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

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Stylish looking bomber bottle poured into a Southampton pint glass. This one's Batch #2, but I have a Batch #1 in the cellar to hold.

Crystal clear, copper penny color. Immense head that started to overflow a bit. I didn't expect this to have as much carbonation. Slow rising bubbles drift to the surface. The lacing is a whole slew of sticky proteins, caking on in globs. Popped bubbles remain fossilized on the sides of the glass.

Faint aromas detect English ale malts, leafy hops, muddled citrus fruits, some woody notes... this one's not a show-er. There could be some sweetness, more so than I can get from sniffing it.

Holy candy! What is that sweet tacky flavor? The oak is pretty forward and splintery. I get what they're calling honeysuckle on the label. Definitely a floral hop character mixed with a heap of residual sugars. The pineapple is like a Haribo gummi candy pineapple. The grapefruit is another confectionery variation. Like those sour grapefruit candies rolled in sugar. The malts are caramelly and rich, almost honeyed. The alcohol is bleeding into me. Flavor-wise, this beer is big in a lot of ways; and, not all of them are good. The vanilla coming through via the toasted oak is reminiscent of cream soda. In fact, there's a lot of cream soda flavor in this beer.

Very warm going down. Medium-bodied and actually kind of low on carbonation.

This is... interesting. I'll have no problem letting my other bottle sit for awhile. This can only get better, I'd think. So many rough patches to wear away over time. The hop character is, maybe, a C+; so, I won't miss them when they're all but gone. Kind of weird to say, but I think I can imagine preferring a bottle that is 10 years old over this one (bring on the sherry notes!!). I think I can wait that long, too.

Proceed with caution.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 03:26:33 | More by thecheapies

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

4.25/5  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