Spaltacus - Wellington County Brewery

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.18/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this one as a gift from Hopsolutely. Cheers!

From a 16oz can into a snifter
Released on 1 June 2012

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, looser looking, foamy, off-white head with decent retention. Fades rather quickly to a splotchy wisp and bubbly ring. A slightly hazy gamboge orange in color with medium levels of carbonation. Head vanishes and it looks relatively flat by the end.

SMELL: Milder nose of caramel, some slight melon and hearbal qualities, and some floral hop aromas. Faint touch of peppery spice. Interesting enough, but too faint to be impressive.

TASTE: Toasted malts with light lemon and grassy hops up front. Some sweet caramel through the middle into a bolder and lingering grassy, floral and slightly piney bitter hop aftertaste. Some toasted notes and sweet melon linger as well, but the bitterness steals the show here. Pretty flavorful and more impressive than the nose.

PALATE: Medium body and medium, slightly prickly carbonation. Not overly creamy, but goes down fine and finishes slightly dry on the palate. Enough weight as well.

OVERALL: Not a bad beer, but not interesting or impressive enough to make a regular appearance in the lineup. Still, this one went down well and I appreciate the chance to try it. Cheers Hopsolutely!

Serving type: can

08-28-2012 17:24:28 | More by Jeffo

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Not a style I drink often, but believe this to be a well brewed if not thoroughly inspired version of it. Rating it pretty highly because I think it is fantastic that Wellington is trying these one-offs...

Pours a hazy golden with very little white head that disappears quickly. Carbonation level is lower than I expected from the hiss when opening the can. Mild aroma of caramelized malts and tropical fruits that I had no idea was "spalt". The flavour gets progressively more pleasant as the beer warms, with an initial tropical fruit sweetness contrasting strongly against a real bitterness in the finish. More of an alcohol burn at the end than I'd choose, but at 8.5% ABV also boozier than I'd choose.

Glad to have tried it and would happily purchase any future hop-focused varietals.

Serving type: can

10-26-2012 00:36:40 | More by hopsolutely

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Released June 1st. Pours grapefruit, with a small amount of white head. Malt and booze aroma. Boozy taste, with a medium grapefruit hops flavour. Reasonably drinkable. Interesting and different, though weak for the style. Average mouthfeel.Thanks for hooking me up Doug.

Serving type: can

06-10-2012 03:17:52 | More by northyorksammy

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

473ml can from the brewery courtesy of cannondale. Thanks Nigel!

Pours a deep golden hue with a sliver of white foam and a slightly hazy body. No lace on my glass.

Smell is lemongrass, herbaceous and floral hops, spice box, ethanol, weedy, minty and resinous notes, hints of earth and pepper as well. Very unique aromas.

Taste is spicy, grassy and herbal hops upfront, spruce-like flavours through the middle, light Noble hop bitterness precedes a drying finish with some heat in the throat.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium-bodied.

Overall, this is a cool take on a Golden Ale and the Spalt hops add an unusual but pleasant character. I'd like to see them brew this again, perhaps at a lower gravity.

Serving type: can

07-21-2012 19:47:58 | More by cratez