Big Daddy J's Malt Liquor - Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

What...no clear bottle? 22 oz bomber pours a clear gold color with a small, wispy white head. Not much to look at, but what malt liquor is?

Nose is alcohol, sweet grain and an actual nice little burst of honeyed malt.

Taste has got to be the most quaffable malt liquor I have ever had. Nice little grain and alcohol, very little hops. What this has that most of the common MLs dont have is a nice caramel malt presence and a fine carbonation. As a beer in general, it is just ok, but as a malt liquor it is quite good. Coming from a craft brewery though, it just seems wrong in principle, so I cant morally give this beer perfect marks...sorry, I just cant. I might buy it again, depending on if I feel like having a reasonably priced high ABV bomber.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 23:53:41 | More by twiggamortis420

UCLABrewN84

California

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a murky orange with a foamy beige head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Tiny dots of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruit, and nail polish remover aromas. Taste is much the same with fruit and alcohol flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness and an alcohol kick on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with some odd aromas but the flavors are tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 03:26:40 | More by UCLABrewN84

kojevergas

California

1.94/5  rDev -46.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 1.75 | overall: 1.75

28 IBU. Old style rustic label. Acquired for $5.00 at a local SoCal beer store. 1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with branded standard pressure cap. 8% ABV confirmed. Not big on this brewery, but expectations are above average; I'm in the mood for the style, actually. Served into an Oskar Blues pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz.

Served straight from the fridge. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger white colour head of pretty good (~3 minute) retention for the high ABV, but it's devoid of cream and the thickness is below par. Body colour is a weak pale translucent clear yellow-copper. Carbonation bubbles are rampant. Not much to look at. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Meh.

Sm: Sweet malts, pale malts. A light simple aroma. Heavy corn adjunct. Somewhat sugary. Meh.

T: Generic floral hop character alongside a pleasant sweet malt/corn adjunct foundation. A bit grassy. Some artificial fruit. A bit of pineapple acidity in the third act. It's more balanced than most beers in the style. The corn feels cheap and weak. A bit of caramel malt on the climax is all the good flavour you're gonna find here. Weak and empty up front; no depth of flavour to this one. Simple and lackluster. Meh.

Mf: Thin, weak, smooth, and wet, with some adjuncty coarseness. Artificial buttery feel. Crystal malt lends it a light tingly feel. Overcarbonated. It's to style, but it isn't all that great.

Dr: 'Overpriced garbage' might be a bit harsh of a label, but it did go through my mind. Is it better than Mickey's? I don't know, actually. To be honest, Steel Reserve is probably better. I any case, it does a decent job of hiding its ABV. Why brew this? I think many reviewers are giving this high scores merely because they want to support this brewery and its take on this specific style over macro-brews, but in a blind taste test they'd prefer the very breweries they're attacking. Make no mistake, this is pretty crappy. Difficult to drink. It does remind me of college, but is that really a good thing? Congratulations, Full Sail, you've brewed a shittier malt liquor than Miller does. How cachet.

D-

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 07:48:42 | More by kojevergas

Falcone

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%

03-01-2013 01:04:52 | More by Falcone

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Very happy to have just purchased this beer from Gabriel's in San Antonio! I can already tell you that I am going to get more of this one just in case they run out!

Pours a nice clear tan color with slight orange notes. Head and lacing weren't bad at all.

Aroma is already FAR beyond any malt liquor you've ever tried. It's incredibly complex, assuming from the (probably generous amounts of) Hallertau hops. It's not overpowering like an IPA, rather more delicate and subtle, but wonderful! I get tons of herbal and grassy notes, a delicate peppery smell, and some fruitiness. It would be impossible to categorize this as a malt liquor if this were blind and you were just going by aroma (and maybe taste, see next paragraph).

Flavor... again, WOW! Very nice! The peppery spiciness is more apparent now, as is the fruitiness. Although it's got some malt-liquor like properties (a little sweet corn, grainy notes, some light alcohol), it's more between a strong dry pale ale and a very strong, hoppy lager.

Body is dry and light, alcohol apparent on the backside, and overall just plain delicious.

Just amazing, great flavor, great aroma, great body, great job Full Sail!

This is getting a ridiculously high rating because it's hands down the best American Malt Liquor I've ever tried. Rate to style, right? This beer is just amazing and deserves a great rating.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 23:02:36 | More by AlCaponeJunior

MadeInOregon

California

4.25/5  rDev +17.1%

01-15-2013 20:59:24 | More by MadeInOregon

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an Arrogant Bastard Ale pint glass. Pours a light to medium golden amber with a thin white head with good retention and slippery lacing. Aroma dominated by biscuit malt, a hint of citrus. Flavor is sweet bready malt, vague fruit esters and just a touch of pure alcohol. Pretty cool, the brewer captured the essence of a cheap malt liquor (malt and alcohol), but made it pleasantly drinkable. The hint of pure grain alcohol was genius and appropriate for the style. Medium bodied with a touch of creaminess, much too nice a mouthfeel for a malt liquor, but I appreciated it. I'm not sure I'd buy this as a go-to beer, but for an attempt to craft-ize a classic brown bag American style, they nailed it. I like this Brewers Share series. Most haven't knocked my socks off, but all are interesting and well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 04:21:38 | More by LiquidAmber

Ted

Texas

3/5  rDev -17.4%

12-29-2012 03:49:17 | More by Ted

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an Olde Hickory glass on 12/5/12

Dulled gold and honey hues; looks a lot like apple juice. Light haziness. One thumb head rises willingly and washes out shortly thereafter. Drippy lace.

Cereal grain jump out of the aroma with notes of orange rind and herbal/grassy hops. Hints of biscuit dust. Overtones of apple, too. Pretty good aroma. Alcohol is not at all apparent.

The taste has more of a malt liquor bent. Toasted and steeped grains with some alcohol slickness and heat, especially on the back end. Hops are at a low level; not a bad thing, just less notable than in the aroma. The finish fairly dry.

Medium body with average, maybe a tad lower than average, carbonation. The bubbles aren't overbearing. The alcohol actually dries up after a while. Slightly dusty finish. I like it.

Overall, this is pretty darn solid. It really comes together after setting out of the fridge for a while. It's rare to get a quality beer in a $3.99 bomber in Ohio; cheers to Full Sail for that. For whatever reason, I never see their bombers in Columbus.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 20:47:15 | More by Ryan011235

JohnBender

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%

12-02-2012 08:56:23 | More by JohnBender

Reidrover

Oregon

3/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle from "Habits" in S.Salem. $3.99\ I am drinking this from the bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag. aroma from the bottle is mostly malty slightly caramel in aspect. Taste caramel,sugar and cheap vodka.. Mouthfeel very dry for style it helps. not great really..but i will drink it.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 03:53:40 | More by Reidrover

Txphil

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%

11-28-2012 15:39:01 | More by Txphil

sabinelr

Washington

4.63/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a Samuel Adams Winter Lager glass. Took a whiff, found the fragrance but not the skunkiness of Mickey's. Slammed down a decent swig, like you oughta with malt liquor, and had a good experience all the way. There isn't hardly any head, and the brew is a respectable clear amber. No harshness like the corner brews like Olde English or Steel Reserve. It's too bad this is a limited release. It's great stuff, and just what you need for watching your favorite football team or monster movie.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 02:43:12 | More by sabinelr

beerpadawan

California

3.7/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

What I like is that it actually has a lot in common with high alcohol classics such as Old English. The essence is there, they've just civilized it a bit, like Taco Bell in Demolition Man but with better results.

Gone is the medicinal, metallic, artificial twang that is the "finish" of common "high gravity" malt liquor. It is replaced with a clean-finishing, medium-bodied beer that still has a twang at the end. But it comes from mild but noticeable noble hops (Hallertau), providing light bitterness and a little spicy/earthy quality. The alcohol is hiding in plain sight.

The malt body adds sweet grain and a drop of honey. Very quaffable. Enjoyable offering that is both true to the style and not a mere stab at ironic self-deprecation, nor intended for those who might use it as a tool for such shenanigans.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 07:00:13 | More by beerpadawan

flagmantho

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into a pint glass.

Appearance: golden hue with a moderate haze and lazy effervescence. Head is nonexistent. Pretty normal for the sytle.

Smell: moderate malt aroma with a character a lot like a Scotch ale, but with a nice hint of malt liquor. Not bad.

Taste: it's like a corn-tinged Wee Heavy. Perhaps not the best beer in the world, but absolutely outstanding for an American malt liquor. This is even a lot better than a Euro strong lager (usually a pretty equivalent style).

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a decent effervescence and creaminess. Not bad.

Overall: drinkable and tasty example of the style. Perhaps not award-winning, but hey, I'm drinkin' a malt liquor here!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 05:26:43 | More by flagmantho

metter98

New York

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Pony Bar Upper East Side, New York, NY

A: The beer is crystal clear yellow in color and has no visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off-white head that died down and left a large collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light aromas of sweet malts in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste has flavors of sweet malts and some vinous notes of grapes as well as some slight hints of alcohol.
M: It feels a little more than medium-bodied and slightly thick on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: There is nothing overly special about the taste of this beer but it is extremely drinkable and doesn't have any off flavors or a taste of alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2012 19:19:18 | More by metter98

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a pretty clear gold with over a finger of frothy white head.

Smell. Tons of light malts and a bit of corn. Some light grassy hops.

Taste. Sweet light malts, a little sweet citrus juice and light grassy hops again. Sweet aftertaste with a little bitterness. Giving this a seemingly high mark, but considering the company in this style that I've tried, this is pretty good.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body, Medium carbonation.

Overall. This didn't exactly knock my socks off, but like I said, not bad considering most of the others out there...

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 01:51:08 | More by Rutager

GMB

Japan

2.9/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Big Daddy J's Malt Liquor pours a golden body and fizzy white head that are typical of the style. Carbonation is at first typically vigorous, but very soon settles. The scattering of slowly rising bubbles tell me that this may be gentler on the tongue than most malt liquors.

The smell of alcohol is backed by that of toasted starches. Yeah, this is malt liquor alright. But wait. What's that? Where's the putrid smell?

I must admit that I expected to pour this into the glass, take a few sips, and then pour it down the drain. But the nose, while not enticing or appetizing, is certainly more appealing than expected. Can a beer earn a high rating simply because it exceeds its reviewer's expectations? Hmm. Nevermind the philosophy. Let's press on...

First sips can be deceiving. Fortunately, the taste of this beer is too monotonous to deceive. Alcohol and sweet grainy and corn (or is it rice?) malt. There you have it.

As I predicted, the beer is gentler on the tongue and more substantial than some of the cheap malt liquors I've tried over the years. Still, it doesn't offer anything special to recommend itself.

Full Sail earns points for its bravery. I am certain that there was a lot of heated debate at the brewery when one of the brewmasters suggested putting out a malt liquor as seasonal brew. And I suppose this beer should earn points for being a craft malt liquor that is widely available and relatively drinkable.

That said, Big Daddy J's Malt Liquor loses points for being a beer that, all things considered, I wish I hadn't had and won't drink again. It's better than most of the malt liquors out there, but that isn't saying much.

By the way, some argue that a malt liquor's high ABV ought to be taken into account in its review. I don't agree. There are plenty of beers out there with high ABVs that are also delicious. This one isn't.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 21:30:21 | More by GMB

oberon

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a becker a deep golden with a large one finger white head that faded pretty quickly leaving a few small chunks of lace behind.Aromas were light with a touch of sweet booze and toast malt,a little corn came into play as the beer warmed.The flavors were not nearly as potent and boozy as I thought they would be,grainy and lithly toasted with just a light zing of sweet alcohol,the corn/adjunct flavors were pretty well hidden.This is a standard for American malt liquor wich might not being saying a whole lot, but this was pretty damn good and easy going down for how big it is.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 11:57:44 | More by oberon

atr2605

New York

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-pours a golden straw color with a white head with average retention
S-just smells kind of sweet, no real distinction and no hop presence
T-lots of adjunct sweetness and a bit of bitterness to offset it in the finish
M-light-medium bodied despite the high abv
O-pretty much what you would expect from a malt liquor. Even though it isnt a fancy style, I think its pretty cool that full sail decided to make one, just something different

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 23:10:23 | More by atr2605

grittybrews

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%

10-21-2012 01:54:04 | More by grittybrews

DavidST

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Okay, I know I hate Malt Liquor but I decided to try this anyways (for $4 it was worth a shot). Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass. This pours a golden color with a mid sized off white head. The smells are of a sweet malty aroma, not full of the corn adjuncts which normally turn me off to malt liquor. The feel is medium, decent carbonation. The taste is pretty good better than the cheap stuff. You get a sugary load of malts but grain which is nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 05:27:35 | More by DavidST

kew

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -10.5%

10-19-2012 02:45:55 | More by kew

cdwil

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -3.6%

10-19-2012 00:02:36 | More by cdwil

Glibber

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev +3.3%

10-12-2012 03:50:15 | More by Glibber