Kill Devil Brown Ale (Brothers' Reserve Series) - Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

harrymel

Washington

1.63/5  rDev -55.8%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Bottled 05APR12

From the box: Kill Devil Brown Ale's flavor comes from the use of ingredients traditionally used by the Caribbean distillers. Sweet Barbados and blackstrap molasses provide touches of toasted sugar, black licorice and blackened toffee while the palm sugars invite notes of subtle sweetness. As the beer conditions in Puerto Rican Rum Barrels, the vanilla and subtle oak flavors and aromas develop and integrate themselves with the Calypso hop's soft tropical and stone fruit aromas.

Look: Brown ale, excellent clarity and a quickly dissipating light coconut foam.

Smell: initially of copper. Then I dive back in trying to get something to justify the $13 price point; getting some licorice, and grape nuts (the cereal kids don't want). Hints of warm cola. Very disappointed with the nose here. Maybe a hint of molasses/brown sugar toward the end of the beer, maybe.

Flavor: metal, hot dog water, raisin, cardboard. This is a really simple beer. I am starting to get the feeling that maybe by "aged" they meant "ran through" the rum barrels. The oak is evident as well, but in the raw, cheap red wine way - not the aged in quality barrels way. It's really tannic to me.

Feel: Among the thinnest "barrel aged" beers I've had, really thin. Moderated carb, semi dry finish (being generous as the tannic character makes the beer linger).

Overall: I'm disappointed in this beer. I've been duped before, and I'm beginning to feel like Widmer must have the best fucking marketing team out there, because I keep buying their spendy beers hoping their IPA experimental quality will spill into their more adventurous products - alas, this is not the case.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 06:17:58 | More by harrymel

ehammond1

California

2.98/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for the gift, Alucard4!

Dark amber, nearly completely brown, with a very small light brown head. Leaves dots and irregular webs of stick down the glass.

The weakest aspect of this beer is its aroma. It's not particularly powerful, and what's here isn't particularly pleasant. It's got some sweetness, big grain notes, aroma of metals, and lots of burnt toast elements. Nothing special.

The flavor is better than the aroma, though the flavor too is nothing special. Sweet molasses, grain, mild nut character, and a little bit of booze. It's fairly simple and straightforward, while remaining generally sweet. I don't think this saw the barrel for too long.

Thin to medium bodied with low-moderate carbonation.

Nothing exciting; nothing good; nothing bad. A boring barrel-aged brown ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 19:03:19 | More by ehammond1

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

3/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark amber/copper color that appears to be a tad flat. Hardly no head or lacing whatsoever. Smells of medium roasted malts and a small splash of booze. First sip is surprisingly dull as all the stuff that is supposed to be in this beer are only slightly present. There are some rum notes present in the finish but I shouldn’t have to hunt for the flavor. There are slight flavors that are rather sweet from the molasses and a bit of oak but seriously folks this tastes more like an average base beer with a few hints of pecans slipping thru.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2012 20:03:19 | More by ATLbeerDog

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up at Bier Thirty at least a week ago... Poured tonight into my slim tulip... thin tannish head .. the brew is the expected deep brown..

Nose is oaky with plenty of dry molasses notes and sorta raisin elements... a bit of nutty maltiness with warmth.

Pretty oaky.. some rummy notes when it is colder that dissipate as it warms..

Thick and malty.. the molasses punctuates the flavor with a bit of sulfur.. again a bit too much rum for my liking.. malty flavors are thick enough to pull from a deck of descriptors... toast, nutty, dark caramel, "brown malt".. etc. In the end, this is too sweet for me.. the residual sugars combine with the malty essences to just go overboard.

Palate is pretty heavy with a decent carbonation but not enough bubbles to help strip the lingering flavors away for even a second.

?? If I buy another, it will be to forget about it in the cellar for at least a year... I doubt it will do any good, but maybe the sugars die back a bit and the barrels come out.

3/3.5/3/3/3

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 05:19:24 | More by JohnGalt1

Gmann

New York

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a chocolate brown color with a short wispy tan head that settled into a light ring. Meh

The aroma is of brown bread, slightly nutty. Some brown sugar sweetness. Raisin pops through as well as an extremely subtle rum note. Decent but not super strong.

The taste is of a standard brown. Lightly toasted bread, caramel, and tea like flavors. The barrel aging tastes of cheap rum, mostly boozy without a good rum's deep sugary flavors. Really just no good depth of flavor here. The flavor is thin.

The feel is light, almost watery. The carbonation is prickly. Despite being light, the beer has a sticky finish. The ABV is a tad harsh.

There is some flavor here and nothing is gross so it is hard to kill this beer. However, for a rum barrel aged brew, it is quite lacking. Lacks major depth.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 03:19:57 | More by Gmann

bum732

Maryland

3.13/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

S: A very raw mollases and earthy grassiness. A little wood in the finish.

L: Fairly clear brown, some ruby highlights. Not much head, some clear carbonation.

T: Toasty malt with an earthy sugary note. Low bitterness with some sugar like qualities finishing semi-dry and quick.

M: Medium full body, medium low carbonation. Alcohol detectable.

Interesting beer, don't really get the rum. I really wanted to like this beer since i love rum so much. That and i wanted to make a homebrew similar to this, good to know it doesn't really work.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 01:37:12 | More by bum732

Zorro

California

3.15/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear brown colored ale with a small yellowish head.

Smells a little sweet with a syrup on toast aroma. Molasses and rum are in this. Caramel and vanilla also detected. Still this isn't that aromatic a beer.

Starts out very sweet. Molasses and hops with a touch of rum. Brown sugar and a woody hop flavor. Strangely alcohol doesn't standout at all despite the rum flavors.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall it is a boring beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 01:43:03 | More by Zorro

beertunes

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in tulip. Poured a medium walnut color with less than 1/4 inch of light khaki head that had moderate retention and good lacing.

The aroma, aside from a noticeable sweetness, was fairly neutral. Nothing really stood out, either good or bad. On the tongue, the beer did have a bit of a biscuit flavor and a hint of nuttiness, otherwise it was also fairly benign.

The body was mostly about what you would expect from the style, although the finish was a bit stickier than I would have liked. Drinkability was OK, the went down smoothly and easily enough. Overall, I think your enjoyment will depend on your sweet tooth. If you like the sweet stuff, you'll probably enjoy this beer. Worth trying if you see it, probably not worth seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

05-29-2012 19:15:46 | More by beertunes

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a perfect pint. I love brown ales and rum barrel aged beers, so I had to buy this. I was a little disappointed to see the mediocre scores on this, but hopefully everyone is wrong.

3.0 A: Not very brown for a brown ale. Clear, dark orange amber color. Two fingers of frothy tan head. Retention is average for the ABV, I suppose and clouds of lacing are left sporadically.

3.5 S: Loads of dry toasty maltiness and nuttiness. Molasses and burnt sugar underneath. Earthy rum notes with oak and vanilla, but no booziness. It's not bad, but it desperately needs some more power.

3.5 T: Again lots of toastiness and nuttiness followed by molasses and burnt sugar. The rum is more aggressive in the taste and it's appreciated. It gives notes of earth, caramel, toffee, and toast. Oak and light vanilla. Soft citrusy fruitiness. The booze is well hidden again. The taste is better than the nose, but not enough to bump up the score.

3.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation, but lacking creaminess. Could also use some more body. I was expecting a rich mouthfeel on this beer and I didn't get one.

3.5 D: It's decent all around, but it just leaves me wanting more. I wanted bolder flavors with more depth and more viscosity. Worth a try, but not a second buy.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 22:12:19 | More by DavoleBomb

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a reddish brown color with a thin white head on top. The head settles and doesn't leave much behind on the glass. The smell of the beer is loaded with wood-like aromas from the barrel aging. There is a sweetness on the nose and hints of spice too. The taste of the beer gives off some elements of rum, there is a sweetness to this beer for sure. Not major bitterness at all here. The flavors of spiced caramel come to mind a little bit. The mouthfeel was moderate, just about medium bodied and carbonated enough to keep it alive on tongue. Overall this beer was average to me, kind of glad I didn't buy a whole bottle though.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2012 01:32:22 | More by Knapp85

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.43/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a semi transparent brownish amber, the head with a vigorous pour about half a 1/3" in size in an off-white color with slight yellow tint to it. Settles with even lacing.

Smell: Light light maple scent right off the nostrils it feels sweet. Light rum as well but keep in mind this is awfully light I mean light.

Taste: This beer has a strong maple finish right off the bat that make you think it more well suited to have with dessert. Rum is evident in this brew with a sweetness that comes pretty quite appetizing.

Mouth: It's tough to decide what is the weakest property of this beer. It's either the mouth or the scent not that is that bad but it comes off with a light carbonation and feels a touch flat. Another thing I didn't like is that the after-taste dissipates f'n quick.

Overall: This beer is good, but at what it's priced you must either love Widmer Brothers brewery or love brown ales. I would have taken my fourteen dollars and spent it on one of my regular favorites. I will not tell you to avoid this but proceed with the right head in mind. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 06:37:42 | More by BlurryVisi0n

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Kill Devil, bottle bought at Super Buy-Rite Jersey City for $11.99.

Appearance: Served in my Duvel art glass, almost the whole bomber. Viscous-but-not-quite pour, brown-auburn color. Standard head, very fizzy and nervous. Doesn't last, leaving a bubbly mantle behind. No lacing.

Smell: Hazelnut, oxidation. Brown sugar, coconut. Coffee with two creams, one sugar. Mild hops, some farm funk. Chocolate powder.

Taste: There is a mighty oxidation taste right away, then booze/rum in a non-subtle way, or barreling done not-quite-right. Astringent finish. Some chocolate and spice around the mouth. Hearts of palm, soy glaze and ebony booty. Weird. Lacks body/flavor.

Mouthfeel: It works well enough. Medium body and flavor and carbonation. Unremarkable all around but not unpleasant. Nice booze/rum finish.

Overall: Alright, but far from great. Drinks fine, but damn, just boring and not up to par.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 04:58:35 | More by DoubleSimcoe

SHODriver

California

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a dark brown that glows red where the light shines through into a snifter with a small off white head that fades quickly to a collar around the glass
S: smells of molasses, brown sugar and spice from the rum barrels
T: tastes of molasses, brown sugar and some spice with a few hints of lightly roasted malt. swallow brings more molasses, a slight woodyness and spice with a bit of alcohol heat
M: a little less than full in the mouth with slightly prickly carbonation. It doesn't feel quite right on the tongue. it feels thick as you sip but as it sits in the mouth it feels much lighter. slightly drying finish
O: a good idea with less than optimal execution. It's close but it can't quite tie everything together or strike a good balance of flavors. The concept always got my interest because the flavors sounded like they should lend well to each other but the price kept me back. I finally bit the bullet but wish I would have left this one on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 03:09:16 | More by SHODriver

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle, bottled on April 5, 2012. Served in a chalice, the beer pours a reddish/brown color with a half inch light tan head. The head fizzled away quickly, and there wasn't much lacing. Aroma is sweet and malty, it smells like molasses, brown sugar, caramel, nuts, vanilla and some rum. It tastes like molasses, burnt sugar, rum, vanilla, and a bit of chocolate. However, the taste isn't quite as nice as the aroma is. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's thinner than I thought it would be. It also has low/moderate carbonation. I think it's a decent brew overall, but at $12.99 a bottle I probably wouldn't buy it again at that price. With that being said, it's worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 20:30:55 | More by bluejacket74

maximum12

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another Widmer bomber. 22 oz. bottle split with my wife during an unGodly hot stretch of Minnesota weather. 101 today. Isn't this MinneSnowta? WTF?

Pour is that peculiar brown with red peeking around the rounded edges of the beer. Nose isn't anything special, light malts, bits of rum. Have to suck plenty of oxygen to even get that.

Kill Devil. Brown. Rum. It's clear on the label & there are no roller-coaster twists here. Moderately rum-forward but also strangely rum-quiet; it's there, but prevalent only due to the absence of any other strong flavors. Light malts come through. Little candiedness, nice chunk of caramel. Actually grows on me as it warms, & the strength of this brew is the drinkability. The base brown is quiet & inoffensive & the rum is nice, so it just slips into silence. My belly is very quiet.

Good beer. I'd like the base beer to bring more to the party, & that might catapult this into the castle.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 03:45:36 | More by maximum12

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.6/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Passed on this one may times in the bottle store @ ~ $13/bomber. $4.99 on-tap @ Brewforia got me to bite. Served in a chalice.

A: Very dark brown with a small light khaki head and decent lacing/legs. Many people have commented that this beer is lighter red and transparent but this was not my experience out of the tap.

S: Interesting that there is a roast quality to this thing right off the bat...definitely some notes of coffee in there, as well as hints of brown sugar, cocoa, molasses, and dry nutty sweetness. Alcohol seems fairly well hidden.

T: Moderate suggestions of coffee here too...faint roasted bitterness, cocoa and mocha, graham cracker, hints of molasses and brown sugar, light spirit-like presence on the finish, but the barrel presence is really very light, and the sweetness is very subtle.

MF: Medium thinner mouthfeel, there is a light alcohol presence, cleaner finish.

O: I wanted to like this one but it left me wanting more. A brown ale brewed with molasses and date sugars and aged in rum barrels should have more vanilla qualities and a more well-rounded aroma and flavor profile. I didn't think it was bad, but I thought it could be better.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2012 20:01:27 | More by Scotchboy

mactrail

California

3.63/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dark amber chestnut color in the Ommegang chalice. Pleasantly sudsy with a coarser, prickly carbonation on the tongue. Medium mouthfeel; while malty, it's not really thick. The caramel and gingerbread scent is rather nice.

I think this has more molasses flavor than any beer I've tasted. Dark and a little sulphury, the blackstrap less-refined kind. The barrel contributes a subtle boozy flavor, it definitely tastes like rum. Actually more like rum and Coke with a spoonful of molasses. The sweetness is more in passing and the finish is certainly dry. A deep fruity note of dried plums with some licorice adds to the weirdness. A dry candy flavor, if that makes sense. Powerful but doesn't taste particularly of alcohol.

Lots of hops contribute to the dark and bitter tang. Not my favorite barrel-aged beer by a long shot, but it's an intriguing brew. If you like the dark, rich sweet flavors with a hoppy bite, this should do it. From the 22 oz bottle in a box from Liticker's in Ocean Beach.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 05:23:33 | More by mactrail

theblackgate

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Just tried this at the tail end of some work research.

Not as outstanding as I might have wished for, but a decent beer.

Pours a dark brown (as suggested) color into a large snifter. The head dissipated fairly quickly.

Aromas of roasted nuts, molasses, raisinated fruit with some baking spices.

Palate was a mix of some of the aromas along with an upfront sweetness that fades to roasted dark malty grains and molasses.

Body was lighter than expected, but still rich. For a brown ale, I would say a medium/medium + body.

Overall, slightly disappointing. I thought the nose was more interesting than the palate. My drinking partner enjoyed it more than I did, but he likes sweeter styles. I feel like the beer was a bit muddled in delivering some of the components. All in all, a slightly above average offering from Widmer.

Serving type 22oz.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 22:26:42 | More by theblackgate

JustinQ

California

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12.99 for 22 oz Bottle

Serving Type: 22 oz Bottle poured into snifter

Appearence: nice off white head, ruby red/brown color, alot clearer then expected.

Aroma: Slightly boozy, sweet, caramel. No hops or Diacetyl.

Taste: Dried fruits, Bitter but balanced very well with the sweetness. The brown ale character is somewhat over shadowed by the rum flavors.

Mouthfeel: Thick and dry, Warming.

Overall: Great beer but not quite worth the money. Glad I Got a bottle when it was fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 03:00:22 | More by JustinQ

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.7/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a red mahogany amber with a thin light tan head that dissipated quickly to a ring around the glass and patchy foam. Nice aroma of sweet caramel malt, vanilla, oak and nuts. Flavor follows, caramel malt, brown sugar, light vanilla and a hint of rum. A bit boozy and warming. Medium bodied, slightly syrupy. Flavors are pleasant and well integrated, but not intense enough to cover the alcohol, so it finishes a bit on the hot side. Enjoyable rum flavor, but high ABV could use more intensity in the supporting flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 02:13:40 | More by LiquidAmber

Docer

Washington

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: (3.5)

- Pours a clear dark mahogany brown with a subtle finger of off-white head. Settles to a thin island and medium ring in the glass. Overall a rich and sleeper-like looking brew.

Smell: (4.5)

- Rich roasted grains, brown sugars, caramel, big toffee aromas, vanilla, and light rum. Somewhat earthy and grassy. Overall smells like desert. Super good smell.

Taste: (3.5)

-Caramel sweet, candy rum, vanilla oak, and nice tart grain and hop balancing notes. Just a touch earthy and grassy, light esters, big vanilla and overall dark roasty sweetness. Just a bit of an off flavor of tartness from what must be the house ale yeast. Perhaps a different yeast and some bottle conditioning might have done this one better.

Mouth Feel: (4.0)

- Nice medium body, quite creamy and smooth. Bit cloying and chewy, and finishes a bit dry. I like dry. Certainly some serious bittering in this one. Not bad.

Overall: (3.5)

- This brew has some nice barrel character, and is quite tasty. It only lacks a little in overall uniqueness with the flavor and feel. Perhaps even too large of a production for the style? Yeast? It hits some wonderful aroma marks, flavor is a little average, but I like where the brew is going. I like what Widmer is doing. Kudo's for that at least. But not my favorite in the reserve series. I still think I like the first special brew better. The Double Alt (which was the 25th Anniversary beer prior to the first Brothers Reserve Series release).

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2012 01:43:00 | More by Docer

DonDirkA

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nose is very oakey, vanilla, molasses, burnt sugar and papaya. Taste is kind of disappointing. Sweet, slightly fruity (tropical), slight oak notes, alcohol burn (more of a feeling than a taste), burnt toffee and some slightly stale background tastes. I have had 3 or 4 of Widmer's Reserve series and I feel like I'm generally disappointed. They just aren't that great. I'm hoping that Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout I have put away is better. This isn't terrible, or even bad, but just disappointing. Not bad though, I don't remember the price but I think it was around $6.99 so not too crazy.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 08:12:24 | More by DonDirkA

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Strong aroma has a malty core and nutty, caramel, horehound and earthy notes. It pours a dark, slightly hazy mahogany; thick, fluffy, tan head, however, doesn't stick around for long. Delectable flavor has notes of lightly roasted malt, caramel and molasses with hints of horehound and oak. Smooth texture has firm body and a fair amount of tingle. A lip-smacking ale worth catching during its limited release. If it's not Widmer Brothers' best, it is still worthy.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 21:06:35 | More by Cyberkedi

Apostlebrews

Texas

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Despite my best efforts to stay objective, I approached this beer with fairly low expectations. Every review I have seen or heard has been sub-par; most bloggers' reviews have cited disappointment and letdown. And then I tasted Kill Devil for myself and remembered an important fact about craft beer: like art, beer speaks to each person differently based one's palate and personal preference.

But in case you still don't trust your own palate, I'll lend you mine for the moment.

I picked up a bottle of Kill Devil from Beer:30 in Jacksonville. The aroma is incredibly sweet. There's definitely a hint of rum, but the sweetness is pretty overpowering.

Like the aroma, the taste is very sweet. I was actually a bit surprised at how sugar-forward this is on the tongue. Reminds me of sugar cane juice I drank in Egypt. Beyond the sugar-forward introduction in your mouth, there are heavy amounts of molasses and caramel flavors that are followed by an unmistakable rum profile, which is my favorite part about this beer. The rum comes through even more as the beer warms and the low-moderate carbonation also helps create a solid rum finish. I recommend letting this one sit for about 10 minutes after you've taken it out of the fridge.

This is a sugar-rum-molasses-malt-bomb in a glass. It's really quite enjoyable and really serves as a nice winter warmer. The 9.5% ABV brings a good amount of heat that picks up as the glass warms. The biggest problem I have with this beer is the amount of sugar that comes through. Although I really enjoyed the taste, I'm not sure I could drink more than a glass due to its sweetness.

If you like rum, brown ales, fun dip, or rock candy, this beer is right up your alley.

You can read more of my reviews on my beer blog: thebeerapostle.com

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 00:51:13 | More by Apostlebrews

TheSixthRing

California

3.78/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Had on-tap at Final Gravity in Roseville, CA

Appearance - Pours a relatively clear, brilliant amber brown served to me in an 11.5 ounce snifter with no room for head. A mostly flat surface, with only a thin gathering of bubbles of around the edge of the glass. Lacing is spotty with good stick.

Smell - Moderate aroma. Sweet, sugary and slightly boozy. Light roastiness; remeniscent of sugar-glazed roasted walnuts.

Taste - Sweet brown sugar and a bit of booze upfront. Light molasses. Earthy nuttiness. Light roast quality. Turns slightly metallic near the finish.

Mouthfeel - Full-bodied; near syrupy. Moderate carbonation. Dry finish.

Overall - This is a good beer, but no way in hell would I pay $12 for a bomber. Glad I got this at a special on-tap price of $4. It's too bad; it looks like a phenomenal brew on paper, but the end result doesn't justify the price.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2013 18:31:45 | More by TheSixthRing