All Souls Ale 2012 (Dark Tripel) - Big Sky Brewing Company

zeledonia

Minnesota

2.13/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Bottle 264 of 1200. Tasted 25 June 2012, reviewed from notes.

Pours a syrupy medium-dark amber, pretty clear. Almost no head, no matter how hard I poured. Just a tiny little cap that was gone in a second. No lacing. Color is nice, but not much else is.

Smell is malty and fruity, and definitely the highlight. Doesn't have the Belgian-style yeast aromas I expect. Medium-dark fruits like figs.

Taste started out with a touch of fruit, before it fell into a dark alcohol bitterness. There might be some hops fueling the fire, but primarily I get the alcohol. My only explanation is that there are so few things adding flavor, that there's nothing to hide the alcohol burn. Weird, and decidedly unpleasant.

Mouthfeel is slick, flat, just barely drier than water. It does nothing to accentuate the flavors or relieve me of the unpleasant ones.

I really didn't like this beer. I found it flat and dull, and it mostly tasted like alcohol. There wasn't much in it that was reminiscent of a tripel. It's like drinking straight alcohol with some mild flavoring.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 16:59:37 | More by zeledonia

Jameswoody

Montana

2.75/5  rDev -10.1%

04-29-2013 19:44:06 | More by Jameswoody

jheezee

Texas

3.5/5  rDev +14.4%

02-04-2013 18:20:14 | More by jheezee

DeekNayvuz

Montana

3.25/5  rDev +6.2%

01-11-2013 06:12:46 | More by DeekNayvuz

SCZ

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -10.1%

11-21-2012 03:50:03 | More by SCZ

djrn2

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -10.1%

10-09-2012 23:11:41 | More by djrn2

acurtis

New Jersey

2.25/5  rDev -26.5%

10-08-2012 22:56:14 | More by acurtis

Shasty

3/5  rDev -2%

07-27-2012 17:17:29 | More by Shasty

stpaulsipper07

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +14.4%

07-27-2012 01:58:51 | More by stpaulsipper07

illini4x4

3.75/5  rDev +22.5%

07-21-2012 01:24:23 | More by illini4x4

TMoney2591

Illinois

4/5  rDev +30.7%

07-13-2012 04:15:58 | More by TMoney2591

vande

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +22.5%

06-25-2012 16:07:27 | More by vande

harrymel

Washington

2.45/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Foremost, good on Big Sky for doing a beer for charity - this is sincere and commendable.

Bottled 2012. Different recipe and beer than the original, so gave it a new listing. Bottle has a stained glass label similar to the first in style, but this time of an angel sipping a chalice of beer in an alley in....Bruxelle?

Hard poured a brown ale with a quilt of fleeting cream foam. Leaves only a rim of bubbles over brilliant clarified beer. I agitate a bit before diving nose deep. The aroma is of commercial belgian yeast, some candy sugar, caramel, vinyl and hints of herbal tea and hops. Flavor is nice and sweet with plenty of belgian yeast character (grainy and coriander-esque). Some hints of butter and bubble gum with a noticeable level of alcohol and banana esters. Medium on thin bodied with, oddly, a resonant finish of note - carries the alcohol and esterification with it. Overall a good try, but I would have been happier to see another shot at a Saison. This one is hot and probably should have seen a better subscription to one of the characteristics of a tripel.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 13:33:04 | More by harrymel