Conflux No. 1 (Collage) - Deschutes Brewery

Brandywine

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Deep crimson. No head to speak of. Nice alcohol legs and lacing around the sides.

Smell: Sour explosion of fruits. Cherry, strawberry, raspberry and plum. Maybe some blackberry. Super fruity.

Taste: Follows the nose but with lots of different barrel characters. Bourbon comes through on the tip of the tongue, followed by a very well blended but subtle spiciness from the rye whiskey. Definitely some red wine characters at the back of the tongue, which all of the berry notes blend seamlessly into. There is also a very subtle smokiness that must come from Adam. Overall the most dominant of the beers in collaboration here is the Dissident as the sour lays the foundation. Finishes off with a nice bit of tannic dryness that helps clear the palate.

Mouthfeel: On the full side of medium. Just enough carbonation to move things along.

Overall: This is just an awesome, crazy, complex beer. Really looking forward to seeing how it ages. Grab a few bottles. Have one now and cellar the rest.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:49:52 | More by Brandywine

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

brystmar

Texas

2.08/5  rDev -50.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

"Best after 4/30/13." I'd suggest waiting even longer.

Muddy brown body, pretty ugly, and geez does that smell awful. Holy balls, keep that shit away from my nose. Note to self: don't use sherry barrels alongside anything else.

The flavor profile here is a great example of the poker term "FPS" (fancy play syndrome). There are far too many things going on here for its own good. In purely barrel terms, sherry mixing with bourbon and oak is a bad idea. On top of that, you have overly aggressive flavor profiles from multiple base beers clashing as they age. The decision to blend this many bold flavors together was a poor one.

This was my second time with Conflux #1 since its release, and my opinion of it hasn't changed. I love HotD and Deschutes, but this is an awful clusterfuck of a beer. Perfect example of FPS leading brewers awry.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 04:28:33 | More by brystmar

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

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice murky brown/amber color to it. It has a nice beige head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves little lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of toffee, caramel, vanilla, cherries and oak.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has some sweet toffee and caramel along with some vanilla, cherries, red wine notes and woody oak.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 20:25:20 | More by SebD

DovaliHops

California

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a murky, red mahogany color with a small off-white head. Scent is quite inviting. I can tell right away that this is a very complex beer. At first I get a sour/funky acidic aroma (most likely from Dissident). It quickly turns to cooked brown sugar or molasses and dark fruits. Some sweet caramel and toffee notes linger in the nose with sweet whiskey and even some sherry aromas. Some definite oak with a hint of pinot. Red and green grapes...both sour and sweet. There is a hell of a lot going on with this beer, and I love it! Taste was just what I was looking for. The complexities carry through with the flavor. Tart cherry flavors at first, followed by some familiar white and green grape flavors I got from Fred and Stoic. Although Stoic was not one of my favorite releases, I think it played a big part in this beer. Adam comes through with the malty sweetness on the back of the tongue. The dark fruits and caramel malt flavors compliment the finish on this well-crafted brew. All the different barrel aging is hard to pin-point, but there are some definite whiskey and pinot wine flavors. I'm not too familiar with sherry or dessert wine, but I definitely pick some up. Mouthfeel is full bodied, tart, and richly sweet at the same time. Drinkability is high for this sipper...clocking in at almost 12%. Not nearly as much booziness as one would expect. Overall, this is an outstanding brew that I highly recommend. Drink one now, and save one for the "best after" date. Drinkin well now, and could possibly improve, although I don't see how it could become more complex than it already is. Delicious!

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 06:47:47 | More by DovaliHops

allouez86

Minnesota

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

12oz bottle into a shifter.

Dark red in appearence. Zero head but that's what I expected.

Smell is tart cherry and caramel. Slight hints of whisky in the nose as well.

The cherries are way more subdued in the taste but there is so much happening here. Sherry, cognac, whisky, caramel. It's sweet and has many characteristics of a barlewine but every time I pinpoint a flavor something else jumps out at me and it's near impossible to classify this brew. Finishes both sweet and slightly sour.

Mouthfeel is slightly thicker than I'd anticipated. Very low carbonation levels.

A very enjoyable drinking experience. I'm very excited to have a handful in the cellar and more on the way. With a best after date of April 30, 2013, I'll definitely be editing my review later down the road.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 23:40:26 | More by allouez86

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pour is a murky dark brown with a thin dark tan head. Nose has a bit of dark olive underneath with strong plum notes and a hint of acetic acid. Taste is similar, has notes of Adam underneath the sour plum and black cherry notes. A hint of an acidic twang in back on a creamy body and crisply carbonated finish.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 18:40:30 | More by cpetrone84

Etan

Illinois

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

12oz bottle into a Maine Beer Company wine glass.

A: Pours a murky brownish ruby with a decent egg shell head.

S: Vinegar, oak, clean alcohol, some muted malt and barrel notes behind (brown sugar, caramel).

T: Mild tannic sourness from Dissident, cherry juice, and plenty of Adam's unique maltiness (leather, earthy, burnt caramel). A bit of noticeable pale malt sweetness from Fred.

M: Medium to thick-bodied with very light carbonation.

O: Doesn't make my jaw drop, but it's pretty interesting and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 00:37:45 | More by Etan

bum732

Maryland

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

S: Oak, some flanders red notes, slight tart cherries, some richness

L: Cloudy dark brown, little head.

T: Rich maltiness with a tart, slightly funky cherry note. Lots of wine notes with slight tannins. Low bitterness leading to additional tart cherry wood maltiness. Finishes slightly dry with some cherry-like tannins. Some bourbon as it warms.

M: Medium bodied, medium low carbonation. Tannic. Alcohol fairly well hidden.

Not bad, an interesting beer. Not sure if everything worked together. Why they chose to blend the Stoic is bizarre. Maybe it will improve with age? Who knows.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 01:44:16 | More by bum732

beesy

Ohio

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

Poured from a 12 oz glass into a Pumking Goblet.

A - pours a murky medium brown with a half finger of spritzy medium khaki colored head.

S - sour, tart cherries, caramel, toffee, woody, vanilla, vinegar

T - wow - lots going on in the one...how many different barrels/casks was this aged in again? The Dissident is very apparent lending its sourness. Lots of caramel and toffee notes paired with cherries. As it warm, chocolate notes appear. The ending is slightly dry with a noticeable red wine, grape, white raisin, vanilla and barrel taste. No hop flavor or bitterness detected. Fairly smooth for 11+ ABV, most likey due to exteneded barrel aging. Cherry lingers on the palate.

M - full bodied. Gives the impression of dryness on the late palate.

D - low for me. There is a ton going on in this guy and it's slighlty confused on what it wants to be. I am trying to let it warm as I've noticed the profiles change as its warmed and breathed.

Overall, a very solid, interesting beer with lots going. I did find myself enjoying it more as it warmed and breathed. Worth the $13 price tag, I'm not so sure. Its an interesting blend of some beers that stand fantastically on their own but I think the whole fails to give a final product that is better than the sum of the parts. Glad I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 22:38:28 | More by beesy

mudbug

Oregon

4.68/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the 12 oz. bottle into a wine goblet with an aggressive pour results in a one inch off white bubbly head that falls quickly into a thin cap, very little lacing noted.
Aroma is moderate and complex, you need to take time with this one. If you are familiar with the base beers you will pick up the nuances of them, for me it was the Stoic fruit that was forefront. Otherwise it's a miasma of stone fruit, wood, and berries with caramel syrup.
Taste is a game changer tangy sour cherries, drying rye whiskey,puckering lemon rind, Oak. deep malt sweetness. WOW!
This is so good now, even before the best by date, I will edit this in a year with the next tasting for sure, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of fives

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 05:29:01 | More by mudbug

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

huge thanks to ArchEnemyBrew for trading me this bottle! Thanks Hollis!

poured into Duvel Tulip.

Appearance: dirty dark brown bodied beer with a small off white cap of head that drops to lace around the glass. Spotty lace.

Smell: This has a ton of things going on in the nose. The tart cherries of the dissident seem to pop out immediately. A big caramel note is present as well. Lots of barrel notes in the beer as well....wines notes and whiskey notes seem the most prominent. The adam contributes earthy, woody, and leather notes. Fred and the rye barrels add some spicey notes. In general, I am getting alot of white grapes and pears, red fruits, and dark fruit notes. Really busy and complex nose that interestely unique!

Taste: The beer starts off with tarts cherries with a vinous, earthy, and oak notes. The beer has a hint of spice and vanilla and caramel sweetness. The beer starts to get sweet and fruity about mid palate on through to the finish. There is really so much going on in this beer that I cant even figure everything out; when you drink it your like: What just happened? because this beer has sooo much complexity and little nuances mixed with some really powerful flavors like every good big beer should deliver. This beer really makes you think as you drink it. Cherries and oak notes are in this beer from start to finish thats without a doubt The Dissident in the beer. Leather and fig and raisins are Adam's contribution of flavor in this beer. The Stoic gives big fruitiness from the white grape notes in this beer that compliment the vinous notes from the wine barrels. Fred adds to the mildly spicey rye notes in this beer and compliments it well. Very complex beer and complicated beer. If this beer had a gender... it would have to be female because its that complex and difficult to understand.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low end of moderate carbonation. This beer has a touch of heat that is warming with a small burn to it. Just enough carbonation to keep the beer from feeling syrupy.

Overall: This was quite a brain child of Dischutes and Hair of the Dog. It had to take alot of effort and skill to blend and barrel age the 4 base beers in all the different barrel treatments the two breweries used. It a tribute to what a bit of creativity can do in the hands of genius brewmasters. Probably one of the coolest collaborations that I have had the privilage to drink. I sipped in this beer and really appreciated all the hard work / skill it took to make this 12oz serving of beer that I am drinking. Named quite appropriately as well. Its flavors even translate well with the name and the theme set for the beer. I love the fact that I have drank Adam, Fred,The Stoic and I can find all three of these beer in this great "collage" of these beers. Wasnt sure if this beer was going to be a big hot mess, but I think its a mighty fine complex beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 04:15:20 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into my HotD tulip. Served at cellar temp.

A: Appears a dark dark gold, nearly brown but it is transparent...low visible carbonation, very little off-white head, decent alcohol feet.

S: Cherry and oak jump right out of this...the initial aromas remind me of a Flanders, but underneath that there is plenty of sweet caramel...definitely unique, and almost Faro-ish. Red wine notes, figs, maybe even wet tobacco leaf and leather.

T: Oak tart cherries pop the palate open but quickly melt effortlessly into miles of sweet caramel malt and sugary notes as Fred makes his presence known. Dark sticky stone fruit mix with the sweet candy-like caramel...finishes a bit dry, and vinous. Cherry kind of sticks around from beginning to end, and there are great oaky notes from the barrel throughout. There is Brett in here for sure, and I could see it working well throughout this beer in a few months.

MF: Fuller bodied, light carbonation , a touch of alcohol with a little burn. Tart and vinous at times.

O: This beer has definitely got some sour/lambic notes, and there is a lot going on...it almost feels a bit jumbled, but the barrels and malt backbone do seem to balance it out some. 12oz was tough for a non-sour guy to finish, but overall this beer scores pretty well for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 16:44:01 | More by Scotchboy

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.8/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review #500
Special thanks to kristalynn for this amazing bottle.
Conflux No. 1
Deschutes The Stoic, Dissident and Hair of The Dog Fred and Adam aged in Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak. Bottled May 2012.

Bottle into tulip.

A- Muddled, murky brown with red hues. Half finger large bubbled, off white head. Lacing is okay.

S- Having never had The Stoic or Dissident I can't comment on what qualities they've contributed to this so my review will be a generalization. Right up front you get some red wine and some strong vanilla from the bourbon barrels. Brown sugar, figs, dates, definite new oak aroma. There is some alcohol presence and some shoe leather and tobacco in there along with some strawberries.

There is A LOT! going on in this beer.

T- Again there is a LOT going on in here. Right up front you get the vinous characteristics from the Pinot Noir barrels. Followed by the whiskey influence, throw in some dark stone fruits and some vanilla, brown sugar and a whole heck of a lot of char, leather and cherries and you get this beer.

M- Syrupy, heavy side of medium body, sticky on the lips.

O- This is something I'd never imagine trying. It's just an amazing colaboration. There is so much going on here that to fully appreciate I'd need multiple bottles and to have also tried the other two base beers I haven't had before.

Regardless this is something worth seeking and savouring.

Here's to 500 reviews and many, many, many more! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 19:25:56 | More by korguy123

brotherloco

California

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

12oz bottle. Best after 4/30/13. Served in a snifter.

Pours a dirty hazy brown with not much of a head. Pretty much just forms a ring. A few swaths of lacing.

Aroma reminds me most of a Flanders Red, but underpinned by earthy, spirit notes. A lot of malt. Vinous notes are strong along with herbal hints like mint and lemongrass.

Flavor is seriously complex. A malt sweetness hits first with strong caramel notes. Next up is a strong tartness on top of the tongue. Lots of oak and barrel flavors. Finishes with a lemony citrus flavor with lots of herbal notes. Alcohol sneaks out in the finish and adds a bit of sting. Lingering aftertaste very similar to a red wine.

Medium-full bodied with medium-low carbonation. Thickens as each sip finishes. Appropriate for a beer this big.

A very interesting blended beer. Maybe not better than it's greatest components, but cool none the less.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 03:41:24 | More by brotherloco

MADhombrewer

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Muddy red. No head. Small ring of tan bubbles.  Good lacing though. Which is weird. 4/5

Smell- leather, wood, dark dried fruits. Tart dried cherries.  4.5/5

Taste- Tart, dried cherries.  Some plumb and fig flavors as well. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel- Medium mouthfeel. Perfect for this beer. 5/5

Overall- Outstanding beer. I will have to get another for my cellar to see how it is in a couple of years. 4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 03:51:56 | More by MADhombrewer

zeledonia

Minnesota

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

Tasted 3 September 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours deep, clear, slightly reddish amber. Just a thin layer of off-white head, okay retention, not much lacing. Not the best-looking beer.

Smell is all about other alcohols. Red wine, whiskey, cognac, all backed up by a very solid malt base. The barrels dominate the smell, but there are so many of them, and they meld so well together, that I'm really liking it.

Taste is an amalgam of those same characteristics, but things clash a bit more. The red wine is a bit more prominent, especially the grape-skin tannins kicking in late, and the sharper flavors of the liquors come out more. My biggest complaint, though, is that I can't pick up much of the base beers in this. I'd say there's more quad than anything else, but I get a whole mess of flavors, and it's tough to parse them out.

Mouthfeel is quite good. Juicy, full, and sticky, but with exactly the amount of carbonation I want to prevent it being too much of a weight in my mouth. Very nice.

This is a bruiser of a beer; big, bold, and beautiful. It's a bit hot, and I'm hoping a bit of time will allow the flavors to meld better. They do just fine in the smell, but in the taste they're still battling with each other. But a very worthy concoction, all told.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:11:22 | More by zeledonia

Pahn

New York

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

12oz bottle split 2 ways into snifters. Thanks to BA KevSal for sending this in a recent trade!

Appearance: Careful pour yields a half inch frothy offwhite head that dissipates steadily. Pours a murky red brown with yellowish highlights and leaves a few spots of lacing.

Smell: Tartness, oak, a little acetic, some Adam-esque (dialed WAY down) maltiness.

Taste: Smooth nutty and creamy flavors up front, with lots of oak. Gets more sour midpalate through finish. Bit bitter and astringent like Dissident, but not clashing. "Not clashing," is the story of this beer; great wine barrel highlights, strong American oak influence, nutty and almost coffee and caramel like malt flavors, all working beautifully together. Easy beer to love--doesn't taste anywhere near as muddled as "We blended 4 unrelated beers and barrel aged them," would make you expect.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Hot. Pretty creamy. Sufficiently carbonated.

Overall: Love it. Greater than the sum of its parts, and it's the sum of some pretty high class parts.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 21:43:49 | More by Pahn

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

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours murky brown with red hues. Small wispy head with lacing down the glass.

Very complex aroma. Lots of tart fruit from the sherry and pinot. Wood, whiskey and vanilla as well.

Some tart cherry up front along with a lot of notes from the Adam. Leather, tobacco and figs with heavy caramel. Some juicy red wine notes comes in before it finishes hot and heavy with the cognac. Grape and booze on the finish. Flavors meld very well. Not a fan of all of them individually, but overall I love this.

Full bodied. Good solid mouthfeel with low, but still present carbonation levels. Alcohol burn at the end, but more of a fruity cognac/sherry than a harsh whiskey.

Excellent beer and looking forward to seeing how this ages. Not the absolute best beer I've ever had, but very complex and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 22:59:15 | More by jmarsh123

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

homebrewhawk

Kansas

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle served in a snifter. Poured a deep amber with a thin off white head. Tart aroma with some oak and vanilla. The Dissident really seems to come out in the beginning with some tart fruit. The barrel comes out more in the middle. The finish is really long with toffee and vanilla. I thought that there would be more alcohol, but it was pretty restrained. Medium to full bodied. Very complex beer with a lot going on. I'm glad that I grabbed another bottle to try on the "best after" day.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 01:25:52 | More by homebrewhawk

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz, Best after 4/30/13
Tired Hands chalice

A: Pours out a deep murky red color. Basically no head other than a ring of off white around the edges. There is carbonation that I can see. Tons of alcohol feet. Swirl leaves some spotty lacing.

S: I smelled it as soon as I cracked, that tart cherry note. Similar to a Flanders. Underneath it you get that leather, that wood, that slight vanilla. Some toffee. It's an amazing nose. Complex to say the least. Also, some smoke.

T: Up front, you get that tart cherry that you smelled. Tartness and bitter on the tip of the tongue. Then the other flavors co-mingle in there. A lot of that old ale character, malt goodness. Some caramel and toffee. Slight vanilla. And this is still cold....

M: Full bodied and deep. Very chewy.

O: A+

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 18:44:31 | More by inlimbo77

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a hazy dark amber/brown color with a half finger of head. Active carbonation is apparent and head retention is decent.

S: Very complex - I get lots of red wine and whiskey up front. Sour cherries and raspberries are also quite strong with a bit of caramel sweetness and acetic acidity in the background.

T: Very similar to smell, but even more complex. Strong red wine and rye whiskey are still up front, but now I get chocolate covered sour cherries in the background. There is a mild sour cherry tartness, but it's not overpowering by any means and melds well with chocolate, toffee, oak, and a hint of smoke. This is insanely complex.

M: Medium to full bodied with adequate carbonation.

O: Extremely complex, very tasty. This is also very drinkable. I drank a 12oz bottle in less than 15 minutes. It reminds me of a nice port, but with better drinkability. I need to buy more.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:36:01 | More by coreyfmcdonald