Heavy Seas - Holy Sheet (Über Abbey Ale) - Heavy Seas Beer

oberon

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A new Heavy Seas offering from Clipper City on tap at the Pizza Plant on Main,poured a medium brown infused with amber a thinner but pretty well sustained light brown head atop.Lighter aromas mainly I picked up some phenolic-like spice and cherry with a hint of brown sugar.Somewhat yeasty flavors a little clove-like spice but a good rich fruitiness shows itself like cherry,bannana even a hit of apricot a decent herbal hop twang comes thru nicely in the finish.Pretty easy going down and flavorful with all the right components to make it a decent Belgian dark ale,I liked it and I am not even a huge fan of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2007 12:17:09 | More by oberon

arguemaniac

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Quite nice: This one features a superb dark cherry fruitiness, some really nice toastiness, a nice caramel note, and a sweet, bready malt character. It hides its alcohol very well and is quite drinkable for a 9% abv. Dry toasted grain finish.

This one seems pretty hit or miss with the BA reviews. I for one like it: I’m particularly impressed with how drinkable it is considering the alcohol content. Another treat from the Heavy Seas line of brews…

Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2007 16:45:47 | More by arguemaniac

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Not the best interpretation of the style. A little thin in body with not much head to speak of and no lacing. Tasted okay with some cherry mixed in there but very harsh alcohol dominates the flavor. Maybe I drank this too cold, unsure but not one I will ever refuse if given to me but not one I'll seek out and this is my favorite style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2007 23:59:11 | More by bigdeuce

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm really not sure why the lack of love for this one. I found it to be well done and very authentic Belgian in nature, especially for a regional brewery on the East Coast...
Appears a semi-transparent mahogany hue of garnett amber with a small, light tan head that slowly fades into a spiraled cap and mild collar. Scattered streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of doughy banana nut bread with caramel, melanoiden malt, raisins, brown sugar...reminds me a bit of Chimay Red.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with complex, yeasty dough, rich caramalized malt(Special B?), and a touch of cocoa. The yeast is the real "bread winner" of this beer making it complex and delicious.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, sweet up front, bready, with raisin sweetness sliding along the tongue and into a lip smacking finish.

Well done brew. I hope they decide to keep it in the lineup for a long time b/c I would put it up there with both Chimay Red, as well as New Belgian Abbey.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2007 18:23:50 | More by weeare138

tempest

Pennsylvania

2.33/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This beer is basically missing all the yeasty goodness. No clove, date, banana, anything like that. Smells like a cherry cough syrup and doesn't taste much better. There's a cheap, alcoholic aftertaste with a hint of chalk, the main flavor best described as medicinal. Call it extreme beer gone bad. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2007 01:39:10 | More by tempest

phisig137

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown mahogany color, with a one finger head. Little retention leaves nothing behind.

Aroma is choc-full of malty goodness. Caramel, raw grain, toffee, and a slight hint of coffee are dominant, along with a hint of alcohol. Faint fig aroma is present in the back.

Flavor is a bit unexpected. Big time light fruits, apples, pears, pineapple, passion fruit, and perhaps Lychee nuts are present. Little malt notes of caramel and toffee are present. Formidable alcohol punch and warming on the finish. Mouthfeel is sticky, full and almost cloying. Drinkability is decent, considering the ABV.

An enjoyable beer, but not the greatest belgian style out there. I'd like to have more of a belgian yeast flavor. This almost seems like a standard ale yeast that fermented warm. It lacks depth and character, but the flavor that is there doesn't have any drawbacks. It's a good beer, and well worth $8.49 a sixer, but I wouldn't go to any extraordinary lengths to get it....

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2007 01:46:42 | More by phisig137

nriech

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Who coulnt pick this one up with a name like Holy Sheet, might as well been Holy Shyat.

Appearance: Had a good amber color, decent copper head. A bit of lacing.

Smell: Great spicy aromas with apples, yeast, and a bit of alcohol strength.

Taste: Awesome! A little bit sweet and an obvious alcohol punch but still smooth enough to drink a couple without overdoing it. The apples again come out in the taste along with a tiny bit of hops, malt, caramel, and yeast.

Overall another winner in the Heavy Seas brand, keep em' coming!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2007 17:11:46 | More by nriech

Rudgers73

New York

4.3/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my chalice from a 12 oz bottle. Hmmm, no head. Maybe it's the strength of this one, but I like my BSDA's to have a really nice, tall, frothy head. The smell is mainly bready yeast and super sweet maltiness. This one might still have a chance with me...
The taste is really good. Full body, just a touch of the alcohol at the end but otherwise very well hidden. As the beer warms it takes on quite a boozy taste and mouthfeel, though. I prefer it cooler than warmer. Complex malts and smooth bitter-sweet flavor. It doesn't have the thick body or head of a good Belgian, but it sure tastes like one. I'd say this is definitely a drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 20:52:40 | More by Rudgers73

MaltyGoodness

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle

Pours a beautifully clear burgundy color with a light-tan head that thins. Mild lacing on the glass.

Aroma is sweet and malty and very fruity. Mild hop smell and a rather distinct booziness are present.

Tastes caramel malty and very fruity upfront leading into a medium bitterness and nice noble hop flavor. Finishes slightly sweet with a boozy taste. While definately a Belgian style, it would even be better with more yeasty flavors.

Full body, light carbonation.

This is a good beer and easy drinking despite the pronounced booze. Another winner from Heavy Seas/Clipper City.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2007 23:11:54 | More by MaltyGoodness

PBRstreetgang

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Pours a pink-tinted red-brown with brass highlights and exceptional clarity. A dense, off-white head of two and a half finger shows good retention and leaves a few specs of lacing. Rich aroma of sweet, dark fruits and dextrinous highly-kilned malts -but not particularly aromatic. First sip is sweet with caramel and shows some woody peat charater. Date syrup and unrefined sugar flavors emerge; then the semi-dry aftertaste reveals a smooth alcohol taste, Goldings or other mild english flavor hop notes, and a balancing bitterness. The carbonation is actually quite low- but extremely smooth. The body is medium and the lack of crispness allows a malt-centric mouthfeel with robust fruit and booze tones to hang around. Finishes a little hot with plenty of residual caramel and beet sugar; but the velvety mouthfeel alone warrents a respectable drinkability. The only dissapointment here is the lack of Belgian flair; there is no real yeast character to speak of - but its still a decent abbey ale if you want something extra malty.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2007 07:49:04 | More by PBRstreetgang

riversider76

New York

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours amber brown,with a thin tan head. Not much retention,bur good lace. Smell is of dark fruits,and alchol. This is a medium bodied,brew with some carbionation. Taste is of dark fruits. Has a nice rum rasin edge. The alchol is big all the way! Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2007 17:56:55 | More by riversider76

sideshowrob

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Had to pick this one up. The "Heavy Seas" beers are all worth trying.

Color is good, a nice brown-amber color. Nothing too dark here. Almost no head at all, and what few bubbles formed vanished immediately. Nice sweet nose on this one, scents of belgian candy sugar are present. Taste is just OK, This beer has a lot going on but its fairly subdued. I'm not sure if this is because it's still a bit green, or if it's the built-in 'drinkability' of the Heavy Seas line. It will be interesting to see how this one develops over the next few months. There is no way I'd ever guess this beer is 9%, the alcohol is absolutely cloaked.

Overall, a good, American style Belgian.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2007 19:13:46 | More by sideshowrob

jsawicki603

Maryland

4.7/5  rDev +29.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I tried this beer at the Clipper City Brewery this past weekend. They had it on tap and I would have to say that it is one of the best strong beers that I have ever tasted.

The beer comes out of the tap as a nice crimson reddish brown color with a small copperish head. It has a fruity/spiced smell. The taste has these subtle hints of fruit and spice with a smooth finish.

This beer is very drinkable esepcially for a 9-10% ABV beer. After the brewery tour, I bought a six pack to take home and enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2007 18:46:42 | More by jsawicki603

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just picked up a 6 pack from Jason's and couldn't wait to crack open a bottle.

Not a huge amount of head on this beer, and what's there dissipates pretty quickly. However, beer is a loverly amber brown color, with enticing flavors of spice on the palate. The beer is very rich and sweet tasting, but is not over the top in the latter regard. Although obviously a big beer, it's not heavy or too tiring to drink. Very nice smooth mouthfeel, with almost a creamy texture. I could probaly drink a couple of these, as the beer is pretty drinkable for its 9% abv.

Another solid performance from Clipper City's heavy seas line. Can't wait to try this beer on draft.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2007 21:30:02 | More by johnmichaelsen

dedrinker

Kansas

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a dull ruby color, smells of sweet fruits - spiced. Spiced apple? peaches? Hides its alcohol fairly well, with a little astringency on the finish. Mellow carbonation. Good American example of an abbey ale, but I would question its spring release tactic, as this seems more like a December through February beer. The Heavy Seas line over all is a good example of a well-grounded approach to "extreme" beer without being retarded about it.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2007 02:22:46 | More by dedrinker

Jaynuze

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was lucky enough to get a case of this new rare beauty from the brewer. Pours a beautiful reddish amber with a thin white head. It dissipated quickly, but this might have been due to the cleanliness of the tulip glass I was using.

The nose has notes of sweet fruits and spice ... apple seems to be the most prominent. Though it is a sweet aroma, it is not overbearingly sweet. The chocolate malts really seem to round out the nose and taste.

The initial sip is a bit sweet ... though the beer had only been in the fridge for about 20 minutes. There is a light pinch of alcohol, but drinker beware, though this beer is smooth it's strong (9%). I'm not sure if this is better served warmer or colder, but I've got 23 others to test out my "theories"! Again, notes of apple with a smooth malty finish make this beer a great sipping brew. I'm not sure if I could handle more than two per sitting, as with most Belgian styles, the malty sweetness tends to get to me ... so does the 9% ABV!

Bubbles were rapidly rising once poured into the glass. This beer is very well carbonated and well balanced. Not much of a sign from the two brands of hops (Warrior and Tettanger), however Belgians tend to be much maltier than hoppy. The alcohol is well balanced with the malts and makes this a very smooth drinking beer. Though alcohol is noticed in the finish it still has a light creamy finish.

It's a good stab at the Belgian style. I'll have to drink a few more to see how my impressions change, but I sure am glad that I have more to sample! This is a smooth drinking beer and I can't wait until they put this one on cask! It seems a bit large for a Spring release, but it is still pretty darn tasty! Once again, Clipper City has built another winner!

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2007 15:13:59 | More by Jaynuze