Solitude - Brewery Vivant

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

dark brown color with this tin wispy head of off white that capped the top only for a slight time offering little in the way of side lacing. aroma of roasted malts, light smoke, and hints of chocolate, nice and warming, but lacked the punch i was looking for. flavor was more of the same, not bad at all, had all the right markers there with light peat, lots of chocolate, deep roasted profile, just too light for me to be honest. thin feel

Serving type: can

10-18-2011 01:34:27 | More by mikesgroove

brentk56

North Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a mahogany color, but lacks the foamy head one would expect from a Belgian; the inch of foam does a decent job spotting the tulip with lace, however

Smell: Bit-O-Honey candy, Mexican chocolate and a hint of raisins; a little different, I must say

Taste: Opens with Bit-O-Honey candy and adds the Mexican chocolate and raisin flavors by mid-palate; rather cloying, after the swallow, with a hint of tobacco in the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate to high carbonation; a little thin for a Belgian style

Overall: I am not a big fan of Bit-O-Honey candy and I feel this recipe needs some work; Belgian beers are tough to brew and this one has the sweetness but lacks the yeasty complexity

Thanks, surlytheduff, for the opportunity

Serving type: can

11-20-2011 21:18:39 | More by brentk56

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in an Ohio State shaker pint glass.

Damn you, Spelunky, for your addictiveness and pain! Anyway, this stuff pours a slightly murky amber-sienna topped by a finger of sandy khaki foam. The nose comprises maple syrup, light soy sauce, clove, lightly-toasted caramel, and mild Belgian yeast. The taste brings in more of the same, minus the soy sauce (thankfully), plus some light bread, and plus some light cocoa. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda dry finish. Overall, a nice little Belgian deal, nothing spectacular, but a welcome sight in a can 'round here.

Serving type: can

12-19-2012 00:20:24 | More by TMoney2591

MasterSki

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A canned Belgian-style beer - how strange. Thanks Jason! Served in a tulip.

A - A finger-plus of tan foam settles to a thick collar, wisps, and splotchy lace. Transparent ruby-brown color.

S - Tons of candi sugar, spicy Belgian yeast, fresh bread, vanilla, powdered cocoa, some phenolic and medicinal notes, and a bit of alcohol that seems out of place for a 6% beer.

T - Taste is very sweet, with tons of spicy esters - Vivant claims there are no spices added, but you could have fooled me. There's a strange oxidated note as well as some chalkiness and minerality in the finish that kind of spoils things for me.

M - Texture is initially medium bodied and creamy and but gets progressively dryer as it cross the palate and ends up finishing powdery and chalky. Low carbonation, minimal warming alcohol.

D - A passable US-made Belgian Dark Ale, but suffers from some problems in the finish. Hopefully they can tweak the recipe a bit so that the taste matches the smell better. Again, very weird drinking a Belgian-style beer from a tallboy.

Serving type: can

01-02-2012 04:42:43 | More by MasterSki

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in a chalice)
A- This beer had a dense glowing walnut brown body with a thin creamy light tan head that last for a short bit. There is a gentle fizz trailing up the glass.

S- The tart yeasty aroma has some faint woody malt hints and a dry caramel malt note that comes through as it opens but it is pretty clean aroma in general.

T- This beer has a dry stale malt flavor with a tart yeast character to follow. There is a woody malt hint and some well water flavors that finish with a lemony tartness that might be yeast or hops? The tartness becomes more astringent in the after taste.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with no alcohol heat and a fizzy finish scrubs the flavor and enhances the astringency.

O- This beer is pretty light in flavor with the tartness of their house yeast that I just care for. There is not much malt flavor or yeasty esters that make a good dubble, but more than that it just has a lot of off flavors regardless of what style you want to label it.

Serving type: can

02-07-2013 22:24:20 | More by rhoadsrage

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I suddenly feel so alone, thanks to the great GrappyPunk. He sent this to me and upon Cracking it open, I donned my monk's robe, went into solitude and contacted Superman to see if I could join him in his Fortress for the duration. He flew right over and this review comes to you from Superman's Fortress of Solitude (which surprisingly has Internet access, rendering it not completely solitudinous). Thanks, Supes!

From the CAN: "WHY USE CANS? We set out to build a sustainable brewery and found through our research that cans are a better option than bottles. Cans are much lighter in weight, contain more recycled content, are able to be up-cycled, and use less energy to produce. The canning line also has a much smaller footprint than a bottling line."; "If this was not enough, cans provide better protection from flavor degenerating oxygen and hop flavor robbing sunlight. This is the best package we can provide to bring our beer to you, tasting the way the brewer intended it. Enjoy."; "Belgian tradition. Local mission."; "ABBEY STYLE ALE Monks have been brewing beer in Belgium for centuries. Their beers have been some of the most sought after in the world. Solitude is made in the tradition of the famous brewing monks of the Abbeys of Belgium. This beer is deep mahogany in color, malt forward with hints of caramel, pear & raisin. [In italics] - Rule 48 of St. Benedict: for then are they monks in truth, if they live by the work of their hands".; "COMPLIMENTARY FOODS Hearty stews, yeasty breads, Gruyere or Manchego cheese. Visit our website for more."; "GLASSWARE Chalice, or other wide mouth glass lets the maltiness come through."

When I was just a wee lad, purple was my favorite color. My parents bought me the "Harold and the Purple Crayon" books for me and even an early birthday cake had purple icing! I seem to have come full circle as a pseudo-fake monk, drinking an Abbey-style Ale that uses purple as its defining color. I have a bit (but not by much) more hair than the monk on the CAN and my beard is longer, plus I refuse to commit sacrilege by wearing a cross as an avowed Buddhist, but this beer seems to speak to me.

Speaking of your beer "speaking" to you, when was the last time any of you listened to what your beer had to say? This is the majesty of the Crack & Glug from a CAN - the auditory nature of such an event. It is Zen-like at times and CAN only happen with CANned beers.

The Crack & Glug in this instance was heavenly, producing two rocky fingers of deep-tan head with moderate retention. The inherent carbonation allowed the head to lead a rich, full life before moving on into the atmosphere. The color was more truth in advertising, although I might have said "garnet" or "ruby" as opposed to "mahogany", but the NE-quality clarity rendered it one to drop me to my knees in prayer for more such beautifully rendered beers. It was like a liquid Illuminated Manuscript. The nose was, indeed, malty, but with an earthen quality, like tobacco. The mouthfeel was full, rich and creamy with a slightly astringent sweetness, like a combination of tobacco and anise, on the tongue. I began to hear harps and trumpets in mine ears! I have to say that as it warmed, the earthy qualities really began to come out and I was reminded of a few earthy women in my life who would have really dug this sort of thing. They are the ones who are not hung up on body hair, shower or bathe only occasionally, belch and fart with the best of men and appeal to a certain segment of the male culture. I partook of them routinely until I donned the cloth and now I partake of them regularly as nothing seems to get them off like debauching a Brother. Finish was semi-sweet and I get where they are coming from with raisin and caramel but pear simply continues to elude me. I really liked this beer and would put it in my cooler any time of year, but especially if I were headed to a nude beach avec les maitresses du moine (with the monk's mistresses).

Serving type: can

07-31-2011 22:51:46 | More by woodychandler

FosterJM

California

3.48/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

689th Review on BA
Can to Chalice
16 oz

Thanks to Kzoobrew for this one

App- A deep brown with a one finger head, no cling, no lace on this one. Very nice coloring.

Smell- A bit thin but along the lines with some malt, a little roast, a little yeast and some soft caramel notes

Taste- A lighter beer in the style with the profile there but with a slightly watery thin profile. Malt forward with a little spice and raisin.

Mouth- Medium bodied but light and medium carbonated. Leasves a bit of yeasty caramel after taste.

Drink- A nice little beer from the midwest. Not a stunner by any means but still rather tasty. It was a big box from Kzoobrew and trying to get through them all.

Serving type: can

07-27-2011 05:20:46 | More by FosterJM

alexgash

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

16 oz. can.

Raisin cola brown body. Slightly murky. Thick finger of dense, creamy, khaki brown head. Good lacing up the sides of the tulip. Nose shows some Belgian yeast fruitiness with spicy dark fruits and sweet candy sugar.

Roasted malts and coffee bitterness up front. Roasted coffee flavor carries through as plummy malts and sweetish sugar fills out the palate. Notes of chocolate, smoke, tobacco and earthy, mineral-y peat near the finish. Spicy, roasted bitterness lingers. Moderate body with a slightly bubbly feel. Could use a little more sweet, plummy maltiness for balance, as it's a bit roasty. Still, not bad.

Serving type: can

10-26-2011 22:11:25 | More by alexgash

oline73

Maryland

2.78/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from the can into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark mahogany color with a finger and a half of off white head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass with just a touch of lacing. 4

Smell: Mild and malty with some caramel and fruity notes. Mild raisins and cherry. 3

Taste: Just alright. The taste isn't very bold at all. Mild caramel malt and some dark fruit. Very mild cherry flavor in the background. The finish is a bit bland and boring. 2.5

Mouthfeel: Medium body with strong, tingly carbonation and a dry finish. 3.5

Overall: This is a pretty boring beer. Not bad for what it is trying to be, but I definitely didn't find anything that would make me come back for more.

Serving type: can

02-12-2012 23:32:02 | More by oline73

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

16 ounce tallboy can into tulip glass, no canning date. Pours crystal clear reddish brown color with a nice 2 finger dense caramel colored head with good retention that reduces to a cap. A fair amount of lacing clinging to the glass as well. Aromas of caramel, pepper, brown sugar, roasted malt, cracker, raisin, candi sugar, and big yeast spiciness. Nice and balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of big caramel, bread, molasses, roasted malts, light dark fruits, pepper, and herbal spiciness. No bitterness as expected; with lingering notes of caramel, roasted malt, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a bit. Medium carbonation and body; with a fairly creamy and very smooth mouthfeel that drinks easily. No alcohol noticed other than a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is a very nice and drinkable Belgian style ale. Great balance and nice flavors.

Serving type: can

12-04-2011 04:29:34 | More by superspak

Mitchster

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$2.69 for a 16oz can at BevCo. 6.0% ABV, no other stats available on the rather cool looking can or the website. heck ya to 16oz cans, BTW.

Pours out to a clear dark walnut, forming a limpish light tan head with poor retention and decent lacing. moderate carbonation. The aroma is nice...what I hope for in a dubble...browning bananas and nuts...I think the best Dubbels taste and smell like banana bread. In this one, there is a little bit more burnt rubber, which is OK with me. Mouthfeel is bright, clean, with a thin side of medium body. The taste is quite good, like the nose...there is browning bananas and roasted chestnuts, some burnt rubber phenols with a touch of cola going on in it, with a very nicely balanced mild bitterness lingering into the finish. No perceptible off flavors. Interesting hint of smoked cardamon and nutmeg in the aftertaste.

Color me impressed...Dubbels are one of my very favorite styles and after reading some of the reviews on this website, I was a little skeptical so I didn't buy a 4-pack. I will gladly go back and get a few 4-packs. My only critique would be that the body is a little thin...perhaps if they adjusted their mash temp up a few degrees they could improve that.

Serving type: can

09-07-2011 00:10:39 | More by Mitchster

prototypic

Ohio

3.85/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Solitude is an attractive cherry stained copper color. It’s mostly clear and has really nice crimson highlights when held to light. A light tan head rises to about a finger in height before falling quickly. Lacing was definitely light and spotty. Pretty good looking stuff.

The nose is lacking in strength. It’s not bad, but needs muscle. It’s malty and a little roasty up front. Not bad. There’s an herbal or earthy scent that’s interesting. It’s a bit like leather or tobacco. There are some secondary notes of dark fruit and nuts. Those aren’t particularly strong, but they do add some depth. Yeast is there, but doesn’t smell as strong as it should. It might be a little Belgian in character, but it’s tough to tell. Alcohol is masked very well and doesn’t come through much at all.

The flavor is easily a notch above the nose. The malt base is a little roasty and has a distinct cocoa flavor. Might even be a bit toasty. It’s definitely earthy and herbal. Light tobacco is definitely in the house. It also has a really nice praline or nutty flavor. Raisin and plum are there, but are light in the mix. They add nice depth and work well. Belgian yeast is more notable here, but I wouldn’t mind a little more. Having said that, its presence drives the flavor score up a notch. No doubt about it. Alcohol is masked extremely well and isn’t noticeable.

Solitude has a body that’s on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is light and restrained. It has a pretty good feel, but a little more body would help. It’s easy drinking stuff though. Love the 16 oz. can. Perfect serving size.

Brewery Vivant did a pretty nice job with Solitude. It’s a pretty solid release all-around. It could be improved with a stronger nose and more of a Belgian yeast presence, but it’s pretty good as it is. For a recent upstart, Brewery Vivant is showing some promise. Keep it up, guys!

Serving type: can

09-11-2011 01:38:08 | More by prototypic

morimech

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Deep mahogany color with one+ fingers of head that slowly settled to a thin cap. Moderate amount of spotty lacing is left on the glass.

Pleasant aroma of dark fruit and caramel malt. There might be some chocolate and smoke as well.

Has a bit of a caustic bitterness that I fight slightly off-putting. Otherwise the flavor has some nice things going on. Hints of fruit, caramel, and chocolate. Some earthy hops come in the finish.

Lighter body that is just a touch over carbonated. Would of liked a thicker body.

Probably the most Belgian of the three Brewery Vivant beers I had. Too bad I did not find the taste to my liking.

Serving type: can

10-27-2011 21:57:13 | More by morimech

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Can from the brewery, 16oz into a tulip.

Dark brown, almost purplish with a tan/beige head. Fluffy retention, and some pretty thick lacing. Nose has a whole load of Belgian yeast, a bit of dark fruit, an herbal note. A bit earthy, perhaps a bit of chalk. Tastes of dark fruit (a bit date-y/prune-y), grape juice, dry, earthy, some metal and again a bit chalky. Yeast in the finish. Medium body, but a bit on the thinner side. Medium low carb. An OK beer, but I probably wouldn't seek this one out again.

Serving type: can

07-18-2012 01:13:42 | More by liamt07

sweemzander

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

16oz. can poured into a tulip.

(A)- Pours a dark purple-like mahogany with reddish highlights. Some good tan froth and lace.

(S)- A slightly musty and dry dark fruit components. Subtle yeast and biscuit too.

(T)- Just a slightly tart start with dry dark fruits and subtle yeasty bread/biscuit bits.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. I like the subtle tartness in-between the dry yeast and dark fruits. All well integrated together.

(O)- So far, I am really liking what I am seeing from Vivant. A nice and easy drinking belgian dark ale. Looking forward to trying out their other beers for sure.

Serving type: can

11-10-2012 20:02:11 | More by sweemzander

mcallister

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beautiful mahogany showing brilliant ruby highlights. A small light head of tan fades quickly into a ring around the glass.

Raisin, plum, nuts, dark candi sugar, rye bread, spice, yeast, reminds me of fall in the nose, like rotting leaves and wood in a wet forest. Nice earthy, with an almost musty aroma but in a good way.

Not bad but the flavors fall off from what I was expecting from the nose. Iced tea flavor really dominates throughout. Hint of raisin, toffee, and plum. Dark crusty bread flavors, more tea, some earthy flavors, fallen leaves, earthy hop character on the finish. Some spices in the finish I can't pinpoint, maybe a hint of black pepper.

Mouth is a bit thin in the middle but fills out at the finish. A nice beer.

Serving type: can

09-23-2011 19:51:37 | More by mcallister

Florida9

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

There is a monk on the can. No, seriously, I'm not shitting you. There really is a monk on the can. He is admiring God. Okay, now I'm shitting you. He's actually admiring a beer, presumably the one that's in the can I'm about to drink, which makes him an extra cool monk.
Oh, and the can has purple on it. Really!

A: Beer is a beautiful shade of ruby-tinted mahogany brown. Forms a good two inches of bubbly, tan colored head. The large head reduces slowly to just about nothing, just a slight patch of thin surface coating. Despite the size of the head, there is not a speck of lacing on the glass.

S: Aroma is not strong which is unfortunate, because this is a pretty good smelling beer. Boston brown bread, a little brown sugar, some raisin and a little spice. Could've been really nice if was more pronounced.

T: Taste is much like the smell. Good, but just sort of falls flat. Darker, fruity malts, brown sugar, and plum. Raisin, but to a lesser extent. Mildly sweet. Flavor falls off quickly.

M: Medium in body, but seems a bit thin. (I'm Beginning to see a theme with this beer). Appropriate carbonation. Extremely mild bitterness.

O: A good beer and one that is very drinkable. However, it just seems a little weak in all categories. I'm not looking for this beer to be a monster, but I also shouldn't have to search for the aroma and just as the flavor presents itself, it just falls off a cliff. With that, I did enjoy it quite a bit and I'd definitely have another.

Serving type: can

09-23-2011 01:41:52 | More by Florida9

Monkeyknife

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can a dark mahogany color with thin beige cap.

Aroma is muted with molasses and tropical fruit.

Tasted of molasses, sweet malts, candy sugar and tropical fruit.

Medium bodied and sticky with a lighter carbonation.

Not very complex but not too bad.

Serving type: can

12-31-2011 21:58:15 | More by Monkeyknife

david131

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a clear ruby red with some brown highlights. The light brown head is splotchy but creamy.

S- Tobacco, brown sugar, walnuts, and oats. Very unique to say the least.

T- Nutty with some cocoa, tobacco, and molasses. A bit sweet and smoky, and everything blends nicely together.

M- A little on the thin and under-carbonated side.

O- Overall, this is a very unique beer that grows on me the more I get into it.

Serving type: can

05-11-2011 04:13:55 | More by david131

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour - a dark chestnut color in appearance with some ruby red highlights. The head on this is almost two inches thick and fades to a thin ring around the glass. Mysterious and enticing.

Aroma - cherries and baked apples along with honey and burnt sugar. Lots of what they tend to refer to as "stewed fruits" and definitely raising and prunes. Condensed fruit basically. I quite like the aroma as it spells out complexity when it comes to taste.

Taste - sweet and juicy and light on the tongue. Lots of those burnt sugar and dark fruit flavors, definitely the cherries and the raisins. Lots of flavors to digest both metaphorically and physically. Not overly sweet with some very nice malty undertones and semi-dry finish.

Overall - personally, I really enjoyed this beer (and yes I have been to Belgium, twice). I loved the dark fruit flavors and the complexity of a beer that doesn't feel overly heavy on the palate. It wasn't cloyingly sweet and it was certainly something new out of a can for me. It tasted very fresh and was surprisingly thirst quenching.

Would I buy more of it? - absolutely. I need to get out to Brewery Vivant some day and try the rest of their beers on tap. A big "cheers" goes out to Another6Pack for this and other midwestern canned craft goodness!

Serving type: can

06-22-2011 23:46:35 | More by indiapaleale

shand

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Solitude pours out a brown color with a massive head (even with a slow pour). The aroma is sweet, malty, and slightly sour with some dark fruits. The taste is very good, offering a bit of sugary (yet dark fruit based) sweetness over a slightly tart base. Yeast imparts just a bit of spiciness. Very well composed and tasty. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and gently carbonated, and the drinkability is good. Overall, one of the most enjoyable Belgian-style beers I've had from the States. It stays away from the pitfalls of either too much spicy yeast flavors, or too much Candi sugar that too many American brewers of Belgian styles fall into.

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 02:24:06 | More by shand

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.59/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Thanx Shamrock071521:

In a chalice:

A: dark brown body with a one finger white foamy head that quickly dies and leaves just a tad of light clingy lacing

S: strong tart yeastiness up front, slightly woody with some dark malts

T: dry sweet somewhat stale yeastiness coming through in a woody sort of way, gets tart/sour the more it warms, dry finish

M: medium, somewhat sessionable, carbonation seems to be right on for the style and for me

O: well, its pretty tart just like the last one I had by this company, maybe its just their take on their beers. I say good for the style, but I'm still not 100% sold on this for me, just too tart

Serving type: can

05-03-2013 16:25:50 | More by kangarooAdam59

THECPJ

Delaware

3.23/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Thanks to Decadance for the can.

appearance: dark brown with orangish hue and a 1 finger off white head

smell: dark fruits, malts, belgian yeast,

taste: dark fruits, caramel, malts,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: ok beer. nothing to make this beer stand out. chalk this up to trying a new brewery.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: can

12-17-2011 21:28:59 | More by THECPJ

Treebs

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Tall boy can served in a mini snifter.

A: Pours a clear mohagony color with a foamy tan head forming on the pour. Recedes a thin ring that leaves some splotchy sticks of lace.

S: Caramel with some mild fig and raisin. Unripe pears with heavy bready malt flavors.

T: Grainy, cracker malts with some light stale bread. Light toffee with a pale malt finish and mild background raisin.

M: Medium to light bodied with a medium carbonation level and semi-sweet finish.

O: The nose was nice, but the taste was a slight let down. I was expecting a fully body and more dark fruit flavors.

Serving type: can

08-27-2012 18:41:41 | More by Treebs

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

tallboy can poured into a goblet.

Appearance: dark brown to a light black bodied beer; reddish hue when held up to light. Very large head 3 fingers of biege colored head.

Smell: mildly malty and sweet. dark fruits and yeast. Thin lacing on the side of the glass.

Taste: starts with a mild caramel malt and some mild dark fruits. Little bit of yeast; more dark fruits and a white grape note in the finish. Just a hint of bitterness at the end from the hops that dries out the finish of the beer. Could use a little bit more robust flavors, but it has some complexity.

Mouthfeel: light end of a medium bodied beer and moderate carbonation. I give this beer a generous score because its really drinkable. Clean, crisp, and even refreshing. Semidry finish.

Overall: This beer is a good candidate for when you want a beer on a hot day, but your not in the mood for a hoppy beer. Its meant to be a session ale no doubt.

Serving type: can

04-09-2012 03:03:25 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT