Abominable Ale - Fremont Brewing Company

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.76/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #61 (Feb 2012):

LOOK: Dark leather brown

SMELL: Brown bread, molasses cookies, toasted biscuits, mild coffee, baked apples, woody hops, spicy esters

TASTE: Full body, smooth, faint roasted grain, raisins, ripe apple orchard, biscuity, yeasty, chicory, warming alcohol, herbal, spicy hops, and a toasty, roasty finish.

Wintertime was late! Such a perfect time to pop the cap on this bottle. Abominable is true to style, with an alluring dark color and a palate that makes you want to take another sip. A brawny ale, one that looks to warm the soul and ward off any winter chill, which it does not seem to have a problem doing.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 17:20:23 | More by BeerAdvocate

Jason

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

01-18-2012 03:48:03 | More by Jason

TysonA

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

05-12-2013 15:35:20 | More by TysonA

Laklimell

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%

05-03-2013 18:59:16 | More by Laklimell

Hoppy_McMalt

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

04-16-2013 03:47:31 | More by Hoppy_McMalt

blackie

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bomber courtesy of dirtylou during a stay at his lovely home

a: served in a shaker pint, deep opaque brown in color, topped with a light mocha head that retains well

s: roasted barleys, chocolate, hops earthy, a simple but well-structured aroma

m: carbonation on the higher side of the light range, medium-full body

t: fairly simple, featuring smooth medium-dark roast barley, some semisweet chocolate sugars, earthy hops, hitting some porter notes

o: an easy drinking, roasty winter warmer, fairly standard but a good flavor set that hints at the porter style

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 01:55:24 | More by blackie

herman77

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

03-22-2013 01:17:12 | More by herman77

weerezboy

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.6%

03-14-2013 03:34:25 | More by weerezboy

draheim

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz can picked up during a recent tour of the brewery, poured into a tulip. An aggressive pour yields a pretty minimal head that dissipates quickly to a thin film and a ring of foam. Color is dark root beer brown, no light gets through the glass.

Aroma is sweet, malty, with notes of dried dark fruits. A nice spicy smokiness I can't quite identify.

Taste is roasty w/ chocolate & caramel malts and a nice crisp hoppy bite on the finish. Some spices linger on the palate. Maybe a little smokiness here too.

Mouthfeel is coating, medium bodied, finishes bitter. Lingering aftertaste.

Overall, a solid winter warmer that I could see enjoying w/ a big cheeseburger or maybe a pot roast.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 06:00:58 | More by draheim

ridglens

Indiana

4/5  rDev +3.6%

02-24-2013 20:15:08 | More by ridglens

MordorMongo

Indiana

4/5  rDev +3.6%

02-17-2013 23:07:08 | More by MordorMongo

yojimbo1

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.6%

02-15-2013 22:32:01 | More by yojimbo1

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

22 oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Pours a very dark brown color that could - under poorly lighted conditions - be mistaken for a stout. The head is a two finger mocha shade with excellent texturing. I'm also impressed with the head retention; it's still standing a finger high after a minute.

S: This has a very roasty quality to it, acting as a compliment to the dark fruit esters and earthy/piny hops that also pop up on the nose. Nothing really stands out about it, but it gets the job done sufficiently. If the aesthetics screamed "stout", the aroma screams "black ale".

T: ...and the flavor screams "strong ale". The profile here has a far stronger dark fruit bend to it. Flavors of plums, raisins, figs, and cherries will then give way to a midtaste of licorice (not the nasty black stuff) and coffee. If there's one thing noticeable, it's that the further the flavors progress on the palate, the more 'roasty' they become. The hops - which I expected to dominate, or at least have the strongest pull in the flavor profile - remain subtle throughout; their presence offering a balancing edge of earth, black pepper, and pine to the fruity sweetness. Give it time to warm up, and it will reveal notes of vanilla, chocolate, and walnuts after repeated sipping; it's just complex enough to keep the palate guessing.

The best part about this one? The exhales - they have a wondrous dark chocolate/vanilla quality to them.

M: Typically smooth, syrupy, and vaguely sweet on its finish. The hop profile and roasted barley don't dry out the finishing texture like I expected...or even wanted. Luckily, it's light enough so that drinking it won't be a chore. Carbonation is middling but well focused and uniform on the palate.

O: This becomes pretty sweet after a while, so it might not be a bad idea to have someone on standby to share this with. Still, if we're talking about how this one lives up to the basic definition of the 'winter warmer' moniker (meaning does it lift the soul and warm the orifices), I'd say it's a success. I'd buy it again if Fremont ever decided to distribute to my state.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 00:22:34 | More by ThisWangsChung

chippo33

Vermont

2.5/5  rDev -35.2%

02-01-2013 19:44:20 | More by chippo33

leedorham

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

01-21-2013 16:30:37 | More by leedorham

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%

01-19-2013 06:09:53 | More by KiMiRaiK

casapy

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

01-17-2013 21:04:43 | More by casapy

kevwcamp

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.6%

01-17-2013 05:06:36 | More by kevwcamp

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.99/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22oz bomber poured into my new favorite glass, a Rock Island snifter.

A: Pours very dark and almost pitch black. Dark tawny brown with transparent edges in the glass; light wisps of creamy off-white head.

S: Malty profile with slight hints of citrus and maybe a resiny hop presence. Brown sugar, toasted malt qualities, and hints of chocolate and coffee are at the forefront.

T: Follows the nose, not overwhelming in malt but not quite balanced with hops either; slight hint of coffee and a hint of spices as well. There is a suggestion of alcohol warmth and citrus which blends wonderfully with the toasted, malty, molasses bread backbone.

MF: Really not getting a full bodied beer here, though the mouthfeel is elegantly smooth. Thinner medium bod with a bit of an espresso-like dryness on the finish.

O: Really pleasant winter warmer, and a malt-forward yet drinkable dark beer that could turn into something brilliant with the addition of barrel aging. I'll have to try and track one of the BA versions down.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 18:14:10 | More by Scotchboy

iKrystin

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

01-13-2013 20:32:45 | More by iKrystin

irishgreensoda

Washington

3/5  rDev -22.3%

01-11-2013 12:54:09 | More by irishgreensoda

LambicKing

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

01-09-2013 02:33:09 | More by LambicKing

Hanzo

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%

01-07-2013 22:43:21 | More by Hanzo

Kevlee722

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

01-07-2013 13:41:41 | More by Kevlee722

mdaschaf

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes. Had this on nitro at Fremont.

A: Served in a goblet, Abomb was dark brown, practically black with an amazing tan head. Great retention, lasting an extremely long time with sheets of lacing forming down the sides.

S: A good bit of coffee and roast upfront with some faint dark fruit and a bit of spice on the finish.

T: A bit hoppier on the flavor profile, some light pine and a little citrus mixed with chocolate, cocoa, a little caramel, and faint dark fruit.

M: Medium to full bodied, very smooth from the nitro.

O: A really solid winter warmer, great flavor profile and surprisingly drinkable for 8% and the bold flavors it imparts. Nitro did it wonders, but have also had it on tap no on nitro and like it just as much.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-06-2013 23:05:20 | More by mdaschaf