Allies Win The War! - 21st Amendment Brewery

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.44/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

12oz can poured into globe. review from notes

This beer was brewed with dates according to the side blurb. The look is a dark amber, smell is malty and slightly spiced. The taste is a big, very flavorful, multi-layered ale. Dark fruit(dates, raisins), malted milk balls, spicy alcohol, and earthy hops.

This may be a great drink to some, but I had a hard time finishing the pack.

Serving type: can

04-01-2013 02:19:13 | More by jimmah120

flexabull

California

3.69/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This is the Ninkasi brewed version of this beer, 22 ounce bottle.

Pours a bright and clear copper color with a very nice white head. Looks excellent in the glass.

Aromas are of dust, bread, fruits, and cider. Not unpleasant, but a bit underwhelming.

Taste starts out with a light cider flavor, crisp apple, some brewed tea, nuts and baked bread. The beer then settles into some caramel and creamy sweetness, while the finish is crisp, it is also a bit fleeting.

Mouthfeel is smooth and soft, maybe a touch light, but still nice.

Overall, a pretty solid beer. It's well balanced and flavorful enough, but it's certainly subtle, and not going to wow many people. I enjoyed it though.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 03:29:15 | More by flexabull

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.18/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle that says "Second Special Release: Allies Win The War!" Brewed and bottled by Ninkasi, but it seems like it's probably the same beer?

A: Light head swims atop a clear maple beer.

S: Sweet fruit, bland malt, not much else. Lightly spicy.

T: Sweet fruit, bland malt, not much else. Lightly spicy....

O: Underwhelming, but not unpleasant. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 06:32:06 | More by AgentMunky

Braz

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Got at Tacoma Boys. Clear garnet color with a sudsy cream colored head that recedes to a light froth. Smells of dark fruit, pine resin and has an almost floor cleaner like smell. Just slight not abundant. Dates present in flavor though if not read off label may not have been able to place. Very surprising amount of hops. Decently balanced at same time. Finish is more refreshing than bitter. Quite good with interesting qualities. The fruitiness was done to a very correct amount. More would be too abundant but less would be like too many beers that advertise an ingredient you can't taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 16:46:38 | More by Braz

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap into a shaker glass at the Ninkasi Tasting Room

A- Poured a rich dark mahogany color with a frothy off-white head with big bubbles that left glass coating lace. Really nice looking beer.

S- Big date/raisin notes and big sweet caramel, pungent piney, herbal and citrus hops

T- Big sweet caramel backbone, dates, rich fruitiness like a belgian dark ale, followed by big juicy and pungent citrus, piney, and some light pineapple hops

M- Very smooth, almost creamy, medium carbonation

O- An outstanding beer with a wonderful malt backbone and big hop presence. A really unique and satisfying beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2013 15:28:47 | More by Hoptometrist

thegodfather1076

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: The presentation on this beer is A+++. The can has the look of an old vintage newspaper with an extensive background story on the beer as the text as well as IBU and ABV information. Very Very Cool!!!

Appearance: I chose to pour the 12oz can into a 16oz English pint for this offering. Allies pours out a deep caramel brown with 2 finger tan gold head of medium density. Head retention was a full 3min before fading to a thick coating and ring. I experienced excellent lacing with this offering.

Smell/Aroma: Dates and dark fruits are smelled immediately and along with a nice hop scent dominate the aroma throughout. Caramel malts and a sightly toasty scent are also detectable in the nose. The alcohol is masked excellently in aroma.

Flavor/Taste: A sweet date flavor hits the palette quickly before giving way to the dark fruits and then finally to a nice toasty malty finish all this rides atop a hop backbone. Again the alcohol is masked excellently in the flavor.

MouthFeel/Drinkability: Medium bodied win an average amount of carbonation. Allies has a smooth and slightly creamy mouthfeel. I would rate this as semi-drinkable because it is a bit filling and the flavor may not be for everyone.

Overall/Comments: This was a very interesting beer that was unique with a different flavor profile from anything that I have tasted previously. I am a big fan of both of these breweries and was excited to try this collaboration and I was not disappointed. Consumed between 21st Amendment Brewery and Ninkasi Brewery. Classified as an English Strong Ale at 8.5% ABV. Consumed 12-21-12.

Serving type: can

01-17-2013 10:34:14 | More by thegodfather1076

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the can.

Rich copper in colour with a cream-coloured, foamy head. Pervasive citrus-hop aroma with sweet-malt and dates. It is very sweet in taste, but also had a nice hop presence. It had a mellow sweetness, with the date-flavour noticeable, and a hop-flavour finish.

Would I buy it again? Probably not... too rich to drink more than a couple.

Serving type: can

01-08-2013 19:45:27 | More by NilocRellim

VernonKell

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pored from a can into a tulip glass. Dark amber and clear in complexion. Head about one finger and slowly recedes into a thin covering with a middling amount of lacing. Aroma is hoppy and sweet. Bitter and very hop forward but that gives way to a fruity sweetness. Overall very drinkable and the high abv isn't noticeable. A nice wintery brew!

Serving type: can

11-22-2012 01:53:16 | More by VernonKell

henrysunset

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark amber hue, and clearly filtered, and quite carbonated and a tall head of foam. I smell is really sweet and very floral, and kinda smells like it has turned slightly.

Malty, and mellow and modest, and while somehow 8.5 abv. Really nice actually, I will enjoy this slowly. Nutty, and sweet, and tart.

Mouthfeel is smooth, and drinkability is high. This is a good beer, and unlikely to have more than one in a sitting though.

Serving type: can

11-17-2012 03:11:32 | More by henrysunset

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured from 12 oz can into a pint glass, color is a dark tan brown with a lively 1.5" light tan head that quickly dissipates leaving some lacing, hazy and viscous looking
S: bitter citrus hops, lots of sour fruits, quite pungent alcohol, honey
T: bitter hops up front that quickly moves to sweet raisin dates and plums, finish is thick, alcohol is prevalent
M: thick and oily, leaves a coating on the tongue
O: good brew for a cold winter evening, plenty of flavor but the feel is thick and the alcohol taste is too prevalent and un-balances the beer

Serving type: can

11-09-2012 01:41:36 | More by M_C_Hampton

russwbeck

Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Viscous brown pour with about two fingers of light brown head. It looks like a thick beer, but some bubbles make their way through it.

S: The dates (or, at least, some dark fruits) dominate the aroma not unlike a quad. Roasted and caramel malts provide the base. Both overcome any booze and make this a really sweet smelling beer.

T: The taste continues the sweet theme. Dark fruits, and malts, as in the aroma, dominate the taste. The balance is pretty nice, while the sweetness is at the forefront it isn't offensive at all. The finish is roasty.

MF: Not nearly as thick a body as I was expecting, it actually hinted towards watery at some points. Lower amount of carbonation than I would have expected from the pour as well.

O: This was pretty average. I don't know what I expected from a strong ale brewed with dates, but I guess I was hoping for a bit more. I think the body hasn't held up all that well, and maybe the next batch will be a but fuller.

Serving type: can

11-03-2012 17:10:56 | More by russwbeck

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: This beer poured a crazy two finger frothy cream colored head that has reduced a bit and left some nice lacing. It is an amber/mahogany color with good clarity and signs of carbonation coming up through the glass.

Smell: Mild caramel and crystal malts. Not really much else is going on here.

Taste: A little better than what I smelled. Picking up some tobacco and coffee notes. Nice warming boozy alcohol on the end. Some tea like characteristics too.

Mouthfeel: creamy smooth, warming alcohol, medium to full bodied, low to medium carbonation, silky, a little lingering bitterness, and quite enjoyable.

Overall: Not too familiar with the style, but I guess this is a good entry. A little pale and barleywine characters blended into one. Pretty interesting and drinkable.

Serving type: can

10-29-2012 23:53:03 | More by Flounder57

mgironta

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This brew poured a deep, clear mahogany color with lots of active carbonation. The head was about half a finger and pure white. It dissipated pretty quickly and left no lacing on the glass. The nose was definitely not what I expected. At first, I got some earthy hops, which then followed up with some dates and toffee. The taste was definitely not as good as the nose. The taste starts with the toffee sweetness that I picked up in the nose, but then the hops come pretty abruptly. I also got a bit of toasted malts and raisins. The brew was a little over carbonated and the booze was pretty apparent in the finish that was thankfully quick. I tend to like the brews from 21st Amendment, but unfortunately, this was not one of them. I was surprised how much I disliked this one…almost a drain pour. I wouldn’t have this again.

Serving type: can

09-16-2012 22:51:53 | More by mgironta

elgiacomo

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz canned on October 26, 2011. Nearly a year old now. Served at around 50F.

Pours clear red/copper with a three finger light beige head that leaves walls and rings of lacing and holds a very nice cap.

Aroma is dark fruits, the dates are there, raisins, cherries, apples, some toffee and caramel, bread, a bit of floral hops. Good strength.

Flavor is dark fruits, dates, raisins, cherries, toffee, brown sugar, caramel, bread/toast, perhaps a bit of earthy hops, a bit of sweetness, mild bitterness, mild alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, a bit sticky, good carbonation.

Nice brew. Kind of like an Old Ale ’Lite’. Not to say this is a light beer by any means, just not quite as robust, rich and big as other Old Ales can be. However, this helps drinkability...goes down nicely.

Serving type: can

09-03-2012 02:57:09 | More by elgiacomo

vfgccp

New York

3.73/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Beautiful deep mahogany maple. Fine white head. Ok retention and lace.

S - Unique nose, dry and loaded with fruit. Cranberry, raisins, dates, and fresh figs.

T - Warm booze with a tart, dry palate of figs and prunes. Light hazelnut center. Woody hop finish.

M - Medium/light body. Nice carbonation.

O - A bit of a style bender, I'd almost call it a Belgian barleywine.

P.s. I don't know who does their marketing, but this beer comes in some of the best brand packaging in the industry. Kudos.

Serving type: can

08-26-2012 20:02:56 | More by vfgccp

RockyTopHeel

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm a huge fan of 21st Amendment generally, so I'm excited to give this one a try.

Pours a rich ruby-brown with a thin layer of off-white bubbles. Aroma of hoppy bitterness and dark fruit.

The bitterness of the hops and the sweetness of the dates play together nicely here, giving this big beer a good balance and depth. This is much lighter on the tongue than I expected -- and it's great.

Serving type: can

08-05-2012 23:51:44 | More by RockyTopHeel

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. can into a tulip glass. Pours a beautiful ruby color with a thin ivory colored head. The aroma is muted, sweet with brown sugar, grapes and honey. Taste is smooth, slightly malty, with sweet dark fruit, cherry, and brown sugar flavors. Mildly bitter and dry at the finish, this ale leaves the tongue dry and sticky. A pleasant, medium bodied ale, this doesn't have the cloying sweetness that so many other winter ales do. Worth a try.

Serving type: can

07-24-2012 01:31:52 | More by TheHoppiest

BeerManDan

California

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

The color when poured, was a clean, clear, medium dark brown, with a redish hue. The smell of roasted malts, light hint of pine hops and a sweet alcohol aroma was evident. The taste had roasted malts, mild pine hop flavor, with a hint of caramel. Also, a bitter/sweet finsh, that just might be a little to sweet, but barely. Overall, a nice English Strong Ale.

Serving type: can

07-14-2012 23:01:49 | More by BeerManDan

GilGarp

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Canned 10/26/2011.

Served cold into a goblet, Allies Win the War! Is a dark chestnut brown color with good clarity. Almost no head is formed as it's poured, unfortunately.

Aroma is sweet and malty with a dark fruit character. I was expecting it to be more like a Belgian strong dark ale but it's clearly English.

Flavor is strong but balanced with flavor from the dates coming through better than expected. It is sweet, nutty, and slightly toasty with a nice warming finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and low in carbonation, which is good for the style.

Overall a solid American version of the style but not up to par with the English originals.

Serving type: can

07-12-2012 22:32:07 | More by GilGarp

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It has been a slow 4th of July since many places are closed for the mid-week holiday including the weekly trivia game at one of my locals so I am focusing on The CANQuest (TM) instead.

From the CAN (and what a CAN it is!): "Special Edition Extra 52 IBUs Extra 8.5% Alc./Vol."; "Allies Win the War!"; "Ale Brewed with Dates"; [a doctored photo with the caption] "Ninkasi's Jamie Floyd with 21st Amendment's Shaun O'Sullivan and Nico Freccia at a secret camp in the Sierras"; "21st Amendment anfd Ninkasi Uite to Brew Beer for the World"; "In a surprising turn opf events, rival superpowers have joined forces to bring a beer of might to the world. According to top-secret documents, recently unclassified, brewmasters for 21st Amendment in California and Ninkasi in Oregon began their brewing careers together many years ago. Leaders from the two breweries reunited recently at a secret camp in the Sierras to devise their master plan. 'We are more alike than we are different,' said 21st Amendment's Shaun O'Sullivan. 'We must unite in our common cause,' added Ninkasi's Jamie Floyd. The resulting collaboration, an ale brewed with California dates, an aggressive arsenal of all Northwest hops and an unmistakable aroma of victory, deals a unified blow to unoriginal beers around the world."

Dates, eh? It reminds me of my favorite "Far Side" cartoon in which a streetwalking carrot stands below a lamppost holding out something in her hand to a passing stalk of celery in a sailor's Cracker Jack Dress Blue uniform. The caption read, "Hey, Celery, how about a date?"

Onward! The Crack & Glug was a total success and produced a finger-and-a-half of dense, deep-tan head with great retention in the face of today's humidity. Color was a deep mahogany with ruby highlights and NE-quality clarity. Nose had a fruity astringency as though the dates were fighting with the yeast for supremacy. The war never ends! Mouthfeel was full, not quite creamy, and with a rich, fruity taste that would be better served in the colder months. The CANQuest (TM) knows no calendar, however, and indulges when the moment arises. The finish was semi-sweet, allowing the fruit to linger but for the alcohol to assert itself at the same time. I am CANtemplating a trip to AC next week to hit the shore and I might just put a couple of these in the cooler. Good stuff!

Serving type: can

07-05-2012 01:21:23 | More by woodychandler

UCLABrewN84

California

3.95/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Haven Gastropub in Pasadena, CA.

Pours a hazy orange-brown with a foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. A foamy curtain of lace coats the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, candied fruit, brown sugar, and caramel. Taste is much the same with some slight spice flavors on the finish. There is a mild level of bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice aromas and flavors that make it quite drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2012 01:09:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

mattcrill

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Aroma: Moderate dark fruit esters up front. Some background earthy hop bitterness and just a hint of alcohol warmth.

Appearance: Deep ruby colored pour with thick and sudsy white head that retains well.

Flavor: Light molasses character, more dark fruit flavors, a strong earthy hop bitterness providing a nice counterpoint, and hints of dark roasted nuts that you would expect given the recipe and flavor profile. Finish is crisp and dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium-high carbonation. Just a slight carbonic bite and a touch of alcohol warmth.

Overall impression: I loved it. I enjoyed the traditional English base, some fruit and nut character, and an "Americanized" hop forward approach that really lends itself to a unique and complex beer. Worth consideration and I'll be back for another 4 pack!

Serving type: can

06-24-2012 21:27:56 | More by mattcrill

AwYeh

California

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Jesse13713 for sharing a can of this with me.

A: Pours a thick dark brown, with half a finger of thick, off-white head which clings closely to the glass. Perfectly clear, despite its darkness.

S: Very sweet; lots of biscuity, plummy flavors to be had here. Definitely holds the sentiment of the winter months, with spicy herbs, brown sugar, and the can-advertised dates all very prevalent.

T: Taste follows from the smell; brown sugar, caramel and bready malts, and molasses open things before being complemented by the dates and a light, resiny bitterness (perhaps other hop flavors would have been more pronounced if this beer was younger).

M: Smooth, with pretty low carbonation; and despite the beer's medium-thick body it's doesn't leave the big, lasting finish that I was hoping for given the big flavors present. This made the beer go a bit faster than I probably would have liked. Still, not so far below average that anything really detracted from my enjoyment of the other parts of the beer.

O: Pretty easy to drink while being quite tasty and complex. Will be interesting to revisit once I've had more actual English English Strong Ales and see how my opinion changes.

Serving type: can

06-23-2012 22:10:16 | More by AwYeh

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Allies Win The War! opens with a sweet, dark fruit aroma, the fact that the beer has been brewed with dates immediately apparent. The sweet date notes blend nicely with brown sugars, toast crust, molasses, and touches of vanilla from the malts, as well as pink grapefruit spritzer and light pine resin from the hops, the latter two aromas bringing both a nice counter in the brightness of grapefruit and the bitterness of resin. As a whole, the nose is very enticing, the sugars quite aromatic, with just enough breads and hops to balance everything out. The aroma does tend to fade after a few seconds, marking a slight weakness, but still manages to beg to be tasted.

On the tongue, the beer is highly sweet, the dark date sugars immediately noticeable, but blending extremely well with grapefruit and pine hops, as well as molasses, brown sugar, toast crust, toasted nut, pepper, and a mélange of orange, nectarine, and berry from the malts. In subsequent sips the date sugars do fade somewhat, slightly overtaken by the 52 IBUs, but the sugars as a whole still retain enough potency to be delicious. Late in the mouthful a stronger rye bread or whole wheat toast crust comes forward momentarily as the sugars die off, replaced in the aftertaste by grapefruit and pine hops, which linger on the tongue for a good while. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is very good beer, and it’s nice to see an unusual ingredient such as dates being used in such spectacular fashion, blending nicely with the other flavors and enhancing them, rather than becoming the focal point. The fact that the date flavors are overtaken in subsequent mouthfuls by the hops is somewhat of a letdown, but the beer is still very good, and worth trying.

Serving type: can

06-15-2012 16:50:28 | More by jondeelee

adamette

Ohio

2.6/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Purchased at World Wines & Liquor in Mentor a long while ago as a part of an interesting looking four pack in a box covered in newspaper print, I poured the contents of this can into a clean, clear glass. "Canned on" date of 10/26/11 stamped on the bottom of the can.

A Translucent dark body that glows mahogany in front of direct light under a light brown creamy smooth head that clings nicely to the inside of the glass.

S Medium malt, dark fruit and, yes, dates (can mentions that it is brewed with dates) rise up from the creamy head.

T Strong dark fruit presence in this one with a not so well hidden alcohol content and a bite of bitter hops near the end on the back of my tongue which is not all that pleasing.

M A bit harsh as suggested in my taste notes. It is possibly to style but it is off-putting to me.

D Not all that high. I would reach for other less harsh beers than this. I admit this is not my favorite style.

Serving type: can

06-15-2012 03:59:07 | More by adamette