Conflux No. 1 (Collage) - Deschutes Brewery

womencantsail

California

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazed dark mahogany with a tan head. Strong bourbon aroma, vanilla, lots of dark fruits, brown sugar, and quite a lot of alcohol. A light tartness, heavy oak aroma, some charred wood notes, too. Tastes fairly boozy. Lots of whiskey, vanilla, and oak. Some caramel, brown sugar, and dark fruits. Fairly boozy with a light tartness and lots of dark fruits. Not bad, but not great, either.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 19:58:52 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Big thanks to boralyl for this bottle. Split with Amyliz4 between Hair of the Dog and Deschutes tulips. Pours a reddish-brown with a short light tan head that quickly fades to a thin collar. The nose carries quite a bit. There’s an interesting mixture of barrels, with red wine and rye whiskey really coming through. A touch of sherry. Cherry and dark fruits along with some light acidity. The flavor isn’t quite as integrated, with a bit of alcohol taking hold alongside the acidity. A bit rough as it warms, compared to the nose. Medium body. Low carbonation. This could use a bit of time.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 20:02:15 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Oneinchaway for sharing this one at NoSignsOfPain's birthday bottleshare hosted by mrbubbler.

Pours a clear honey brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is super complex with malt, brown sugar, caramel, wood, and an interesting set of sour/tart fruit aromas. Taste is much the same with a tart and slightly woody finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer and I am very interested to see how this one ages.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 07:30:32 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a dark cloudy brown color ale with a large foamy head that disappeared quite fast. Aroma of sour notes is quite dominating with some brown sugar notes also perceptible. Taste is a weird mix between some sour and tart notes of cherries and oak (Dissident) mix in with vinous notes and some sweet caramel and malt notes. Body is quite full with medium carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Interesting experiment though not something I would drink on a regular basis. I’m also wondering if I would not have preferred to drink some Fed or Adam on its own and whether this is not a waste of good beer at the end of the day.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 17:50:37 | More by Phyl21ca

drabmuh

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by yourefragile, thanks. Beer is black / brown, really hazy, thin tan head of small bubbles, minimal lacing, minimal carbonation, some lacing, low retention.

Aroma is boozy and sweet. Lots of malt.

Beer is medium in body, mildly hot, interesting beer, very heavy, a little hot, pretty strong, interesting beer. I enjoyed it but it was a little too heavy.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 17:39:31 | More by drabmuh

MasterSki

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

A few people brought this to share, so I don't know who supplied the bottle we drank. Served in a taster glass.

A - Lightly tanned foam settles to a thin cap, thick collar, and splotches of lace. Mostly transparent amber body.

S - Very vinous and Flanders-esque. This may have started as an American Strong Ale, but it's trending towards wild ale, as it's quite tart and sour. Sweetens as it warms, with more of the sweet caramel malts and cognac/brandy coming out, as well as some spicy bourbon and oak.

T - The taste is quite similar, with tart green apples and cherries, light vinegar, and wet, vinous oak dominating initially, but yielding to sweeter flavors as it warms up. Letting this approach room temperature reveals raisin, toffee, and caramel malts, brandy and cognac, and vanilla from the oak. Extremely complex.

M - Medium-full body, lower carbonation, sticky and chewy on the palate before yielding to a tannic finish. Alcohol is surprisingly well-hidden.

D - Not bad, but this isn't entirely integrated. The base beers seem to be slightly at odds at this stage. Nice for a few ounces, but not the most drinkable offering. Should age gracefully as most Hair of the Dog offerings do; will sit on my bottle for another year or so to see what happens.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 18:55:12 | More by MasterSki

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best after 4/30/13, never gonna be able to wait that long. Why release beer before it's ready?

Pours an effervescent brown with a finger of tan head. Above average head retention & minimal lacing

S: Booze, pine, dates, a bit of oakyness

T: Piney, medicinal with grapefruit & grassyness. Grapefruit & pineapple as this warms, some figgyness & pears with a bit of brett tartness, also some boozeyness. Finishes with with sourwood honey, cherry tartness/dryness & lemongrass; this just got better as this warmed

MF: Slick, slight carbonation, plus boozey warmth

Drinks pretty easy, boozeyness is fairly well hidden, this might age well, still not perfect by no means...

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 02:02:36 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Quick review from written notes, served in a rounded tumbler glass.
Thanks to Dad for this one! Best after 4/30/13, just a couple days short... close enough.

Dark brownish orange color, creamy offwhite foam that has a soft surface texture, and leaves behind a finely textured collar of lace.

Woody barrel aroma that seems to have a bit of fortitude and complexity, but also slightly muddled. A typical "barrel aged aroma", if that makes any sense (wood, tobacco, leather).

Rich malty flavors, slightly sweet with a tangy tart back end from the Dissident in the mix. Dried red currants, tobacco, oak staves. Medium to full bodied with lighter carbonation and palate-coating viscosity. Heavy barrel presence from start to finish. The blend is interesting, and will only continue to develop. Another year might soften the alcohol a little. Overall interesting and worth a try, a good cellar candidate.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 18:55:29 | More by emerge077

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I love this beer. It is very Hair of the Dog, which is hard to avoid I imagine since HotD is such a unique brewery producing such unique beers. Nice woody cherry tones. Very appropriate sweetness (from malts I would guess) and a thorough flavor profile that remains consistent and sweet. This is one of those beers that I want to just drink and say to hell with writing notes.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 00:43:24 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured a lighter burgundy color with ruby hues, nice white cap that fades quickly. Head retentiona nd alacing are minimal.

S: Dissident doinates with elements hoppy Fred dancing around. I did detect some Pinoy Noir and Sherry influences.

T: Immediate Dissident tart cherries with some very light Belgian candy sweetness, smoke, light dark fruit and then in comes Fred and his hop goodness with a pungent sweetness and sticky factor. I detected a litle bit of chocolate, wood, Earthiness, dark fruit but not much. It still seemed that Dissident and Fred dominated with Stoic playing a backseat role. A lacto type bite was really prevelant throughout as was a nice little booze sting and red wine. Adam was noticable but not for long and not a key player.

M: Medium to big body. Carbonation was right on for the style and blend. Sordove tart, creamy, sweet, sour. You call it.

O: Well played. Should age well and it is interesting to say the least. It seemed like a battle royale for dominance and Dissident won.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 01:15:36 | More by barleywinefiend

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark copper color that's completely opaque with dark amber edges and a two finger light beige head that quickly settles into a lasting ring. Spotty lacing left behind.

Sweet, vinous aroma with a strong barrel character, sweet malt and subtle solvent/acetic acid. Lots of earthy oak and a combination of sweet spirits but the Pinot, rye whiskey and sherry notes really stand out. Slightly spicy with lots of vinous dark fruit. Underneath the barrels, there is some lactic funk and musty bugs along with sweet malt and more dark fruit. I'm not familiar with The Stoic but I'm certainly picking up elements from the Adam used in the blend. As it warms, hints of caramel, chocolate and toffee come out as well as some dark cherry, plum and raisin. Smells really complex and the faint solvent/acetone is the only thing keeping it from getting higher marks.

Medium bodied with slightly tart funk and a nice balance of barrel, dark malt, vinous fruit and spice. The barrel character is very prominent without overpowering the other characteristics. Lots of dry, toasted oak along with silky vanilla and sweet booze. The combination of spirits creates a really unique sweet boozy flavor that never becomes hot. The high ABV is actually excellently masked. I was shocked to see that it was that high. The spicy rye character is pretty strong as are the vinous dark fruit notes from the Pinot barrel. Really complex with elements of each barrel treatment coming through with each sip. Although there is a ton of barrel character/alcohol flavor, there is no heat and it isn't a complete booze bomb. Underneath the barrels, elements of the base beers(especially Adam) come through. Some slight smokey, roasted malt with dark chocolate, toffee and caramel as well as some vinous cherry, grape fig and plum. Faint tart, sourness but not acidic or harsh. Just a bit of acetic solvent but it's very faint and doesn't affect the flavor very much. Very complex and flavorful and the well masked ABV makes it deceptively drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 05:57:08 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the HOTD tasting room.

The beer pours a fairly dark brown color with excellent head retention and considerable lacing. The nose is intriguing and complex, as I pick up considerable wine and sour, light whiskey, brown sugar and light chocolate. The flavor profile replicates the nose, with the wine and sour flavor countering the moderate sweetness fairly well. Also, while the beer is not hot or heavy on the palate, one certainly gets the impression that there's considerable alcohol in this beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied to full, wiht a long, sweet and sour/tart finish.

An interesting beer for sure, but I found the flavors a bit muddled, and I'm not sure the combination of flavors work all that well together. Glad I got to try this, but I'm not sure I can see any reason to visit this one again. Certainly the $8.50 price tag for a 12 ounce tulip glass is a bit of a disincentive as well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2012 13:17:00 | More by johnmichaelsen

kojevergas

California

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

11.6% confirmed. Best after: 04/30/2013 (but I just can't wait). 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a scotch ale/thistle glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are extremely high given Deschutes' involvement, the complex aging, and the blends used.

Taken from the refrigerator and allowed to stand for a good 15 minutes to warm it up. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 2.5 finger head of beige colour, fair cream and thickness, and great retention considering the high ABV. Retains at least five minutes. Colour is a dark caramel ruby. Nontransparent. Non-opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Luxurious bacteria and wild yeast, woody oak barrel notes, brandy, cherry, fig, tart fruit (maybe even dark fruit like plum), clean malts with little caramelization or toasted character, raisin, fermented sugars, and a bit of grape. Really a remarkable, seizing aroma. A mild strength incredibly subtle aroma.

T: Brandy, wood, oak, tart fruit (including cherry, plum, fig, and a hint of raisin), red wine, and marvelous wild yeast and bacteria notes. Spirited, sour, yet still mellow. No real spice or earthiness, but it isn't needed. Delightfully layered and built, with incredible balance for a blend (beating even Lost Abbey Angel's Share). Hopping is very timid and backgrounded. I quite like it. Gets better as it warms as well - especially where the fruit is concerned. Masterfully complex. Really a tasty brew. Rich. No alcohol comes through. Full-bodied and well varied. The flavours are diverse yet collaborative.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Perfect thickness, but merely adequate carbonation. Admittedly, the mouthfeel is a bit off - but it's a blend. Alcohol warms the stomach.

Dr: Very drinkable for the high ABV - surprisingly so. This could be dangerous. Not a session beer, but not a sipper either. It resides in the happy in-betweeny bit. It got better as it warmed. I quite fancy this one. Another solid brew from Deschutes. The style designation is curious, perhaps we need a category that acknowledges blends. I can't wait to try this aged; I'll definitely be having it in a few years with some age on it. I'll run out and buy one as soon as I'm able.

A fantastic candidate for aging. Probably ideal with 3-5 years on it.

Drank adequately from a scotch ale glass, but this really demands a goblet, snifter, or (ideally) a tulip.

Would pair well with cranberry raisins or pate.

This is one to sip on whilst reading a good book.

B+

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 06:36:36 | More by kojevergas

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a matching Hair of the Dog tulip. The brew appears a clear, polished color of mahogany. A rich 2 finger khaki head sits atop and lasts with solid retention from the rising bubbles of supporting carbonation. It paints the glass with thick patches of lacing effect. When held to the light, the edges show more of a lighter orange to almost yellow clarity. Not gonna lie, this brew looks pretty awesome and displays a very nice cap for being nearly 12% abv.

The aroma is tart and reminiscent of the flanders style. Sour cherries come to mind mixed with a hint of apple cider vinegar. The barrel aging is quite prominent in the nose but it carries with it almost a spicy aspect like incense or cedar instead of the anticipated caramel/vanilla smoothness. As it warms up, a hint of vanilla extract comes forward with a hint of caramel and some fruity alcohol esters emerge giving the first signs of that high alcohol content.

The taste is strikingly similar to the aromatics. My first thoughts are of a jacked-up version of a flanders red. Mildly tart cherry mixes with vinegar and a solvent boost of alcohol mingled with some accenting fruity alcohol esters. Mid palate and into the finish is the barrel aging with caramel and vanilla flavors being quite evident. However, just as the aroma indicated, there is a spiced aspect about the woodiness of this brew that leaves an impression of something like incense or cedar.

This is a medium to fuller bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. The alcohol initially was quite suppressed but as the experience continues, it really comes out to play. Let me see if I got this right. This brew is a hodgepodge of the Dissident, Stoic, Fred and Adam all barrel aged? I love fred and adam and them going into a barrel makes absolute magic. I enjoy dissident and frown a bit at stoic. For 75% of this beer components sounding amazing, im sad to say that the biggest impression I get from this is memories of drinking stoic with the sour edge of dissident. Fred and Adam seem to have been lost in the background and provide seemingly nothing but a boost of alcohol. Oh well. I really wanted to try this and im glad that I have.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 02:25:53 | More by stakem

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Collage

Aroma: cherries and sourness lots of Malts caramel and toffee. Herbal perfume.

Taste sour cherries and malts some bourbon and oak. Toffee caramel molasses rainsibs brown sugar. Very complex. Old ale like.

Mouthfeel: warming and smooth. Medium bodied with a fine amount of carbonation.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I'd drink this much more often if it wasn't so expensive.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 00:18:51 | More by mothman

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks goes out to micstache for this one as an extra in a recent trade! Served from bottle into a Hair of the Dog tulip (proper!). Poured red-brown with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount very quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, tart cherry, wood, vanilla, fruit, and caramel. The flavor was of sweet malt, tart cherry, fruit, wood, vanilla, dark chocolate, and caramel. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. There was a huge amount going on here if I am honest. My palate actually almost found it quite overwhelming as I had no clue what the Hell was going on at some points during my glass. Granted there were a lot of nice aspects going on at the same time, but they just seemed to be crammed in with a bunch of other things going on. Worth trying if you get the chance, but that’s about it if you were to ask me.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 10:51:48 | More by thagr81us

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Darrell!

The beer is copper hued with a thin, off white head. The aroma brings wild yeast, wine, oak, leather, cherries. The flavor is really aggressive. Big alcohol in the finish. Lots of wild yeast and funk with strong white wine character and a touch of grape skins. Pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 02:30:13 | More by Huhzubendah

largadeer

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance: Rust colored body capped by a thin beige head. Slight haze, but largely clear.

Smell: Acetic and lactic notes from Dissident are prominent, as is leather and smoke from Adam. It's an odd, slightly jarring mix. There's plenty of barrel in here, too, primarily wine and whiskey along with a good bit of raw oak. Cherries pop out a bit as it warms, and there's an unpleasant meaty quality. The Stoic and Fred seem a bit lost in the mix here, overwhelmed by the intense aromas of Adam and Dissident.

Palate: Sweeter than the nose suggests, but still fairly acetic. Cherries and smoke, leather, brown sugar, sherry, whiskey, red wine - plenty going on here, but it's not all harmonious. The body is full and syrupy, carbonation is low. Oak and vinous notes take over the finish, followed by some bourbon barrel burn.

Overall: What an odd mix. Not outright bad, but I'm not sure what the hell they were thinking. This could have been outstanding had Deschutes used Mirror Mirror and Abyss instead of Dissident and Stoic.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 00:51:51 | More by largadeer

gford217

Georgia

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle. Thanks Mark!

Pours dark reddish brown with a very small bubbly tan head that recedes quickly to a thin collar.

Aroma is dominated by Dissident and Stoic - sour cherries, light vinegar notes and brown sugar. As it warms, you can get some of the HotD brews with caramel malts and treacle sweetness. The barrel notes are there but subtle, vanilla and booze in the background.

The taste is much more interesting for me and there is a much better balance of all 4 brews. Some sweet caramel malts, molasses, tobacco and leather - hello Adam. The tart cherries are less dominant but still linger on the palate, as does the hefty ABV content with the barrels just accentuating the boozy finish.

Mouthfeel is big and decadent, both sweet and sour, with low soft carbonation.

This is a great collaboration which thankfully tasted more complex than the aroma suggested. Always fun to see a few different, but great, beers meld together. Not a FW blend, but pretty damn good.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 04:13:36 | More by gford217

dirtylou

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz single, $$$$

appearance: served in my elysian chalice, dark chestnut-amber body, creamy beige lace

smell: holy aroma - Fred jumps out first, followed by the dissident. belgian candi sugars, oak, tart cherries, alcohol

taste: "collage" is an appropriate name here - really layered and complex - I have a hard time getting much Adam from this but Fred is certainly vocal. On the Deschutes side, tart cherry and oak reminds of dissident. I'm not sure I ever had the Stoic but I imagine the abrasive mix of booze and sugar is partially derived from that. Tart cherry, lots of belgian sugar, abrasive alcohol bite, yeast, lots of barrel - pinot noir, oak, bourbon

mouthfeel: big, boozy, full bodied

overall: nice stuff, outrageously priced though

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 01:32:51 | More by dirtylou

beertunes

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a barely translucent mahogany color with less than 1/4 inch of off-white head that had very low retention, it quickly settled into a thin ring, and very light lacing.

The aroma was on the subdued side, some tartness and malts were most noticeable, with some fruit and yeast notes around the edges. Whoa Nellie! This beer hit the tongue with a bold tartness that hinted at sour but wasn't. The above mentioned fruit, yeast, spice and malt were all present, just in a more upfront manner.

The body was very good, bordering on great, full and smooth with tartness adding a nice counter-point. Drinkability was very good for beer this strong, it went down almost too easily. Overall, an excellent beer. A must try, it's available enough that if it's not on your local shelves, a trade will be easy to set up.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 23:40:55 | More by beertunes

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

near 12 dollars for a single 12oz bottle. yikes! this blended beer geek dream pours a very dark ruby red that almost appears brown, if not held up to the light. perfectly clear, half inch off white head that doesnt last long. smells majorly complex, im picking up dried fruit, fresh cranberries, brettanomyces, red wine tannons, vanilla, belgian yeast, and heavy booze. its hard to internalize the nose of this beer. suffice it to say it smells like a slightly sour quad, with plenty of sugars and wood notes. flavor is all of the above, with the quad complexity up front, a burning alcohol middle, and a sharp acidic wine finish. im surprised how much you can feel the alcohol in this. feel is fine, could probably stand some more carbonation, but it isnt flat. the flavors just unravel one after the other. quite remarkable blend really. tons of wood flavor in here, but i think the wine barrels are the strongest flavor, some bourbon in there too, but it is subtle. a true slow sipper as this beer changes as it warms. a good beer to share with a lover as the sun goes down. i can say im glad i tried this, but the cost is insane, and honestly i might just prefer a dissident or stoic on its own, but this was definitely an artistic and patient undertaking.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 16:15:12 | More by StonedTrippin

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

355ml bottle poured into tulip 3/5/13 cheers Rutager for the bottle

A darkest of amber with enough clarity to see the other side under the foam, finger of light tan head quickly falls to a thin film but manages to leave lots of random lace

S sour bruin notes hit me first, all sorts of wood, confusing as all hell to be honest, fortified wine, loads of caramel, fruity berry notes, spicy earth, faint funk, a little booze, unlit ciggy tobacco, rum raisin/Christmas cake, complex to say the least. I could drink this every day of my life and even if I lived to be 108 I don't think I'd figure it out

T more booze, less bruin, still slightly sour but not as much as the nose, fruity caramel works well but its just missing just a little something the nose has going for it. still quite complex but the nose was blowing me away

M thick and syrupy with a sour note, soft carbonation, a little heat but its felt in the chest more then your throat, slight tannins and a mild numbing effect, finish is sour caramel and slightly one the lips

O Crazy strange blend that's working well on so many levels, I love a brew that confuses yet impresses at the same time, did I mention that an 11.6% beer should never go down this easy

I sniff, sip repeat, before I knew it my glass was empty. I never figured this one out but I had a great time trying, now I'm buzzed but I think I'll manage. I'm liking the "Best After Date" and I can only wonder how much its improved since last week, really though this ones worth looking for

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 06:05:29 | More by wordemupg

FosterJM

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1323rd Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
12oz

2012 release
Best after 4/23/13

App- Pours out a multifacedted hue with many colors to it. A bit of burgundy. A bit of red. Has some yellows and light browns around the edges. A one finger khaki head was there and then fell to a nice 1/8" of bubbles with a bit of film on the top. A bit still and thick cordial looking.

Smell- The first smells that come wofting up to the nose are the sherry wine notes. Its fairly sweet with alot of booze stinging the nostrils. A bit of a wine like grape tannins come in from the pinot. Other than that I dont get much. Maybe some citrus like cherry? Its still really young. The barrels are very hidden on the nose.

Taste- I really pick up on the Stoic 1st. The unique combo of those flavors just comes up so quick with the sour of the Dissident. Has a malty like sour cherry note but then a strong malt flavor similar to Adam and Fred with a bit of the creamy Fred flavor and the stong Adam malt bill. Its very tasty. A bit young and sweet with ALOT of room to grow. The barrel notes are really all of over the place and hard to pick out them individually. Mostly again just the sherry.

Mouth- A very medium body with a creamy sweet mix between old ale and some flanders red such as the Dissident. Really like the taste but the feel is just super lush here. A bit of a residual malty/cherry note. A good medium carbonation and a bit of a lip smacker.

Drink- Its got a lot going on in this glass and I see good things for it. I really think the time in the bottle till next year will let it settle and mingle well. A bit powerful with the booze but still very good and again sweet. Maybe borders on cloying but thats okay. As a side note for those looking to compare it to something. JW Lees Sherry Cask. Glad I have 2 more bottles.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 00:01:54 | More by FosterJM

flagmantho

Washington

4.59/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 12oz bottle into a tulip. Label says best after 4/30/13, but I just couldn't wait any longer!

Appearance: deep ruby hue with a haze-free body and a light effervescence. Head is a finger of frothy tan foam. I love the richness of the color.

Smell: now *this* is what a strong ale should smell like. The deep, rich malt featuring plum, raisin, and cherry aromas; the vanilla and wood; the tinge of lactic sourness. Truly a mélange to be savored! Wonderful.

Taste: wow, what an amazing and dynamic flavor. It starts off with a sweet, fruity malt; rather like a quadrupel. Then the more traditional sweet and robust American strong ale character takes over, right as the sourness is starting to kick in. As the sourness mellows a little bit, the wood, vanilla and alcohol come together for the dessert-like finish. The tail end is a subdued sourness and alcohol warmth. What a beer!

Mouthfeel: medium-thick body with a relatively low carbonation but a good, smooth and almost silky creaminess. I like it.

Overall: this beer really floats my boat. It's a little bit hot on a few counts to be perfect, but it is a damn, damn fine brew. Even at ten bucks a bottle, it's not overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:12:44 | More by flagmantho