Ale Of The Hermit - Hermitage Brewing

Murrhey

Montana

1.65/5  rDev -39.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Bomber poured in a pint glass. Reviewed from notes.

A- Deep brown color. Finger white head. Quick loss of head, decent carbonation and moderate lacing.

S-Strong. Smells boozy. Maybe some old hops? Can't quite place it.

T- Ick. Sour and not appealing flavor. Soapy and metallic. Not a fan. I hope I just got a bad batch and this is not what everyone gets. My drain drank half of this beer.

M- Medium bodied. Little carbonation and a gross filmy linger.

O- Avoid. Sour and not tremendously well put together. It tasted unfinished. I see why this guy is a hermit.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 00:42:07 | More by Murrhey

jenray

Texas

2/5  rDev -26.7%

03-12-2013 14:22:20 | More by jenray

ptarmigan98

Manitoba (Canada)

3/5  rDev +9.9%

02-11-2013 22:11:17 | More by ptarmigan98

TheMarkE

California

3/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Different. This is not an IPA, the only citrus here is lemon. Maybe they thought any fruit flavor made it an IPA. Shrug. There is a woody, smoked flavor though, as if they aged it in wine barrels.

Either way… it’s drinkable. It’s lemony and it’s oaky, and it’s affordable.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 23:11:12 | More by TheMarkE

Rollzroyce21

California

1.75/5  rDev -35.9%

12-09-2012 06:55:16 | More by Rollzroyce21

beerpadawan

California

2.5/5  rDev -8.4%

08-27-2012 14:22:39 | More by beerpadawan

dominic4beer

California

3.25/5  rDev +19%

06-10-2012 21:26:13 | More by dominic4beer

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.33/5  rDev +22%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a half-litre bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass.

A: Dark chestnut brown, with a finger of creamy off-white head topping a translucent, bubbly beer. Heavy lacing. Good looking DIPA.

S: Sticky-sweet caramel malt, grapefruit, and the barest hints of pine and metal.

T: Curiously empty. Bland, uninteresting, and almost flavorless. Some bitter hops on the distant aftertaste and a little roasted, caramel fruit on the maintaste. Otherwise, it's all mouthfeel.

M: Moderately thick with decent carbonation. This is pleasant...if only there were flavor.

O: Disappointing, but not unpleasant. It's hard to criticize nonexistent qualities. Avoid unless you are looking for a high-ABV low-flavor beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 06:14:59 | More by AgentMunky

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.1/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a medium red-orange amber. Slight white head and some lacing. Light fruit and malt aroma. Flavor of bisquit malt and some dark fruits. Finishes dry and woody. Hops subdued. Not very interesting. Kinda bummed because I liked the look and name on the bottle of this ale. Is the category even right for this?

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 04:22:25 | More by LiquidAmber

djaeon

California

4/5  rDev +46.5%

01-22-2012 22:18:57 | More by djaeon

codynevels

California

2/5  rDev -26.7%

11-16-2011 20:53:50 | More by codynevels

yemenmocha

Arizona

2.28/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours deep amber, slight residual yeast. VIrtually no head here, just a superthin tan layer that does not last. Nose is weak with some dark citrus and slight vegetal note. Palate offers a malt forward taste by surprise, perhaps dark grainy malts, like healthy breakfast cereals. Balancing hop bitterness is there, but far out of balance for an imperial IPA. What were they thinking? Finish has a metallic element, with some wet black tea bag.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 02:39:24 | More by yemenmocha

MountainBeagle

California

1.4/5  rDev -48.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

There a very few beers I've ever had to pour out and this is one of them. Hermitage seems to be hit and miss for me.

It looked ok but it smelled and tasted like copper and blue cheese. It's hard to taste anything good from this, the weak hop profile can't survive the metallic taste.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:26:00 | More by MountainBeagle

GRG1313

California

2.13/5  rDev -22%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Tried earlier in the year when fresh. Decided to post from notes.

This is an all around watered down version of the Hoptopia Double IPA by the same brewery. Despite the fact that it is the same abv, (8%) it has the same identical characteristics of Hoptopia but watered down, thinner; otherwise, the same beer and flavor profiles.

Pours a dark amber with a very short, thin white head.

Nose is very light pineapple and yeast.

Mouthfeel is thin and poorly balanced and the flavors are off-putting.

Flavors are bitter burnt toast but not pleasant - tastes like a charred beer; like the burnt surface of a steak that has been grilled way too long. Meaty character to flavors that simply is not bright, appealing or pleasant.

Finish is an off putting sour bitter that tastes like spoiled meat. Another try is not needed.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 01:02:32 | More by GRG1313

DaveHS

California

3.23/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Capped popped off with barely a hiss. Pours clear dark amber with a thin, bubbly 1 inch khaki colored head. Leaves moderate soapy lacing as it reduces.

S-Not much going on in terms of aroma. A faint touch of oakiness. Considering this is labeled an IPA, there is a disconcerting lack of hop aroma.

T/M-Medium bodied and soft, with a delicate dry note mid-palate and an oaky finish. As IPAs go, this isn't terribly hoppy. I have to think they either aged out the hops while this was on oak, or purposely kept them subtle to accentuate the wood component. In any case, it's mild, with a soft sweet bready maltiness and low carbonation. Reminds me more of an English style dark bitter than an American IPA.

O-Interesting. Not sure if I like it. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 23:09:46 | More by DaveHS

Seanibus

California

2.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Syrupy and unexciting.

Pours a dark amber with a very reluctant head with no lacing or legs to speak of. The aroma is malty and thick, with lots of caramel and some soggy toast smell. The flavor is a bit better, though still syrupy and thick, with caramel and toast and some sort of elusive herbal (dare I say , medicinal?) hops in there. The finish has a little sting of pine but little in the way of lingering bitterness. The mouthfeel is flat and thick and flabby.

Just not good.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 23:39:43 | More by Seanibus

nickd717

California

3.5/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle shared by someone at a tasting.

Pours clear dark amber in color with a small off-white head.

Aroma is pretty interesting. Caramel, wood, piney hops, and toffee. A little bit of toast.

Flavor is somewhat sweet caramel malt and toffee, with an oaky dryness. Very oaky stuff this is. Was oak aged I believe.

Decent palate, with medium body and carbonation and a dry mouthfeel.

Nobody else thought much of this, but I thought it was solid oaked IPA with some good stuff going on with it. Hadn’t heard of this brewery until yesterday actually, as close as it is to me.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 05:01:52 | More by nickd717

ocelot2500

Arizona

2.33/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a deep amber color with a frothy, off-white head that leaves a decent amount of lacing.

Smells of some brown sugar type sweetness.

Tastes of a mediocre hop bite with some sweetness. Hops have a bit of citric notes along with some herbal notes. Bitterness is present, but not much to it. Sweetness is mild, but does add depth with some caramel and brown sugar notes.

Mouthfeel is medium with a light, fine amount of carbonation.

Overall, these scores reflect the classification of DIPA. If this were a pale ale, it would receive significantly higher scores. Honestly, if this a DIPA somebody put in about a third of the ingredients they should have.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 03:39:34 | More by ocelot2500

4000qtrap

Missouri

2.8/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Source/serving: Bottle

S: Sour oranges and lemon predominantly with a hint of damp earth/twigs with some dried moss.

T: A little bit sweet up front that's mostly citric with a dash of caramel and brown sugar. The acidity carries through with flavors gently giving way to of a soft, dry bitterness that is nicely balanced. Some pithy grapefruit, lemon peel, bread, with a floral, oily bite leading the finish which is a little oily, floral and musty and becomes iron-like/woody as it lingers. The iron-like quality is the only unpleasant character for me. Hides the 8% ABV very well, but warming as expected. Mouthfeel is average for a DIPA.

Notes: This beer wants to be different, but its not so much. Pretty standard American IPA citrusy flavors of low-medium intensity. I just get a hint of oaky, musty, earthiness in the background but that adds up to an iron/metalic/medicinal quality at the low levels they are at unfortunately.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2011 20:20:25 | More by 4000qtrap

Zorro

California

3.13/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear red colored beer with a small tan colored head.

Smell sweet with a lot of brown sugar aroma. Scents of fig, cinnamon and prune. Not much hop at all. Frankly this smells more like a Winter Warmer or a Belgian Strong Brown Ale.

Starts out sweet with lots of brown sugar. I DOUBLE check the bottle and make sure this is the right beer right beer but this is NOT a double IPA. There is a little woody aftertaste and that is about as strong as the hops get. Tastes like it smells with a slight wheat bran flavor added. This could be rated higher if it was classified as something else.

Mouthfeel is thin.

This is an OK beer, but it ISN'T! any sort of IPA. I could rate it higher if it was classed as an Old Ale or Winter Warmer.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 01:57:05 | More by Zorro

srandycarter

California

3.15/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pretty dark honey. Nice near white disk of a head. Lots of cling lace.

S - Solvents and malt. Malting while you clean.

T - Dry, medicinal with a small window of malt.

M - Hard to balance what you start with, but ok.

D - I have two. I will drink the other when it just doesn't matter.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2010 04:21:04 | More by srandycarter

MBFco

California

4.08/5  rDev +49.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

When I tasted this beer, I thought of Ballentine.

A woody IPA. Very interesting brew. It's an IPA with
a malty backbone. I had this beer with a burger and thought
it to be perfect with food. The oaky flavor gives the beer a sophisticated taste. Not many oaked IPAs around these days.
Worthy of a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 18:06:39 | More by MBFco

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.28/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Murky sediment filled brown appearance with slight head. Woody aroma.

Woody taste, massive feel of old school England when you're having this. But then it has a stable amount of American emphasis, as there is a noticeable hop contingent going on here. Thought it deserved some points for the unique aspect of it, certainly will never be a favorite or every day/weekend beer, but I did think it brought enough to the table to warrant its meager price.

Thought it hid the alcohol well, just a lot of wood and a fair amount of hops with it. Haven't had too much like it, kinda like Burton Baton, but not nearly as good.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2010 23:46:42 | More by Beerandraiderfan

Offa

California

3.48/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I shall start by saying that I don't this is any sort of IPA. It does not remotely seem to fit any IPA category and I seriously do not think it is intended as such. It is darkish in colour and hops are noticeable but not remotely dominant. It seem more like a strong Belgian dark ale than anything else. I shall add that I actually found this to be a fairly good, characterful beer. Perhaps it is just misunderstood.

Clear light red-brown/dark copper, it has a big tan head slowly shrinking to a rich foamy ring and wisps and leaving some lace.

Aroma is vague caramelised dark fruits, some yeasty wine, hints of banana and spicy, worn-out bubblegum, vague wood. All is a bit subdued and vague, but noticeable and hints at potential complexity.

Taste is similar, but more woody up front, with some fermented citrus, vague burnt orange, vague bubblegum. Sweeter up front, it has a spicy-peppery-citrusy bitterness that takes over at the finish, but soon mellows. It is all rather vague and elements don't mesh all that well, but it has a little complexity and some interest, with the vague dark fruit, spice, with wood and yeast elements throughout.

I have no idea how old it was and the label was, as with some, rather worn (although I note that some apparent "wear" on the label was actually part of the label pattern itself, making it look more worn that it actually was). It may have been too old (I really don't think so - it seemed fresh) or too young, but was probably neither.

I have tried to find information about this, but I have seen little. One website claimed that Hermitage is actually the Tied House, which would make sense since they're both in the San Jose area.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 23:34:14 | More by Offa

lacqueredmouse

Australia

2.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark orangey amber colour, with a filmy head of white foam. Body looks surprisingly thin for the style and the ABV. Minimal lacing. Colour is decent, but the head is disappointing, the the weak body leaves me feeling a little worried.

Nose is oddly nutty, with a twinge of chocolate and orange. Really, really odd. A little bit of organics, which I can't find the words to describe, except it smells like the leaf mold under ferns in a rainforest. Quite an arch description, I know. Certainly, it smells nothing like an IPA - in fact, it doesn't smell much like anything I've ever sampled.

Taste is also extremely weird. Big nutty vanilla characters, possibly oak super-saturated, but otherwise little in the way of character. Some resin, maybe, very slightly? Hazelnut sweetness wells up later on the palate in an unusual and slightly rank finish. No, there's something wrong with this. It's just grating against me in all the wrong ways. Not a fan.

Feel is smooth enough, and fortunately quite light so the characters don't stick on the palate too long, but again, that's out of character for the style.

Nope. Sorry. Doesn't work at all. There's something seriously off about the beer by itself, and it's way, way off stylistically. Not worth the effort even for itself, and certainly not worth it if you're looking for an interesting oak-aged IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 23:16:53 | More by lacqueredmouse