Armstrong - Third Street Aleworks

20ozmonkey

California

2.88/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I really liked 3rd Street's pale ale so let's see how this is.

Pours surprisingly dark red for a double pale of any sort. There isn't much of a head either. When I swirl it in the glass it only billows up to about half a finger's worth.

The scent is heavy on grapefruit and earthy notes. I know some others have said there was some pine but I haven't picked up any. Up to this point if someone had given me this in a glass without saying what it was I would've assumed it was a red.

I'm getting toffee as the predominant flavor and not much else. There's a bit of bitterness on the finish but it falls flat fast. At least the 8.2% doesn't come through in the taste.

Mouthfeel is medium to heavy with little carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 04:12:34 | More by 20ozmonkey

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not quite sure what the goal was here. It strikes me as an extra strength esb. So I guess that makes it an esesb?

Lots of woody and malty inspired body on this. Almost barley wine like in a way, though strong ale might suit this one better. It's okay, but nowhere near the other bottled beers I had from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 08:40:52 | More by RblWthACoz

Offa

California

3.7/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is a new strong ale from Third Street Aleworks and overall it is very good, but ends up a bit two-dimensional and hot.

It is beautiful, a deep, bright reddish copper (or, as the bottle says, "Mahogany") with a bit pale tan head, slight orange hue, steadily shrinking to rich foamy ring, wisps, a tiny bit of lace.

Aroma is very nice, full, somewhat complex with strong toasted bread, caramelised bread crust, faint hints of earth, chocolate, wet wood, pine, and fruit.

Taste is less complex, but still good, with pine, slightly citrusy jammy quality (hints of orange and maybe grapefruit, but faint), spicy raisiny alcohol, whiskyish, slightly toffee sweetness. It starts of more interesting, but then settles into somewhat two-dimensional piney-raisiny alcoholic quality with lingering spicy alcohol. There is some light spicy-piny bitterness lingering through the end. The finish has a hint of whole wheat toast. Feel is frothy, slightly oily and creamy, not quite slick or heavy. It is very good, with some nice elements, but just as it is about to become really good, it settles into that overly hot two-dimensional quality. It's worth having, but a bit heavy for the taste to want often. It could arguably be a barleywine in both strength and character, but the bottle says "heavy duty" and "double pale ale" and, in any case, there is a lot of cross-over in these rather ill-defined styles.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 05:05:17 | More by Offa