Reunion '08 - Bison Brewing

CharlesRiver

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz screen printed brown bottle. Great idea for a great cause. Pours out a wonderful reddish-brown with a solid off white head that lasts.

Smell is overall very light. I pick up mostly malt with a bit of hoppy earthness mixed in. Something nutty comes through as well. Taste is better and actually takes me by surprise at how big it is. Its thick in the mouth which does take away from the drinkability. Very nutty and malty. I would never guess a Rye Ale as I don't get that dry, slightly sour note most Rye's have (which I love). Others have mentioned some chocolate notes and I get that. Very little hoppyness and the ending is a bit short.

A fun beer to drink for a good cause.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 21:03:43 | More by CharlesRiver

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

11-08-2012 22:01:46 | More by t0rin0

chugalug06

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

04-10-2012 03:03:59 | More by chugalug06

CSFerrier

Michigan

4/5  rDev +11.4%

01-22-2012 02:42:45 | More by CSFerrier

imperialking

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%

01-09-2012 01:31:27 | More by imperialking

ROGUE16

Delaware

4/5  rDev +11.4%

12-05-2011 13:14:01 | More by ROGUE16

brandoman63

Illinois

3/5  rDev -16.4%

11-28-2011 20:29:45 | More by brandoman63

barnzy78

Illinois

4/5  rDev +11.4%

11-22-2011 05:04:20 | More by barnzy78

hippityhophead24

Tennessee

4.4/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I tried this the other night with a friend, but did not have my word notebook to take notes. These are taken from phone...

Pours a nice deep red color. Good two finger head with good retention and beautiful lacing all through out the glass until the last sip.

My friends said it smelled like some sort of cleaner or chemicals. I got that a tad bit, but I got more hints of red delicious apple with belgian candied sugars.

Taste was full of sweet malts, caramel, rye spiciness, could definitely taste the caraway seed. No bitter hops. Nice and malty.

Coated my mouth. Nice and smooth on the tongue. Not too much heat.

Overall this was a very delicious brew and was sad to take the last sip. I wish I could get my hands on more of this and thank my good friend Justin for sharing this with me and my good friend Jesse. If you get your hands on this, give it a try, I think it's a very interesting brew and worth trying.!

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 04:11:34 | More by hippityhophead24

Schmittymack

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a 22oz pilsner glass. Poured a reddish brown color with very little head and no lacing. On the nose, I got sweeter malt and nothing else. Taste was quite nice, however: caramel, sweeter malt, a touch of rye, and some spiciness with no hop bitterness at all in the finish. A very nice brew; wish I had another bottle or two.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 06:31:51 | More by Schmittymack

claspada

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What a random find @ Abe's Cold Beer in Bethlehem, PA. 2008 bottle randomly on the shelf, weird. Let's see how 3 years of age has treated this.

Pours to a beautiful transparent, coppery dark red color with a light but creamy head formation.

Aromas begin with inviting sweet caramel malts and a surprisingly nice mild dose of spicy hops. Spice may also be from the rye malts. Lots of caramel maltiness though. This reminds me of that AleSmith 2006 Decadence I had a couple months back

The tastes begin with chewy caramel maltiness. Next I get the the flaked rye, which adds a mild spiciness to the beer. I get just a hint of the caraway seeds, which creates the allusion of a slice of fresh rye bread. A slight fruitiness is present; a small peppery hop bitterness rounds out the finish.

Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with a nice. Carbonation is slightly lower than I would like but it's not a major detractor.

Overall, this is a tasty red ale with an extra kick and a bit of added spice bite from the rye malts. I wish I had this 3 years ago when I bet the caraway and the hops were more predominant. A good beer but at this point it is past it's prime, not bad or spoiled, just was probably a higher quality flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 21:11:00 | More by claspada

WesWes

New York

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a dark amber color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a dry, roasted malt scent along with some caramel malt sweetness and a touch of rye spiciness. The taste is decent as well. It has a bitter hop bite up front with some dry caramel and roasted malt character thoughout. The rye provides adequate spice as well as the caraway. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a very drinkable ryew beer. It's malt forward with plenty of spiciness.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 20:38:07 | More by WesWes

bheilman

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice dark rich color with a decent head, but on the minimal side. The carbonation is nearly unnoticeable in the taste. The smell is earthy with a strong sweetness that doesn't quite remind me of malt so must be the rye influence. The taste is excellent. It hits all parts of your tongue with a rich caramel oak flavor followedd with just a touch of bitterness. It's pretty rich all the way through the aftertaste. It's a really drinkable beer. Definitely happy I picked this up and hope to get future ones. Glad to know the money's going to a good place too.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 23:26:12 | More by bheilman

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

whoa, for some reason, surprisingly good. Poured with a smallish very light tan head and some lace. Color is a clear dark amber. Aroma is malty, spicey, a little sweet floral fruit, don't pick up the caraway. Ditto flavor except much more caramel & toffee there. Great body and carbonation. Finish is like flavor. Really easy drinking beer. Session for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2010 04:40:51 | More by drpimento

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.03/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

.. 22 picked up Friday at Brewforia.. Shared with Brenda... Very little carbonation.. almost no head or cap... there is some CO2, but not alot.. the brew is a pretty deep amber.. very clear... pretty.

Bready.. caramel essence shows more than a caramel sweetness.. grassy hoppiness is pretty muted..

Flavor shows more rye than the nose.. toasty maltiness.. I get a little bit of caraway seed I guess, but I would have probably not identified it had I not been looking for it... nice and pretty dry mid palate through the finish.. the body is nice and medium... needs more carbonation.. this brew is seeming a bit dusty.. maybe too old.. Ehhh... glad I got to try it.

3.5/3/3/3/3

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2009 06:58:24 | More by JohnGalt1

mdwalsh

Iowa

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this as a random gift from my sister.

A: Red brown, offwhite 1 finger head fades fast. Decent active carbonation.

S: Rye and spicey/spicey hos. Minimal Malt

T: Nice spicey-malty-not-bitter going on. Rye is very much present. Fades to just more malt. Still no real hops.

M: Light bodies but creamy/smooth texture

D: Good, not my favorite but could develop into one, at least as a style.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 00:57:43 | More by mdwalsh

UDbeernut

New York

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A beer for a good cause, Myltiple Myeloma a blood cancer that is currently uncurable. Every month new hopes are emerging for this devistaing cancer like drugs Velcade and procedures like Stem Cell Transplants that my father underwent recently.

22oz bomber poured into a pint glass

a: light brown with hint of red. thin head with slight retention

s: malt, rye, wood, light spice, and citrus

t: well balanced beer. caramel and rye provide a solid backbone. slight citrus and pine. slight spice

m&d: medium bodied, very drinkable. Not the best example of a rye beer, but a solid beer non the less.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 11:33:26 | More by UDbeernut

popery

California

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I'm not quite sure why this bottle was put back up for sale at local stores recently. It's still quite drinkable, though. The beer is a shade between burgundy and garnet with a small white cap that fades quickly, at this point anyway. There's a healthy dose of rye in the aroma. It's spicy and sweet, like a light rye bread. There are also some interesting raisin-brandy notes floating around in there, possibly from the age of the bottle. The flavor is still quite clean, though the hops seem washed out. It's like a light specialty malt barleywine. There are brown sugar, brandy and caraway seed mixing together. It's a tad thin and this feel shows off the age a bit, but the beer has aged quite well given that it's not really a prime candidate for such. At any rate, it's better than expected and rather nice for an evening nightcap.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 05:21:57 | More by popery

Tomas77

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +39.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I love this beer.

This beer has a reddish hue to it with a small thin but everlasting head of foam. Fine looking legs stick well to the sides of the glass. Very pretty looking beer. A malty aroma of carmel and chocolate with some dark fruit notes and spicy overtones as well. This beer smells great. Like the bottle tells us it is very malt forward. The spiciness from the rye is balanced just right with the rest of the beers fine ingredients. Very sweet on my lips but finishes dry with spicy but never bitter aftertaste. Full body. Sweet malt coats the inside of my mouth followed by the rye. The spiciness from the rye may be hiding the hop but i'm sure those fresh looking objects made it in there somehow to help balance out everything just right. And it's being made for a good cause. Nice job Bison.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2009 01:14:20 | More by Tomas77

hreb

Washington

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cool 22oz bottle served in a curved Dogfish Head label pint glass. Beer pours a dark, chestnut-red-tinted brown with a thin, dark tan head, which falls quickly.

Beer smells like an IPA with a hint of caramel. First sip is pleasant, crisp, and refreshing, with a bitterness that rises before it falls. Tastes coppery, more like a red ale in the middle than an IPA. I'm thinking Palisades or Northern Brewer hops.

Unlike many other American rye beers, it's not a super high gravity IPA. However, I do taste the rye. Not so much the caraway, though. Then again, I do kind of want a corned beef sandwich with muenster, so maybe it's working.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 01:54:43 | More by hreb

orsulacp

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear amber body with a tan creamy small head. The head stayed for the entire beer. The smell is nice, spicy rye bread, biscuit malt, and I can actually smell a little caramel. The taste is top notch, there is an immediate rye spiciness, then a real creamy, almost lactose like sweetness, the sweetness stays on my tongue until the slight carbonation clears it all up with a quick spicy rye bite. I really like the mouthfeel, not too thick, low carbonation, but just enough to release the spicy rye. A very drinkable beer, it gets better as it warms up.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 04:38:48 | More by orsulacp

Florida9

Illinois

2.85/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Poured noisy, large, viscous glugs from the bottle into my glass. Seems like trouble right off the bat. Light, reddish mahogany in color. Clear. Very minimal head reduced to nothingness.

S: Malt and light woodiness.

T&M: Sweet malt compounded by being undercarbonated, resulting in a cloying syrupy beer. Bottle indicates flavored with caraway, which was fully non-existent. Even the rye wasn't very strong. Virtually no hop character at all.

D: Just not a very good beer. Overly malty with nothing to counter balance the malt sweetness. Typically the rye and hop spiciness act to balance the beer, but not in this one. I drank it as a sipper, though I don't think beer was meant to be a sipper. Not so bad as to be a drain pour, but I won't be revisiting this one ever again. While I appreciate the cause behind the beer, I cannot appreciate the beer itself.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 02:20:38 | More by Florida9

Lars3

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My first impression was "wow, this smells like grape juice." I'm not sure why, but for the entire duration of the beer it smelled like grape juice to me.

The taste was adequate, it was obviously a rye beer, and not a bad one at that, BUT I was really hoping for more caraway flavor. Mouthfeel was soft, with some strength on the back of my palate. Not too strong for a craft ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2009 00:57:22 | More by Lars3

TLove

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

(From Notes)

22 oz bottle picked up at Rodman's in D.C. Poured to glass tumbler.

Copper colored, with a medium to dark body with a decent head and nice lacing. Very grainy, but caraway seeds used in moderation, which is great (not averse to caraway taste, just averse to its often excessive use to add flavor). Surprisingly earthy, piney, and deep caramel. Spices are pretty dominant and fruits are subtle, yet strong. Pretty smooth on the back side and finishes very nicely for a rye. Taste is stronger than it seems, with a mere 6.5% ABV. Carbonation is mild and rolls over well for a rye beer.

Doesn't quite match up to my favorite rye beers, but this one is pretty damn good. And for $2.99, I would grab one again in a heartbeat.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2009 03:20:53 | More by TLove

bassmantin

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured it aggressively and it gave me a nice clumpy, bubbly light tan head that disappears quickly. The color is a transparent reddish.

The nose is bitter and woody. I am pleasantly surprised by the taste. The initial hop character is woody, almost like a strong barleywine (I'm thinking of SN Bigfoot). There are some delicate malts that are hiding just behind the strong hops but have enough presence to make the interplay interesting. The flavors are well-balanced in relation to each other, but I could have used more of both to make this a bigger beer, though.

Overall: Not bad, and it was pretty cheap, so I'm not disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2009 02:00:48 | More by bassmantin