervasive. I detect a faint spiciness and a hint of alcohol.

T: Rife with fruity esters: plum, raisin, and date. Malt is rich and sweet, reminiscent of bread and a whisper of caramel. I get a hint of grape and a touch of brown sugar. The finish is lightly spicy with more bready malts and esters.

M: Medium body with lower medium carbonation.

Overall: Not immediately identifiable as a Dubbel, but a solid beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 02:50:51 | More by HopHead84

soju6

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice clear amber color with a nice off-white head that fades to bits of lacing. Aroma of dark fruit including plum and raisin with a trace of spice. Also some roasted malt and hint of caramel sweetness. Flavor of plum and dark fruits. There is a bit of caramel sweetness and touch of spice. Medium body, smooth with a rich feel. There is a nice warming effect that goes well with the winter season. Interesting beer from a small regional brewer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 16:59:50 | More by soju6

enfield249

Michigan

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

A - Pours a copper red in color. The bottle was a gusher, and there is a about 1 fingers worth of foam that sticks around on top of the beer.

S - I get malt and some spicy hop aroma.

T - This tastes for all the world like a barleywine. More hop flavor than I would expect from a Dubbel, but all the malt flavors and spice of a dubbel.

M - Medium to full. Lots of CO2.

O - Not a bad beer, but seems to be off style.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 00:55:49 | More by enfield249

Steedee

Missouri

4.95/5  rDev +30.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

For me, the best "double" beer I've ever had is Licher Double Bock. Found only in Giessen Germany, and only at Christmas time.
This beer is a very close second IMO...
At first swig, I thought it could easily be classified as a double bock instead of an Ale. Its color is hazy dark brown, and the taste is malty, with a perfect balance of very mild bitterness.
There are some mild fruit flavors that jump out, and a nice warming sensation because of the high alcohol content.
A very nicely BALANCED and drinkable beer. Perfect on a cold winter day, and it doesn't take to many before inebriation.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 20:45:52 | More by Steedee

bsuedekum

Missouri

3.43/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Went to this brewery over the weekend and had their sampler of 8 beers. This was my favorite of the bunch so I decided to review it.

A - This the best part of this beer. Rich dark mahogany color that isn't cloudy at all but carries a clean, clear look. Nice carbonation and head when fresh (three days into a growler now and the carbonation has faded quickly). This looks like a good Dubbel should.

S - Fruits, bread yeasts

T - For an American Dubbel made in the sticks of MO this is quite tasty. It doesn't compare to a quality Belgian Dubbel by any means, but doesn't fall on it's face either. Heavy on the bread yeast and carries a weird, very faint, lager taste somehow that I don't care for. If they could tone back that yeast taste it would make the beer much more balanced and if they could eliminate that off-lager flavor I'm getting it has a great base flavor to it... just not quite there overall. Nice sweet fruit flavor with a background of caramel is what I like about this one.

M - Pretty solid for a Dubbel. Could stand to finish a little more crisp as I typically expect Dubbels to have a refreshing aspect to them.

O - I've had an entire growler over the last few nights and do enjoy this beer. Not something to seek out, but worth trying if you ever stumble across it and it's reasonably priced. It's very easy to drink for 7.2% so bee careful if knocking back a 6-pack.

Serving type: growler

08-12-2011 02:16:39 | More by bsuedekum

fltmedic

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from the 12 oz bottle into a large snifter a very nice light tan creamy head forms. The color is a gorgeous dark red-orange with a small amount of bubble coming up.

The smell is very light with some nice caramel notes. Even with some time to concentrate in the top of the glass as the head settles, not much aroma to betray the flavors.

The entry is malty and sweet and quickly moves into the body. Here there is a mouthful of Belgian dubble with malt, molasses, cashew and some yeastiness coming through. It fades with a nice warming of the alcohol just enough to remind you that this is a big beer (7.2 abv) but isn't off putting in the slightest.

Mouthfeel is warm, full and slightly chewy. There is slight carbonation.

This is a beautiful beer as nice to sip as it is to look at. I'd like to have one again on a cool night with a plate of cheeses.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 03:29:16 | More by fltmedic

plfahey

Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Amber mahogany in color with brilliant clarity and a moderately large cream colored head with fairly good retention.

Aroma-Aroma is not too strong, but still rather good-plums, raisins, grapes, and dark caramel are notable. Some ripe banana makes an appearance as well. Not overly complex, but pleasant.

Flavor-Slightly sweet, with plums and bananas in the forefront, which quickly dries out leaving behind a hint of dark fruit flavor and slight drying alcohol. The beer finishes rather dry, and without a ton of flavor, but is good enough to warrant continued drinking. Perhaps a slight note of diacetyl registers in the flavor as well.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with moderate carbonation. Dry in the finish with slight alcohol warmth.

The beer is decent, though it could use more in both the aroma and the flavor. It also seemed to have a hint of diacetyl which appears to be a theme in their beers, but if it was there, it was low enough and masked by other flavors that it wasn't overly offensive. One of their better offerings, but still not that impressive.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 04:45:22 | More by plfahey

rrski198

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I didn't know the style of this beer when i bought it on tap or reviewed it.

A: deep dark brown with fluffy off white head. Great color change within the beer as the dark chocolate color at the top of the glass fades slowly to a dark caramel color at the bottom.S: Woonderful caramel and brown sugar smell with hints of bready malt and dark dried fruits (raisans, cherries, prunes)

T: Sweet fruit right up front. Dark belgian yeast and thena quick hit of spice. Very unique. I think the dark fruit and funky yeast remind me of a belgian quad (without the body and booze).

M: Full and spicy. On the tongue and on the gums. Great carbonation makes the booze really pop. Very refreshing and leaves me wanting more.

O: unique, interesting, complex. GReat beer worth a few more tries.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 22:58:50 | More by rrski198

bnes09

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

Deep caramel, toffee colored ale. Creamy colored head with solid retention and lace lines.

Complex aroma of dark fruits, sour dough bread and spicy hops.

Most prominent flavor is sweet caramel and dates. Underlying herbal hop spice adds a bitter dimension. And of course, the bready malt provides a solid foundation with an interesting sour character. Highly flavorful and well blended.

Light to medium body. Seems slightly thin for the style but adds to the drinkability. Moderate carbonation. Could definitely use a more sturdy consistency to match the depth of flavor.

So easy to put down! The alcohol is almost indetectable. Rich in flavor and aroma. An excellent Belgian-style brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 03:23:24 | More by bnes09