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

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big fizzy bubbly head of 2+ fingers, fades semi slowly with nice lacing, over a clear golden amber orange color.

Nose had a lot of fresh hops, light floral fruity almost citrus and tropical fruit even, very fresh hops, but of grapefruit and a bit of white grape, actually the grape starts to get more dominant as it warms, some light malts and caramel.

Taste brings a lot of flavors, lots of buttery oak come right out front, bit of vanilla, creamy malts with a bit of caramel but mostly light malt flavors but quite malty. Then fruit and hops again, light floral hops, light citrus and a bit of tropical fruit, light white grape skin I wonder if there is nelson sauvin in this... A decent bitterness but not much. touch of booze but barely, drinks well with a bit of sweetness. Finishes still sweet, lots of buttery oak and vanilla, some light sweet malts, and more fruity hops.

Mouth is a bit heavier bodied, decent carb, hint of booze.

Overall pretty impressed, nice malts, lots of nice hop flavors, tons of buttery oak add an interesting touch. Very complex and drinkable

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 15:00:08 | More by jlindros

Iamstryker

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

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

Dave7500kl

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%

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

poisonpythons

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

04-26-2013 00:39:22 | More by poisonpythons

JHurley

Alabama

2.75/5  rDev -21.9%

04-21-2013 02:19:02 | More by JHurley

Beer4Mike

Minnesota

2.5/5  rDev -29%

04-18-2013 21:42:01 | More by Beer4Mike

086InferiorWisdom

New York

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%

04-14-2013 00:56:06 | More by 086InferiorWisdom

AlkaholTester

Nevada

3/5  rDev -14.8%

04-12-2013 07:41:38 | More by AlkaholTester

David1492

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

04-09-2013 20:32:57 | More by David1492

Resuin

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

04-04-2013 23:48:17 | More by Resuin

Skarod

Maine

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%

04-03-2013 08:09:16 | More by Skarod

jahbulon

New York

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

04-01-2013 06:57:19 | More by jahbulon

Broden

California

4.5/5  rDev +27.8%

04-01-2013 04:52:17 | More by Broden

lauries444

New Jersey

1.75/5  rDev -50.3%

03-30-2013 00:03:31 | More by lauries444

zestd

Idaho

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%

03-29-2013 22:30:40 | More by zestd

lovindahops

New York

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%

03-29-2013 19:42:47 | More by lovindahops

Bubbalito

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Pour = Hazy syrupy bright copper. It has a viscous appearance when you swirl it around. There was a good 2 finger head that died out almost immediately
Smell = I am getting vanilla, pineapple, mango, burnt sugar; with hints of toffee and caramel in the background. It smells like pineapple maple syrup in all the best ways imaginable.
Taste = Exactly like the nose. I get pineapple soaked in vanilla syrup. Super syrupy but fruity at the same time, you get a little tartness on the back of the mouth. A little bit of alcohol as it goes down the throat. This bad boy is 11% ABV and it is hidden very well, if it wasn’t for the warming feeling as it goes down, you would never know.
Overall = This is the very first batch of this beer, I bought it back in late 2011 and have been sitting on it waiting for all the goodness to marinate. I have to say it was worth the wait. I might have to go out and buy another bottle and drink it in 2015!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 22:21:40 | More by Bubbalito