Boatswain H.L.V. Ale (Heavy Lift Vessel) - Minhas Craft Brewery

Aaron_Ramson

California

3.84/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

This review is taking into account that this was a 1PT, 6 FZ OZ Bomber purchased at a Southern California Trader Joe's for $1.99, and for the brewski version of 2 buck Chuck, it was great. For the price, you simply cannot do better than Boatswain. This beer is an American Brown Ale, highly hopped at 80 IBUs, and moderately alcoholic at 7% ABV. The HLV had a dark earthy, warm color that is very common for an American Brown. Smell was malty, raisins and dates, faintly boozy and pleasant if underwhelming. The taste was molassas, raisins, caramel, toasted grains. Suprisingly multi-dimentional for a bargain beer. As I stated earlier it is hands down the best ABA you will find in this price catagory. A poor man's Moose Drool.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 02:43:09 | More by Aaron_Ramson

Ejayz

Iowa

3/5  rDev -10.4%

06-18-2013 03:09:26 | More by Ejayz

scootny

New York

3.6/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 22 oz bomber. Clear garnet brown with a very nice head. Good lacing. It may be an American strong ale but it has a decidedly English aroma. Toffee, brown bread, and yeast fruitiness. A hint of alcohol and coffee. Taste follows the nose. Like an English strong ale but hoppier. Still earthy but bigger. Lots of toasty malt with caramel and light fruitiness. Dry finish with lingering notes of gain grains and earth. Feel is soft and supple with a surprising lightness.. A solid tasty beer. At just over two bucks for a bottle it is an outstanding value.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 03:40:41 | More by scootny

meehandennis

Maine

3.5/5  rDev +4.5%

06-08-2013 00:23:29 | More by meehandennis

Murrhey

Montana

2.79/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Poured from a standard pressure-cap bomber into a conic pint glass in high elevation Kalispell, Mont. Reviewed live.

A- One finger khaki-colored head with rapid erosion. Walnut-color with little light poking through. Alright looking.

S- Chocolate, slightly boozy, fairly tasty.

T- Grainy, some chocolate malts. Not a lot here.

M- Medium bodied and dry.

O- Mehhh. Nothing stands out. Very plain brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 04:33:51 | More by Murrhey

Drknight

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -3%

05-29-2013 14:18:03 | More by Drknight

Carpentiere

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -10.4%

05-04-2013 17:51:49 | More by Carpentiere

fastrodney

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +4.5%

05-03-2013 19:00:00 | More by fastrodney

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

(Served in the snifter)
A- This beer pours a deep dense opaque brown with a rocky light tan head that last a good bit and a gentle carbonation of tiny bubbles.

S- The soft dry woody hops note gives way to a black malt hint and some cream in the finish.

T- The pine resin hops leads to some dark caramel notes with a dry roasted malt hint mixed in. There is a soft sweetness in the finish that leads to a bitterness that lingers and becomes more pungent as the beer opens.

M- The medium mouthfeel has no alcohol heat and a tight little fizz.

O- There are some nice soft malt flavors but the bitterness overpowers it and makes it a bit tough to finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 16:14:30 | More by rhoadsrage

MilkManX

Arizona

4/5  rDev +19.4%

04-26-2013 20:35:53 | More by MilkManX

TonyY

New York

3.5/5  rDev +4.5%

04-26-2013 09:34:48 | More by TonyY

PsychicBubblegum

California

3/5  rDev -10.4%

04-14-2013 18:00:18 | More by PsychicBubblegum

BucannonXC5

California

3.56/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Type: 22-oz. bomber
Glass: Stone Ruination IPA pint glass
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $1.99
Purchased: April 4, 2013
Consumed: April 12, 2013
Misc.: N/A

Poured an almost pitch black color with 1-2 fingers of khaki tan head. Sporadic and spider web lacing on the sides of the glass. Pretty good retention on the way down as well.

Smelled dark malts right from the get-go. Got plum and other faint dark fruits, roasty caramel nuts and chocolate.

Tasted those same dark malts for the most part. Got bitter dark fruits and roasted nuts up front. Some chocolate, toffee and light coffee as well. Some smokiness as well.

Full-to-medium body. Sticky texture. Average-to-lively (above average) retention. Longer, smooth finish.

Very surprised that I enjoyed this as much as I did. Sorry Boatswain.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:29:40 | More by BucannonXC5

WDJersey

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -10.4%

04-07-2013 03:52:26 | More by WDJersey

bcm75

Illinois

3/5  rDev -10.4%

03-23-2013 18:32:17 | More by bcm75

Spikester

Oregon

3.1/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Pours dark brown with one finger of tan head. Modest amount of lacing.
Smell is raisins, molasses, some candied fruit.
Taste is sweet and dark. Lots of molasses, brown sugar, some fruit, chocolate, and bitterness from the hops.
Mouthfeel is full almost syrupy. Carbonation was just enough. Finish is sweet and bitter. Kind of like eating some dark chocolate.
Overall an excellent beer for the price. Just not my usual style.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:20:52 | More by Spikester

jondeelee

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Heavy Lift Vessel opens to a malty, grainy nose that focuses mainly on grains, with a few sugars thrown in for balance. The grain notes feature toast crust, biscuit, Grape Nuts cereal, wet wheat, and bits of floury baguette. The sugars bring light touches of brown sugar, as well as a smattering of orange, apricot, and berry fruit esters, though the sugars are fairly light as a whole. Bits of vanilla and caramel add additional texture, as does a touch of toasted nut. The overall aroma is also fairly light, dissipating quickly, until what is left is largely a grain husk and table sugar remnant, leaving the beer smelling weak and somewhat watery.

On the tongue, the beer proves to have a bit more punch than the nose let on, the first flavors being a fairly nice mixture of grains and fruity sugars, the former adding toast crust, brown bread, wet wheat, bits of grass, and Grape Nuts cereal, and the latter bringing in some orange, apricot, and berry fruit esters. Hops add a bit of lemon and a smidgen of grapefruit, deepening the citrusy complexity. Small touches of vanilla and caramel, as well as toasted nut, add more texture. In subsequent sips much of the nuance is lost, and the hops seem to take over, bringing a larger grapefruit rind presence that gives the beer a bitter overtone that clashes with the sweet berries. The aftertaste features a stronger bitter hop presence, as well as a continuation of the bread and sugar notes, though these fade rather quickly, until what is left on the tongue is mainly grapefruit rind. Mouthfeel is medium-light, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, for the price ($2.50 a 1 pt 6 oz bottle at Trader Joe’s), this is not a bad beer, and the 7% ABV does add a nice layer of complexity and flavor. However, the beer is somewhat weak and watery, and largely overpowered by grapefruit rind, so that the entire experience is overly bitter, masking the nice sugars underneath.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 17:24:35 | More by jondeelee

ChugMan

Washington

2.44/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A - Dark, bloody red, nice. Low head reduces to patchy froth which left some fine lacing.
S - Molasses, cough syrup. Overabundance of toasted malt. Dark cherry.
T - Fairly heavy fruit flavors: Cherry, orange. Metal.
M - Flavors are muddled and ultimately ruined with a strange cough syrupy quality. Pervasive metallic sensation dominates as well
O - Starts off pretty good, but rapidly wears out its welcome. Perhaps a decent stepping stone to better beer, but difficult to recommend.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 07:34:35 | More by ChugMan

hreb

Washington

2.83/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle served in pint glass. Beer pours dark brown with a hint of red, and a medium head, lighter brown in color. Aroma is big and malty, but slightly estery.

First sip shows a big malt bill, with caramely notes and a little bit of roast. Unfortunately it goes on to reveal serious flaws. Slightly spicy (not necessarily bad), but also cloying sweetness (bad) on top of rotting fruit (worse). Unlike the other Boatswain beers I've tried recently, there's definitely some flavor in here, unfortunately it's not very good, even if it gives the impression the guys at Rhinelander tried...though not too hard. Well, maybe considering the price. Oh well, I've learned not to be disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 05:08:06 | More by hreb

Flightoficarus

Washington

3.16/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Never seen this brewery before, but decided to give this one a shot due to the very cheap price. Let's see how $1.99 fares!

A - Pours a deep, almost porter like dark brown, with a minimal tan/off-white head, that leaves moderate lacing.

S - Smell is of faint caramel, roasted malts, and a slight metallic scent. Not much of a strong scent for a stronger beer, strangely.

T - Taste is of sweet, bready roasted malts and caramel, nuts, and a slight hop balance in the finish. The overall flavors are good, but the malt heavily dominates over the hops, if a bit too much so (cloying sweetness).

M - Full bodied, with mild carbonation, and a slick, smooth feel overall.

O - Overall, I wasn't expecting a game changer for $1.99, but for the money, it's not bad. If you're looking for a super malty beer, this one may be worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 16:12:40 | More by Flightoficarus

rhino54

California

2.75/5  rDev -17.9%

02-17-2013 16:16:22 | More by rhino54

Noelito76

New York

2.25/5  rDev -32.8%

02-02-2013 14:46:49 | More by Noelito76

Chadhowie

California

4.14/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I've been trying all of the Boatswain beers that Trader Joes carries. So far so good. The HLV Ale was very nice, though a little syrupy. The flavor was good though and the bitterness was at a nice level. For $2, this beer is well worth the money and a nice find.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 18:09:39 | More by Chadhowie

samturner

California

4.75/5  rDev +41.8%

01-24-2013 01:58:53 | More by samturner

SolaceBrewing

California

2.84/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 2.75

22 oz bottle from Trader Joe's

Appearance - dark red/brown; head disappears in about a minute; clear

Aroma - slightly malty; no detectable hop aroma

Flavor - sweet, light toasted malt, and light-medium hop bitterness; slight alcohol burn in the finish; little to no hop flavor

Mouthfeel - good carbonation level; balanced and smooth on the tongue

Overall - about what I would expect for a $2 beer; a decent strong brown ale; nothing noteworthy but nothing horrible; after drinking a bottle of this, the lasting bitterness and alochol bite in absence of anything else means I wouldn't buy it again

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 21:35:03 | More by SolaceBrewing