Ol' Red Cease And Desist - Erie Brewing Co.

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

P- Wegmans

A- light cola like look to it with no head and no lacing.

S- fruity aroma with a biscuity maltness on the back end. nothing too much to write here.

F- a bland fruitiness that is like plum or date. bready malts that tastes outdated.

M- smooth and creamy and this is probably the best part of the beer.

O- not a good wee heavy and i would only try this in a pinch. It gets better as its gets warmer. not a good sign.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 20:50:37 | More by Dodo2step

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

3.09/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Enjoyed from bottle, may edit review if I try it again when I have my proper glassware. Smell is low-key malts and booze. Taste is smooth and malty at first, finishing hot and boozy but still smooth. Not a bad beer overall, although I assume with all the low reviews it's not a good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 04:03:12 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.38/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Pours a copper color with the tiniest white head. The head was gone in a flash to give almost no lacing.

Smell – The smell is heaviest of caramel and toffee overall giving the brew a sweet smell. Mixed with these aromas is a good presence of booze as well as some lighter notes of malt and smoke.

Taste – The taste begins big of a bready and sweet base. The breadiness is of a wheat and biscuit flavor with the sweet being largely of caramel. As the taste advances flavors of toast and cherry come to the tongue. Bits of smoke and toffee also work their way into the taste and when combined with the rest, as well as a big dose of alcohol at the end, leave a boozy sweet flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The beer was thick in body and lower in carbonation. Great for the flavors of the beer as it really allowed for the boozy and sweet flavors to sit and linger on the tongue.

Overall – An all right brew, but a bit more boozy then desirable, as it makes it quite difficult to sit, sip and enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2012 01:09:09 | More by Darkmagus82

PorterLambic

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Arrives a deeply reddish brown with a small head that drops to a faint film pretty quickly.
Smell is malt, sour, oak, light spice and caramel. Nicely balanced.
Taste is exactly the same, malty, oak, a fruitu note I cant identify and a touch of sour and spice and a sweeter caramel note. Great balance.
Full bodied, rich and smooth. Light coating on the tongue. This is even better after it warms up for 30 minutes. A much better beer than the Brothers think apparently.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2012 02:16:22 | More by PorterLambic

kylehay2004

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: no head really on a amber with copper hues clear body.

S: caramel, wood, toffee, soy, canned corn and peat malts.

T: lots of canned corn in this flavor. caramel, wood and peat are minor players. Its like drinking the corn juice out of a can of corn. Brown sugar and candied fruits late in the finish. The alcohol is extremely well hidden though.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation. nicely smooth.

Overall: I just couldn't get over the canned corn aroma and flavor. It distracted me and effected this ones drinkability. Maybe mine was infected?

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 23:26:45 | More by kylehay2004

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clean orange-ish to amber color with an off white head. In the aroma, woody, caramel, and a small alcohol presence.. In the taste, woody, with notes of caramel, it starts with big alcohol but fades quickly. A small alcohol bite but mainly smooth with a medium to bigger bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry woody and alcohol like aftertaste. A nice woody presence and nice alcohol that fades out.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 19:36:23 | More by OWSLEY069

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the Hop House (not the cleanest lines, here goes... )

Deep red, very little foam which receded with speed. No lacing to speak of (gotta be the glassware)

Caramelly aroma with a roast malt overtone. Boozy and rich. Pretty sweet-smelling.

Upon first taste, nice dessert-like malt sweetness with a touch of caramel, maybe marshmallow. The booze levels are a tad heavy for the abv, but still nice and wooly. The hops are way in the background, but finish drier and spicier. Nice yeast strain, slightly nutty and fruity. Persimmon, cherry, definite brandy-like taste. Good stuff. Love to try a bottle.

Slick and wet. Not enough carbonation. But, all in all, above-average.

One o'my favorites from the brewers in Erie.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2012 02:46:27 | More by thecheapies

jtierney89

New Jersey

4.3/5  rDev +25.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a nice deep amber color with an off white head that settles down to a thick lace. Nose is big and boozey; lots of vanilla and toffee. Some alcohol is present on the nose as well, but in a good way, stings the nostrils as a scotch ale should.

HUGE body. Taste is smooth and malty. Incredibly malty with well blended flavors. No tongue confusion going on, just some well balanced goodness.

Lots of dark fruits with a big bready character and a subtle hop finish lends this beer a really smooth balance.

I'm down with this.

Also, couldnt detect a trace of that 10% abv

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 05:40:17 | More by jtierney89

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.03/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It seems that Erie Brewing Co. does a great job of taking the world's classic beer styles and simplifying them into just beer, or just non-descript American ales. They taste fine but are void of the true authentic flavors of those styles because its easier to brew convenient beers with convenient ingredients and convenient techniques. Truly authentic examples takes care that's just not displayed here. This Wee Heavy speaks to much the same.

Ol Red Cease and Desist becomes a malt-forward, caramel sweet ale but not without the mild hop bitterness of pine and earth. Slight bread crust flavors blend into toffee richness but without the supportive complexities of toast, developed malt taste, any slight grapey esters or smoke variety that often makes Scottish Ales both distinctive and gentlemanly. Somewhat distracting buttery notes and ill placed bruised apple taste distracts from the otherwise one-dimensional caramel sweetness. A long-lasting sugary sweetness surplant the malty-dry finish as the predominant lingering memory in aftertaste.

This Wee Heavy is a fine beer, but its no more a Strong Scottish Ale as it is an ambiguous American Strong Ale, Barleywine, Imperial Red... or pick another strong beer. Tasty for a session perhaps but the beer just doesn't know what it is.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2011 16:06:28 | More by BEERchitect

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +22.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew poured out as a really pretty looking red color with a creamy looking orangey head on it. The lacing was nice along the glass. The smell of the beer was sweet and malty, very pleasing aroma on this beer. The smell transferred perfectly to the taste where the peated malts meet with some caramel and brown sugar. The taste I found to be very very nice. The mouthfeel was smooth and kind of creamy, a little bit of carbonation working well on this beer. Overall this brew was worth trying on just about all levels in my opinion. I'm very surprised this doesn't have better reviews on here.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2011 03:28:44 | More by Knapp85

jballeng

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a beautiful deep red amber with a small, lasting head with moderate lacing.

Aromas of cherry, malt, brown sugar, and caramel. Slightly toasty.

Immediate metallic taste which leaves quickly followed closely by very smooth caramel and brown sugar notes followed by toasty malts and a huge cherry and pie crust, caramelized apples, slight alcohol (very slight for 10%), and other fruity esters, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Very smooth, very malty, quite sweet, and huge notes of autumnal fruits and spices make this a winner. Only drawback is that metallic taste at the beginning but that goes away very quickly.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2011 14:45:27 | More by jballeng

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: minimal head, cloudy, dark reddish-brown in color, sediment is noticeable, medium carbonation

Smell: toffee and caramel

Taste: toffee, caramel malt, earth, some floral hops in the back

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy body, sweet start with a bitter middle and a less bitter end, moderate carbonation

Overall: I like this one, but it is a sipper. It has a nice combo of earth and sweet malt. I wish I would have picked up more than just a single.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 15:10:33 | More by tigg924

TwoHeartedMale

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: very dark amber almost brown. thin whitw head.

s: all i can smell is a p.b. and jay with some sort of sour red berry zuckercorn.

t: sweet and sour red berry. sometimes i say straw then the next sip i say razz. its very sour and i think that its the only thing that could make it a wee heavy.

m: med carb but very sweet and sour and that rides on for a while.

o: this beer is a scotch ale??? my white behind!!! this beer is sweet and fruity with a sour aftertaste, if it were up to me this beer would be under flanders but i didnt brew it so ya....

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 01:22:20 | More by TwoHeartedMale

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

THanks to dfclav for this one.

Pours a light creamy head that barely covers, over semi clear reddish rosy colored beer.

Nose has lots of reddish malts, light booze, some brown sugar and molasses, light syrupy aroma, toffee, and just a hint of earthy hops.

Taste slightly creamy, more reddish malts, some molasses, light earthy hops, a bit boozy, syrupy, toffee, caramel, little bit of herbal hops, but the whole thing just feels light likeit's missing some malt character. Finishes still sweet, lingering syrupy flavors, toasty malts, and little boozy tingle.

Mouth is medium bodied but a light feeling, with lower carbonation and some booze warmth and tingly.

Overall meh, decent beer, but missing something, a little boozy too.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 21:19:21 | More by jlindros

mattgreger

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This brew poured a clear, dark red color. There wasn't much of a head, but it did leave a nice little cap that was a light tan color and very creamy looking. Not much lacing as the brew was drank, which is common with a brew that has such a high ABV.

The aroma on this brew begins with great biscuity malt, that nice a sweet, then moves on a bit of a grainy note. Its followed by some great dark fruits, I can detect som raisins, maybe more. There is a bit of a caramel note as well, that feeds into the alcohol as the brew warms.

The flavor on this brew is pretty good, but it is missing something. It starts out with the great malt flavors you smell in the front of teh brew, then it feeds into the biscuity/grainy malts and just a touch of dark fruits, which I really can't tell what they are. Its kind of odd, the brew just gets heavy in alcohol and fades. It kinda loses its life. I was really enjoying, then nothing.

The mouthful on this brew has a medium to heavy body, with not very much carbonation, which is pretty much expected with this style brew. There is a great alcohol punch as well. And a good finish as well, it just kind of loses its flavor in the warming. Its there for the start, then fades to a straight alcohol burn.

Its still a decent brew, but not the best by any means when it comes to the style. Its kind of lacking something. I feel it was missing more of the dark fruits you get in these brews. This brew has a decently high ABV, so be ready for a big hit as you SIP this brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 03:25:00 | More by mattgreger

Radome

Spain

3.25/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A - Beer is a clear medium red color. The head is tan and thick and creamy. Attractive.

S - Aroma is sweet biscuity malt mixed with a grainy note that is like pilsner malt. Caramel and dark fruit follow; I get plums and raisins. Alcohol follows.

T - The taste is not as nice as the aroma and appearance to me. It starts out with somewhat sharp, grainy malt. Then there is some sweet biscuity malt in the middle with dark fruit notes. But these tastes end abruptly.

M - Body is medium to heavy with low carbonation, as expected. Alcohol is very noticeable. An astringent finish that leaves an unexpectedly dry feel.

D - Overall a good beer, but not great. Has an out-of-place graininess and astringency and not enough warm malt sweetness for the style. I might have liked it better if it was labeled an Abbey style. I think it fits that style better.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2011 04:58:28 | More by Radome

cjgator3

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle

A- Pours a dark reddish copper color with an off-white head with decent lacing and retention.

S- The aroma is a lot of toasted and biscuity malt, caramel, and dark ripe fruits.

T- The taste starts out sweet and malty with so
E caramel flavors. The finish has some fruitiness and a lingering sweetness with some warmth from the alcohol.

M- The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, this is a decent beer that is worth a try. 

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 05:21:34 | More by cjgator3

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dirty copper-penny coloring is topped off by a sandstone colored head that was frothy and whipped, thin in statue, and quick to dissipate. Fairly strong effervesce lies within with hardly any lace to speak of adoring the glass. Not a lot to go on from a visual sense.

S: The nose brought forth some dried caramel grains, with a laid back strength. Slight hints of ripe fruit skins adds a bit of light fruitiness to the mixture. Reserved in character, especially the alcohol portion which is listed at 10.1% which is hardly detectable.

T: The flavor was rich sweet caramel grains and dried toffee. Light dryness with a bit of dried fruitiness. Ok flavor, not my ideal example. Was expecting some peat or perhaps some light smoky character. The alcohol was hardly detectable as well for its strength.

M: malty, with a quite sense of carbonation. A bit of creamy nature and lush feel when swirled and settled on the tongue finishing off with a nice grain dryness.

D: Drinkability was forgiving enough. Still surprised that this was 10.1% which drank more like a 7% at best. Nice malty character, though not to expansive in the taste spectrum. Have to be careful you don't indulge in more then you should here, the alcohol is very well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 18:34:29 | More by beerthulhu

gfreed

Massachusetts

1.23/5  rDev -64.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

A rotten example of a Scotch ale, and one of the most awful beers I've ever had, this thing is a disgrace to the style. Like a good little Scotch ale enthusiast, I let it warm up for a while before opening it; my reward was a nose full of old vegetables and pink Sweetarts. The taste is sweet, salty and, at the same time, terribly bitter and sour and full of boiled peas. It gained a slightly pleasant malt characteristic after reaching room temperature; otherwise, this is a total and complete failure. If you want a good American Scotch ale, go find yourself a Founders Dirty Bastard.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 01:59:40 | More by gfreed

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear amber body. Thick ivory colored heading and very alive for a 10% ABV. Good lacing for a little while until it went flat.

Smell is mostly heavily toasted malts with a bit of hoppier notes.

Taste is very much like little brother (Railbender). Heavy caramel toasted malts with a light sugary taste right before the warming alcohol kicks in.

Mouth is super smooth, mid bodied and easy settling.

Again another score from Erie brewing. I am surprised by the much lower rating's when this taste's almost identical to Railbender just with a kick.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 01:16:21 | More by TheFightfan1

ZeroSignal

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle

A - Pours a dark copper tinged brown, decent sized off-white head for a higher ABV, nice lacing

S - Some sweet, fruity notes with lot's of roasted and caramelized malts. Alcohol present in the fruitiness.

T&M - Medium-full body and dense feeling. Lot's of malt character with a pronounced caramelized note, and a bit of a toasted bread backdrop. Pronounced, fruity alcohol that leaves some warmth behind. Finish also carries a light nutty flavor.

D - All told a pretty decent offering. I'm a big fan of the style, but this seems a hair too boozy. I'd love to see the same beer at about 7.5 ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 02:38:27 | More by ZeroSignal

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured clear red with a tall light tan head. There's a strong bready toast and crust aroma with a hint of toffee that's a little cleaner than most in the style. The flavor falls a little flat for such a strong beer. There's a earthy spice and creamy candy with the aroma's dark bread grain notes. I suppose it is smooth and easy to drink, but the character just seems muted given the strength.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 06:14:11 | More by tempest

aepb1

Florida

2.38/5  rDev -30.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A- Nice amber brown body with a lot of frothy white head

S- Sweet? Not much along these lines

T- Gotta check to make sure this is really 10.1% ABV it really doesn't seem like that much... not what I expected. Caramel malty sweetness and not much else... a bit of astringent alcohol in the finish

M- Medium bodied, smooth, good carbonation. Kind of sticky

D- The aftertaste and lack of depth at 10.1% is a bummer and surprising

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2011 15:47:15 | More by aepb1

Morey

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This winter Wee Heavy pours reddish copper in color and has brilliant clarity. Nice two finger off-white head that has pretty decent staying power for a beer so high in alcohol.

Aroma is on the mild side for sure. Typical bread/biscuit like smell for the style. No hops whatsoever.

Taste is slightly fruity up front. Smooth malt character quickly makes itself known. There's just a touch of bitterness on the back end.

Medium bodied smooth mouthfeel.

Alcohol is well hidden, but the high alcohol limits the drinkability on this one.

Morey's Bottom Line: Not my favorite style, but EBC achieves what they're going for here. I'm actually surprised by some of the low reviews on this one. Makes me wonder if people are taking the style into consideration. Being that this IS a winter seasonal, I personally like the high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2011 22:35:24 | More by Morey

jkaiser150

Florida

2.15/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

drank this at 1:15 sunday the 2nd of 2011.
a: carmel brown
s: malty
t: thick malt
m: malty strong one sided
d: no
for a strong scotch ale I think they forgot to add the most important beer ingredient. Goodness. Goodness was missing from this one.
Not a good way to start the new year.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 23:29:14 | More by jkaiser150