Forsaken - Evil Genius Beer Company

WissBrauSean

Pennsylvania

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

I poured this beer from a bottle at about 50 degrees F and it poured a hazy amber color with a khaki one finger head that fades to a solid ring and thin cap with a fairly sticky checkerboard lacing pattern.

The aroma is pretty malt forward some toasted mostly caramel with definite hints of fruits including apple and some mild floral hops. There is perhaps a small amount of diacetyl mixed with wine or something a bit odd, but not unpleasant, I just can't put my finger on it and it gets more pronounced with temperature. Buttery for sure.

You know, my aroma description pretty much describes the taste. Those flavours all mix pretty evenly and then fade at the end to a bit of dry hops and I will admit, the transition is pretty cool! It ends lightly peppery and dry and really makes me want another sip (if it weren't for the diacetyl).

It has a good medium body and a smooth mouthfeel slightly hot from carbonation and a dry finish. Fairly well done. Enjoyable and easy to drink.

Overall, I would say that I like this beer and would recommend it, but the buttery bits put me off. I may have gotten a skunked bottle as it is really cloudy and does not clear up with temperature rise. I haven't read any diacetyl comments in anyone elses reviews. Like I said, it does not make this beer bad and I still like it, but I would like to try it again just to see. No date on the bottle to make any assumptions. Overall, with the buttery, I'm going to give it a solid 3.5 anyway. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 01:35:32 | More by WissBrauSean

ToddT

Pennsylvania

3.06/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

L- Clear dark amber topped with a large off white head, Head fades slowly and leaves a bit of lace on the glass.

S- Nice note of toasted malt, caramel, toffee, and a hint of floral hops. Pretty mild aroma.

T- Follows the nose pretty close, nicely balanced but nothing too interesting going on. Finish is dry with a final light note of floral hop bitterness.

M- A little less than medium in body and medium in carbonation, a bit more here might have made a difference in this one.

O- Decent, nothing to go crazy for but not one to turn down either. I would not have guessed that it was 6.5% ABV that was well hidden behind pretty mild flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 17:07:20 | More by ToddT

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.21/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Nice, towering head tops a murky amber-ish liquid. Hazy, almost orange in color. The smell is hoppy...citrus and a little pine. Some earthiness and just a hint of malt underneath. The taste is drier than I expected, and mor carbonic. Lots of hop flavor and bitterness. Some yeast. Full body. Good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 21:34:17 | More by Suds

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has an auburn color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is malty, some caramel notes. Taste is good, lots of malts and caramel, a bit of hops, very easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall makes a fine session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 19:04:23 | More by tone77

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours a darker orange tinted amber, little to no head and retention. Scent is light caramel malts, some leafy hops and not much more. Taste again is weak - light caramel malts, bitter yet lacking in much hop flavor, some yeasty fruitiness. Lighter side of medium bodied, bubbly. Drinkable, but quite unsophisticated and lacking dimension - has the feel of a basic home brew recipe.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 15:30:42 | More by rfgetz

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.74/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Another from my local, in-person trader, tone77. Many thanks!

From the bottle: "Hoppy Amber Ale brewed with Zythos and Simcoe".

My pour produced a finger of rocky, tawny head with good retention. Color was a slightly hazy copper. Nose had a grassy caramel aspect. Mouthfeel was medium and the hops seemed to be taking a back seat to the malt in the mouth. Finish was hoppier than it started, but it just tasted like it had been set to "Mute". I was not impressed by this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 23:14:35 | More by woodychandler

danwho

California

3/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I like this style, amber (red) ales, but Nugget Nectar is the standard to which all others will be compared and this one doesn't stand a chance.
Got this as an extra from BelgianBeerMan7.
It's not bad, just average. Not as balanced as it should be, could be their choice of Zythos and Simcoe hops, I don't know. The caramel, malt sweetness at the start disappears immediately, followed by a bitterness, not in a good way. It does not improve as it warms. Smell is off-putting to me, almost a grape/wine aroma, not much fruit at all.
Best thing about this beer is the label, I do love the skulls and the hop leaf background.
Would like to try others by Evil Genius in hope that this was an anomaly.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 03:15:33 | More by danwho

Gavage

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: pours a dark amber color with a 1/2" head that breaks apart slowly. Some moderate lace develops.

Smell: caramel, some citrus, and a bit of hop aroma comes through to the nose.

Taste: caramel, lemon zest, apples, plum, and a mild bitterness are the main flavor components.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Lightly crisp throughout. Short lasting aftertaste.

Overall: this a straight forward amber ale that is easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 22:07:52 | More by Gavage

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.01/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours an orange amber color with a 1.5 finger white head. The head has a good level of retention, slowly fading over time to give a decent level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of caramel and some lighter notes of a roasted malt. Mixed with these are some aromas of a hoppy nature. While light, the citrus and floral aromas blend well with the sweeter aromas.

Taste – The taste begins with a mix of some bready and light caramel flavors and a lemon citrus hop taste. As the taste advances the breadiness and caramel fade with a light grapefruit taste entering in the middle. More toward the middle to the end the sweeter and breadier flavors get very weak and bitter hop flavors of a more citrus and herbal nature come to the tongue. With the loss in sweet and breadiness the body is quite light and the hop flavors leave a quite bitter citrus and herbal flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer initially is rather average in its creaminess with a carbonation level that is also very average. More toward the later portions of the taste, with the loss of the bready malt and sweet flavors the taste takes on a rather watery feel, not complimenting the hop flavors at the end very well.

Overall – The weak mouthfeel with the long bittering hop taste left in the tongue at the end of the taste really pulls away from the rather easy drinking and balanced flavors more upfront in the taste. I would likely pass on this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 02:24:36 | More by Darkmagus82

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a goblet. Part of a mixed 6 pack of Evil Genius beers. According to the website, this is a limited release and is only available in the DEMONIC Variety Case

Pours a clear copper-red color, with a half finger of foam. Aroma is mostly dark crystal malts and slightly green apple as well.

This beer has a sweet malty body, with a long bitter finish. This could benefit from a little more hop flavor to round things out, as it stands it quickly shifts from rush of malt sweetness to substantial bitterness.

I'm not really digging this one. It has some good qualities, but ultimately needs to be better balanced.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 03:37:25 | More by FickleBeast