Hedonism Ale - Legacy Brewing Co.

YankChef

Louisiana

3.6/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a la fin du monde glass

Appearance: Bright and mostly clear red, cherry red with an initial half inch head that dissipates to scattered bubble patches.

Aroma: Unique aroma, almost like honey and roses, a subtle pine of hops.

Taste: hmmm well initially very sweet and a touch of sour then fades to a slight bitterness. The finish is also very grassy and dry, has a slight biscuity characteristic

Overall: Very unique offering from a brewer I am unfamiliar with, not something I would buy an entire 6 pack of, but im glad I got the chance to try it, very unique aroma by far.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2008 01:06:55 | More by YankChef

cliff1066

Virginia

4/5  rDev +6.1%

12-27-2012 03:59:35 | More by cliff1066

jbaker67

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

10-19-2012 23:22:34 | More by jbaker67

IPAchris

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%

05-27-2012 23:19:14 | More by IPAchris

cheeseburger

New York

4/5  rDev +6.1%

03-04-2012 04:33:41 | More by cheeseburger

bonbini26

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +19.4%

01-10-2012 17:09:43 | More by bonbini26

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%

01-05-2012 13:46:18 | More by Knapp85

ROGUE16

Delaware

4/5  rDev +6.1%

12-05-2011 20:00:59 | More by ROGUE16

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.1%

11-19-2011 04:20:22 | More by jmdrpi

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Vol. II Issue VII:

A Northern California-inspired Red Ale? Sounds like something big and hoppy. We're ready.

Pours a hazy red with a tawny center. Nice head. Foamy, rocky, pure white with stick and a good half-inch of stay. Malty nose with a hint of caramel, fruity esters and grain. Smooth and full-bodied, going coarse with a tight and prickly carbonation that creates a creamy palate. Malty in the taste too, with a bit of candy, fruity esters, overripe pineapple, toffee, brown bread nuttiness, and roastiness. Hops aggressively pull through with some astringency, coarse lemony bitterness and leafy edges. Peppery spice too. More sweetness opens up your mouth as the beer warms with some sugar and a quick dollop of caramel. The beer dries up and lingers for ages with hop tannins and burnt resins that have embedded themselves into your palate while you weren't paying attention.

The name is fitting. Chaos in a bottle, but oh so good--this is not for the timid. One needs to open their mind and palate to fully appreciate the offering before them. Let go, enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2010 20:31:22 | More by BeerAdvocate

spartanfan

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. twist off with an indecipherable code of some kind but no bottled on or freshness date;

A: Pours a slightly hazy ruby red color with a loose off white head that leaves some lacing behind as it fades into a nice layer of suds.

S: Aromas are of hops and an almost candy like sweetness. Also a hint of alcohol and a nutty smell.

T: Taste is of sweet and toasty malts. Hops take a backseat to the malts in this one. Not a whole lot going on and not really my bag.

M: The level of carbonation is about average and the alcohol is not apparent.

D: This beer is pretty easy to drink, but it doesn't really leave me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 23:36:32 | More by spartanfan

gfreed

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Based on the name as well as the bloviation on the label and the Web site ("...an orgy of hop aroma and flavor..."), I expected something excessively, perhaps offensively, sharp. What a pleasant surprise, then, when I was greeted with an aroma of thick malt and apricots, a loose head and a very smooth taste that had only a mild sting at the end. This is much maltier than hoppy, with a reasonably thin body and low fizz. As ambers go, it's milder than favorites like Otter Creek and Troegs, but is nonetheless quite enjoyable. Buy it and ignore the label.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 03:00:43 | More by gfreed

WesWes

New York

4.15/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a beautiful red color with a thick frothy off-white head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a sweet and creamy crystal malt scent along with some excellent yeast esters. It has a light fruitiness as well as a mild hop character. The taste is good also. It's damn quaffable for a 7% abv beer. There is a limited amount of complexity, but it's well balanced and very tasty. The crystal malts provide a mild sweetness that works well with the yeast fruitiness. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a fine amber ale. Like I said, It's not overly complex, but it's easily quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2009 20:21:04 | More by WesWes

raverjames

Virginia

1.78/5  rDev -52.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

A: Amber with a 1 finger head. Not much haze here.
S: Hoppy yet very malty. Some citrus and caramel.
T: Chemical off flavors that are heavy with butterscotch. The hops don't cover up all the bad stuff going on here. Whoa diacetyl!
M: There is a chemical like bitterness that really hits you after every sip. I can't even drink a pint. I dumped most of it down the drain.
D: See mouthfeel. This beer was a drainpour. It is very unexpected from a brewery that usually makes great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2009 05:12:17 | More by raverjames

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a twist off into a mini beer glass that required three pours at Smiths restaurant/bar in NYC near Broadway. Appeared a bright red / amber with minimal head in the tiny glass.

Smelled of a amber beer with good malt presence and a relatively present amount of hops that were mixed floral / citrus.

Tasted very malty and caramel with some hop presence. Balanced well for a red ale, perhaps not as hoppy as I would have thought for something named hedonism.

Good mouthfeel and drinkability. The 7 percent abv is hidden well

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2009 23:52:25 | More by alpinebryant

Soonami

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No way this is 110IBU as listed on this page...

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A- The beer was a beautiful claret red with a wisp of tan foam that though not substantial clung pretty well

S- Not much in the nose, just a little yeasty bread and floral hops

T- Very caramelly and sweet with juicy herbal hops

M- Full and smooth

D- Flavorful and deceptive 7% abv. complex but not overwhelming

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2009 21:05:01 | More by Soonami

GilGarp

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to brentk56 for the extras, this being one of them.

Bottled in May. 110 IBUs in a 7% beer?! I'm guessing it won't be a very balanced.

Served cold in a pint glass. It has a very hazy redish amber color with thin white head atop. A little lacing is left behind as it settles.

Aroma is very hoppy but not in a fresh hop way... more like a barley wine style where the hops have clearly mellowed out with age.

Flavor is exactly what aroma predicted: basically a barley wine light, if you will. Big on hops and caramel malts, some fruit and nut. Not super strong and the alcohol seems very mild considering the flavor. In fact, it's easily hidden behind all that bitterness.

Mouthfeel is unusually thin but then again my nose and tongue say big barley wine but then it comes across much lighter in body. Smooth but very bitter with nice mild carbonation.

This is definately an unusual beer and one that I wouldn't have expected to exist. It's not great but it's certainly interesting.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 04:19:23 | More by GilGarp

brentk56

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber color with a frothy head that disembarks rather quickly without leaving much of a trace

Smell: Resinous pine is the first element that appears but there is plenty of caramel malt in there, too; after several sniffs, I would have to say that the sweeter elements dominate

Taste: The brown sugar malts lay down the gauntlet, but by the time mid-palate rolls around, the resinous hops have become overwhelming; after the swallow, the palate dries out, leaving a bitter finish with just a hint of residual sweetness on the tongue

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, slightly syrupy, with low to moderate carbonation

Drinkability: I can't say that I am in love with this beer; too sweet, too bitter, just too much of everything for my palate; woth a try, though, just for the experience

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 23:39:01 | More by brentk56

oldpinecone

New York

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a nice deep copper color with a one finger head that leaves within several minutes. Lots of bubbles running up the glass.

Smell is sweet with mild biquits. A tiny bit earthy.

Taste is also sweet at first and then the hops really come through. Maybe an undertone of pine but thats about it. Rreally nice flavor.

Feels a little light and over carbonated but nothing bad. Pretty average. Crisp.

A nice beer to drink socially.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2009 04:03:11 | More by oldpinecone

TheMistler

District of Columbia

3.68/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle does not indicate a brewed on or best by date, which might be of import given a note below. Pours fairly - surprisingly - syrupy, which I'm not a huge fan of for a beer that isn't cracking the 7% abv barrier. A pleasantly caramel brown brew. Some very lightly-ruby hues. Off-white, lightly tan head. Some spotty lacing. Not much retention or lacing.

Definite hops. The hops probably contribute to the roasted quality - I get a whiff I think best described as burnt nougat. Loads of caramel. Another comparison - a caramel coffee concoction. Given that the hop presence, though noticeable, does not seem to match the noted IBU, and that fact that there is a slight "off" character, I can't be sure that this beer isn't past its prime.

Somewhat sticky hops up front. Dark bread. Seemingly expansive, doughy, almost indicating some yeast. French Vanilla! That is the sweetness that accompanies the Finishes very dry, caramel layered on top of lightly-grassy hops.

Brief burst of initial CO2 crispness is replaced with creamy, doughy feel. Medium to heavy - leaning more towards heavy - bodied, again somewhat surprisingly (to me) given the ABV.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2009 23:48:13 | More by TheMistler

jhammel01

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this last night on tap @ the Fire in philly seeing my friends band Action Park....

Pours a nice amber color, Clear with plenty of carbonation. Nice thick foamy head that retains all the way to the end with plenty of lacing.

Smells strong of hops and some bready undertones.

Tastes alot like Arrogant Bastard. Awesome! Its a pretty complex beer with Strong hops up front that finishes smooth and pretty bready.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit! Hope to find more from these guys

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2009 02:08:00 | More by jhammel01

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the River Street Alehouse at happy hour - $2 for a shaker glass. Appears a hazed deep crimson color with barely a finger of creamy light amber head. A thin, lace is left on my glass with each sip. There is no doubt that this is a red ale. Nose and flavor are of sweet caramel, medium toasted grains, citrus along the lines of white grapefruit juice and pith, and a bit of piney hops. This red is just about medium bodied and amply carbonated for it's style. Very easy to drink and the 7%ABV is well masked.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2009 14:20:47 | More by ClockworkOrange

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a slightly hazy coppery red with a short foamy cream colored head. The foam subsided a bit and left behind some streaky lacing. Nose is of pine and grapefruit hops, along with sweet, toasty malts and mild floral hops. There is quite a bit of strong bitterness with ample malt for balance. Earthy, spicy hops compliment the grapefruit flavor. Mouth has a lingering bitterness. Medium body with medium carbonation that's on the creamy side. Some dryness in the finish as well. Definitely enjoyable. The hops are definitely in the forefront and quite strong for what I think of as a red ale, but it didn't become aggressive or harsh on the palate

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 00:34:06 | More by Jayli

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've had this on a couple occasions now, and I must say, I'm not that impressed. Its a decent beer, but a little over-sweet, and not as bitter as I was led to believe. The appearance, however, has nailed it. Red ale indeed, and with a creamy white head and fine lacing. Grapefruit and caramel aroma with some floral notes. Tastes of sweet grapefruit juice, with a dose of caramel and some floral notes. Straightforward, but decent. The body and carbonation are a bot too light for my liking... the beer seems to lack some heft.

Usually I'd put it down to an older beer - there's no bottling date - but perhaps the flavours have faded with time. This is the second bite of the cherry though. Perhaps hedonism isn't for me.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2009 14:21:22 | More by bobsy

Dulliwhig

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - deep red red with a slight haze, thick light tan/orangeish yellow head, beautiful lacing

S - cherries and figs, strawberries and a hint of brown sugar

T - sweet bready maltiness with a citrus hop finish, slightly drying the hops win the battle

M - medium bodied and well carbonated

D - not bad, but a bit much for more than a few

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2009 23:08:10 | More by Dulliwhig