Griffin's Bow - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of Batch #2 (10.0% ABV) today at Shaws for $6.99. A little pricey, but wtf...

Using a small tulip, which now has a healthy fill of a clear, deep golden liquid. Carbo is scattered, sparse and slow, with the head being creamy and off-white, but fast-ebbing. Lacing, though is top shelf, with a lovely web of white stuck to the glass. The aroma has a good amount of fruitiness, with pineapple, mango and honey showing up. Interesting... The body was a smidge more than medium, with a pretty smooth, even feel on the tongue.

The taste has an interesting mix of sweet, fruity flavors. There's a light layer of malty toffee initially, but you'll quickly find some honey-like notes hitting the palate, along with pineapple, some rindy grapefruit, a bit of green apple and pear. I can pick up a bit of the oak character (and vanilla?), but only because I know it's there; I would not have noticed had the label not pointed it out. With the finish leaning to the dry side, the pithy citrus aspect is what lingers a bit in the end. Doesn't seem too barleywine-like to me; more of different type of IPA. Still, I am enjoying this, as well as the other new, experimental Sammy offerings. Prosit!!

4.03/5 rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1440

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 20:14:34 | More by Bierman9

Docrock

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

06-19-2013 02:13:37 | More by Docrock

Hoptopher

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +13.6%

06-17-2013 01:45:53 | More by Hoptopher

Casey3236

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

06-15-2013 18:18:19 | More by Casey3236

Jameswoody

Montana

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%

06-12-2013 01:43:40 | More by Jameswoody

schaffer9252

New York

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

06-12-2013 01:13:28 | More by schaffer9252

hefferee

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +27.8%

06-04-2013 17:44:19 | More by hefferee

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

06-03-2013 12:31:01 | More by ShanePB

Pookie

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

06-02-2013 19:10:35 | More by Pookie

MikeyJ777

New York

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%

06-01-2013 01:55:17 | More by MikeyJ777

quetzal013

California

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

05-28-2013 22:36:23 | More by quetzal013

fredmugs

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

05-27-2013 22:00:40 | More by fredmugs

JDizzle

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

05-23-2013 21:34:33 | More by JDizzle

seplo

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

05-21-2013 00:26:46 | More by seplo

Herky21

Iowa

2.25/5  rDev -36.1%

05-20-2013 03:17:48 | More by Herky21

Iamstryker

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

05-16-2013 22:17:19 | More by Iamstryker

Dave7500kl

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +34.9%

05-15-2013 00:38:28 | More by Dave7500kl

drummermattie02

Texas

4/5  rDev +13.6%

05-14-2013 17:04:02 | More by drummermattie02

carterbt

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

05-14-2013 03:14:55 | More by carterbt

BeerLover99

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -29%

05-12-2013 21:12:33 | More by BeerLover99

Spiderbeerman

New York

4.94/5  rDev +40.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My brother-in-law had a bottle at a party he was hosting. I usually don't go for barley wine and like a product with a little less alcohol content but Griffin's Bow was a pleasant surprise. It was smooth and didn't taste like it was strong. I would certainly buy this myself and will enjoy every drop!.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:58:38 | More by Spiderbeerman

McBraniel

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -21.9%

05-02-2013 03:43:35 | More by McBraniel

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +27.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a snifter)
Batch #2
A- This beer pours a slightly dense woody brown body with a bubbly sticky head of light beige that hung on the glass after each sip. There was a slow motion carbonation pushing to the surface.

S- The green grassy hops have a cream aroma to follow with some fresh raw oak aroma and a slightly sweet malt aroma that grows and grows as it opens.

T- The green grapefruit hops blend with a creamy rich malt flavor that has some buttery character that turns a bit more coconut like as it opens. There is a raw oak finish with some caramel malt sweetness and a sweet flower taste with honey hints. The gentle grassy bitterness of hops lingers cutting the malt flavor very nicely.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a gentle prick of fizz and no real alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer has lots of nice complexity that is a bit subtle but really grows as does the richness of malt flavor. The green fresh oak blends really nicely with the hops and pale malt flavor. Very good sipper.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 16:25:23 | More by rhoadsrage

FliryVorru

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

04-29-2013 17:53:13 | More by FliryVorru

cowboy83

New York

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%

04-26-2013 15:29:02 | More by cowboy83