Widow Maker Black Ale - Keweenaw Brewing Company

megahurts4

Louisiana

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Keweenaw Widow Maker Black Ale
On tap

Appearance: dark brown, good lacing, and a small head.

Smell: malty molasses.

Taste: rich roasted malts, slight molasses sweetness, and a smokiness.

Mouthfeel: medium-light.

Overall:
This is an ok brew. Seems to be brewed well, but the flavor is slightly watery.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2012 04:43:48 | More by megahurts4

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served on tap in a pint glass at Lockhart's BBQ.

Appearance: The beer is a dark brown color with a ruby tint in the edges. A small off-white film is all that exists for a head.

Smell: Light roasted malts, slightly bitter with some caramel sweetness. The aroma is very light.

Taste: The flavor is mellow roasted malt with some milky sweet chocolate. Metallic and a bit of citrus toward the end. Fairly flat flavor with not much hop presence at the end.

Mouthfeel: This has crisp carbonation but a mild flavor, resulting in a watery sensation. The body is on the light side.

Overall: I ordered this because I am a fan of American Black Ales, but this barely qualifies for the category. It tastes like a boring over-carbonated porter or something.

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2011 04:03:08 | More by KickInTheChalice

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ah, the power of marketing. I've seen Keweenaw cans in Michigan stores a kajillion times and never bought one. I've had good canned beer (Surly, Tallgrass), but the Keweenaw cans just look old and unappealing...they look like they could contain Schmidt or some defunct malt liquor. But on tap, where Keweenaw doesn't compete with those sleek bottles, they are in even ground. The venue: Reno's West. The battle: Man vs. Widow Maker Black Ale.

The pour is dark, dark, dark, with little sheen, like a matte paint. Not bad, not a ton of head.

The smell, if anything, is relentlessly balanced. I pick up some hop profile, not a ton, balanced by some roast and malt, again, not a ton. This is all crosscut by a bit of a yeast/barley aroma.

The taste is a combination of all of the above. Refreshing, tasty, but not horribly distinct, and clearly not a big beer.

Mouthfeel is very smooth, with good carbonation. Alcohol is not real present....at all.

Widow Maker is not an apt name. This beer will kill no one, it's just not a big, knock you on keister drink. But that doesn't not mean it's not a very good beer worth trying. Keweenaw may not be my first choice, but I will definitely return to them...just not in those damned rusty looking cans.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 14:03:01 | More by lurpy1

kangarooAdam59

Wyoming

3.7/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Into a pint glass:

A: jet black body with a one finger foamy off white head that hangs around for a good two minutes before slowly dieing, clingy lacing

S: chocolate malts, roasty, and coffee-like flavoring

T: mainly sweet and roasty through the chocolates and malts, but the coffee flavorings help balance a bit

M: light to medium, sessionable, smooth and creamy - though hard to get through with the weather cooperating the way it is in Southern Michigan

O: I do like this beer, but I don't think its an American Black Ale - too roasty and bitter coffee with chocolate and no hops that makes me think its more of a Porter or perhaps Stout, but I would have this again

Serving type: can

06-01-2013 17:45:54 | More by kangarooAdam59

Alextricity

Michigan

3.69/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from can into 4oz sampler mug at World Expo of Beer in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

Appearance: A dark brown, basically black. Not much of a head, and patchy lacing.

Smell: Dark malts with maybe some hints of chocolate and coffee giving some character.

Taste: See: Smell. Tastes almost like a brown ale... the only reason I could see why it's not is because of the color, for one thing, and that there's a bit more of a stout character to this one. I actually really enjoy it... really just drinks like a brown ale mixed with a stout, to me. That's not a bad thing. Very drinkable, and a low ABV.

I actually really like this beer. Tasty. Drinkable. It's not a super complex beer by any means, but it's a great option to have, especially coming out of a can.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 17:34:35 | More by Alextricity

Beaver13

Colorado

1.78/5  rDev -47.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

12 oz can. Pours brown with a fizzy tan head that quickly goes to a thin film.

The aroma is sweet cola-ey roasted malts.

The flavor is sweet dark fruits with a bit of a sour twang with a little grainy roast. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, a cola like dark ale with a touch of sourness (infection?).

Serving type: can

10-17-2012 22:51:09 | More by Beaver13

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Hmmm. Kind of a malty sweet bready thing going on here with a toasted caramel thing as well. Pretty quickly into things, the caramel is really hijacking the experience. And I use the word hijacking in a not so positive light. It's kind of out of wack really. Could be a lot smoother. Nice to try another beer in a can, but, moving on...

Serving type: can

08-25-2012 17:29:23 | More by RblWthACoz

superspak

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12 ounce can into pint glass, no canning date. Pours crystal clear dark reddish brown color with a fairly dense 1-2 finger light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some slight spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of roasted malt, chocolate, raisin, toast, biscuit, herbal, and light coffee. Pretty nice and pleasant aromas with decent strength. Taste of roasted malt, toast, caramel, raisin, brady grains, and light chocolate. Pretty dry on the finish; with lingering notes of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, and toast on the finish for a short bit. Hardly any flavor presence as you drink; but the light flavors that are there are pretty balanced. Medium carbonation and body; with a lightly creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with pretty much no warming noticed at all after the finish. Overall this is a pretty decent black ale. There isn’t much robustness in flavor; but it is very pleasant and easy to drink.

Serving type: can

07-09-2012 01:38:16 | More by superspak

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.13/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I picked up a can of Keweenaw's Widow Maker Black Ale last week for $1.19 at The Lager Mill. I wasn't impressed with their Brown Ale that I had last night, so I hope this beer turns out better, lets see how it goes. No visible freshness date. Poured from a 12oz can into a imperial pint glass.

A- The can looks pretty good and it's pretty eye catching. It poured a nice looking black color that only let a little light through giving it a slight ruby red hue when held to the light. It had two and half fingers worth of tan head that died down to a thin ring that stayed till the end and didn't leave any lacing behind. This beer looks like a proper American Black Ale.

S- The aroma starts out with a good amount of roasted malts that have a pretty high amount of sweetness and impart a roasted and dark malt aroma with a slight bit of chocolate coming through along with some more roasted grains. Towards the end I get real light smokey aroma followed by some faded earthy and grassy hops and a slight metallic aroma. Pretty standard for an American Black Ale, it;s not that interesting compared to others.

T- The flavor seems to be similar to the aroma. It starts off with a good amount of medium roasted malts that have a much lower amount of sweetness then the aroma did and they impart some mild milk chocolate flavors and some mild roasty flavors. After that I get a slight metallic taste that is followed by a light amount of grassy hops. The flavor wasn't too interesting and it was pretty mellow, average at best, I wish it was bolder.

M- Really Smooth, slightly sweet, creamy, on the lighter side of being medium bodied and it had a good amount of medium carbonation. I have no complaints with the mouthfeel, it seems to work well with this beer and is on par for the style.

Overall I wasn't too impressed by this beer and I thought it was a pretty average American Black Ale, it wasn't bad, but it was was pretty mild and the flavors felt subdued, it wasn't memorable. It did have good drinkability and it went down really smooth, but the flavors can't hold my attention so one is enough for me. What I liked most about the beer was the mouthfeel and the appearance, they were both good and true to style. What I liked least about this beer was the aroma and the taste, they were just too mild for my liking with only a mild amount of roasted malts and grassy hops sticking out, pretty bland if you ask me. I wouldn't buy this beer again, even though it is cheap I can't say that I enjoyed it enough to want to purchase it again. I wouldn't recommend this beer, it doesn't do justice to the style. This was another unimpressive beer from Keweenaw Brewing company, it wasn't a bad beer, just average in most categories with nothing about it that really sticks out or is memorable, so far I find them to be a pretty average Brewing company, I am still down to try more of their brews but with how lackluster their first two brews that I tried were I don't think I will be in a hurry to try some of their other beers anytime soon, better luck next time guys.

Serving type: can

04-05-2012 03:31:45 | More by StoutHunter

Yoopermk

Maryland

4.33/5  rDev +27%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Good beer. Pours black with a light head. Smells slightly roasty and a hint of bitterness. Tastes and feels a lot lighter than one would expect considering the color and appearance. Actually quite refreshing. Normally wouldn't drink a dark beer on hot days but this one is quite good. Probably my favorite KBC brew so far.

side note, I don't think widowmaker is a reference to the potency of the beer. Rather, like all KBC's brews, the beer name is a historical reference to the mining industry that has played such a big part of the Keweenaw's history. This one is named after a type of drill that was used in the copper mines that was dubbed the widowmaker due to the dangers associated with operating it.

Serving type: can

04-02-2012 01:02:47 | More by Yoopermk

morimech

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

More of a dark brown than black color. Two fingers of head forms and has excellant retention before settling to a thin cap. Just a little sticky lacing is left on the glass.

Smell of dark malt with a little roast and smoke.

Tastes more like a schwarzbier and an underinteresting one at that. It lacks any ale yeast or hop qualities. Just has a light, roasted malt flavor and slight smoke.

Light body with good carbonation. Carbonation is just a step below lively. Nice texture.

Fairly average beer. Nothing like the hopped up versions that categorized in this style. If the can did not say black ale, I would of said it was a schwarzbier.

Serving type: can

03-11-2012 18:32:25 | More by morimech

WYVYRN527

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce can, poured into a New Belgium globe glass.

A: Extremely dark brown, almost black in color with little light shining through. Light tan head quickly settles to a thin crown on the surface.

S: Some roasted malt character, with chocolate and some coffee and grassy hop notes.

T: Dark malt gives flavors of bitter chocolate, molasses, and a touch of coffee, along with some dried fruits. Grassy hop tinge rounds out the finish, making this a well-balanced brew.

Notes: Light in body, yet with good flavor and great balance. Low in alcohol from what I can tell, making this beer very sessionable. American black ale is an inadequate description for the style of this beer. To me it screams English dark mild, and this would be a fine example of one.

Serving type: can

02-18-2012 04:39:08 | More by WYVYRN527

shivtim

Georgia

2.53/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Found a can of this in Kalamazoo while visiting relatives.
What the heck is she holding on the can? Some kind of future weapon with a light saber and stripper pole?

Anyway, poured out into a large tasting glass.
Black, but thin. Cola. Small off-white head.

Nose is burnt corn. Ashy malts. Slight grainy sweetness.

Taste is very mild malt/hop balance. Slight cereal grains and almost rice-like flavors. Overall very mild.

Very thin mouthfeel.

Serving type: can

01-08-2012 04:44:02 | More by shivtim

groovemonster

Michigan

2.85/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Ok let me say this, I hate giving poor reviews. especially for a michigan brewed beer. being a michigander i wish everything brewed here would be awesome but that isn't so.

I like the can idea and i wish more micro-breweries would do it. I also like black ales so i was hopeful for this one. I thought this beer was quite malty with a emphasis on sweetness. virtually no bitterness and a somewhat sour aftertaste. whu=ile this may be a good beer to some a thought it lacked the robustness i seek out. You can get all fancy about your impression of a beer and that fine but when it comes right down to it you either like it or you don't...and with this beer I didn't. I may try some of their other varieties in the hopes they appeal to my tastes, but i won't be drinking this unless it free!

Disclaimer: I cant smell but it hasnt curbed my ability to enjoy fine brews. it has only curbed my ability to tell you what it smells like
i ALWAYS drink from the bottle...i almost never know what the beer looks like...not even sure why thats important.
i dont know the difference between a growler and a snifter, and i dont think anything shaped like a tulip should have beer in it!

mouthfeel? that just sound offensive...:) is this a serious thing?

i am an irreverent beer snob!

Serving type: can

12-10-2011 07:49:12 | More by groovemonster

bigbeerbrett

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured well into a standard pint glass. Dark brown-red looked interesting. Roasted malty smell with just a touch of hops. The mouthfeel matched the style, but the first taste didn't match the appearance or aroma. It felt like the basics were there, but not much wow. The flavor quickly left the tongue and had me longing for more sips to get something more which never appeared. This is more like a session type beer with not a lot of substance. The 10$ price tag for a sixes seems high. Perhaps they should market these as 12 packs.

Serving type: can

09-16-2011 00:13:14 | More by bigbeerbrett

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Keweenaw widowmaker

Pours a dark blackish brown color. Aroma is of roasted malts. In the taste, a solid roasted flavor, mild coffee with a little tang. Pretty one dimensional, but not bad. Little bitterness, more roast flavor, then a clean finish. Medium bodied, and somewhat smooth. Overall, not a bad dark beer in a can.

Serving type: can

09-05-2011 16:22:25 | More by Stinkypuss

whatthehull

California

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tulip

A - Opaque black/brown, one finger tan head and

S - Lots of toasted maltiness, a bit sweet, lots of earth, a sour note, slight hops and a very crisp German/Belgian lager yeast smell

T - Yeast, sweet, earth, tons of grains, wheat, barley, lots of malts, slight sour, slight hops and toastiness

M - Medium plus body, low acidity, medium balance, nice complexity and medium plus finish

D - Drinks like a dark lager and a light stout. Flavor, not much bitterness and goes down silky smooth

Final thought - This one isn't as good as the lift bridge, but I am still a fan

Serving type: can

08-19-2011 22:00:15 | More by whatthehull

ribby

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Review edited. I have had three more cans since the one I reviewed. None tasted like the first, the overwhelming bitterness was gone. The taste of these was mild and on the malty side, but not a lot of hoppiness. ]

The color is very good, a nearly opaque deep red. Unfortunately, the appearance is undermined by a small half inch head.

The smell is rather bland.

The biggest problem with this beer is the taste. It is just too bitter. It's not that I don't like bitter, but this is the wrong bitter, too much overcharred malt. It needs either some sweeter dark malt or a better type of bitter from the hops, probably both. I really hate to criticize beers like this, because they are difficult to make and I want to encourage brewers to be ambitious and try these kinds of beers.

The small head is accompanied by low carbonation, thus a rather unexciting mouthfeel. Overall, I call this average for the excellent appearance and the ambition to go for this style. I think this would be best accompanied by cheese
or bourbon.

Serving type: can

08-18-2011 02:37:19 | More by ribby

weizenbob

Michigan

2.53/5  rDev -25.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12 ounce can Purchased at Tom's in Acme (6.99/6-pack). Canned June 27, 2011. Poured into a nonic pint glass. The pour yields half a finger of tan head that disappears in a flash of bubbles. Lacing? Forget about it. What's left is a glass of beer that is not black, but cola colored. It is nothing for the eyes to behold.

The aroma is sweet with strong licorice notes and roasted maltiness that is somewhat akin to espresso. It smells a little thin but the aromatics that are there are mostly pleasant.

The flavor is really something to behold. Wet cardboard? Check. Cooked vegetables? Check. Still, there is some subtle but pleasant roasted malt action going on in the background. As far as balance, the brew leans sweet and malty with strong implications of vanilla. It seems they skipped the hops for this one. My mouth is a little confused, but I can roll with it.

The mouthfeel is thin. The body is light. The carbonation is a bit stinging. On the positive, the alcohol is completely hidden.

What a train wreck of a beer this is. It has the look and feel of a cola with a deliberately sweet flavor to boot. Keweenaw's cans all boast the goal of "turning beer drinkers into craft beer lovers," and I see what they're trying to do with Widow Maker. But that doesn't atone for the fact that this is just excruciatingly bad beer. Recently the price point of Keweenaw's canned beers has fallen drastically, to the point that they are a pretty decent value now. Still, I can recommend Widow Maker to neither the initiated nor the uninitiated. Blah.

---

The Two-Schlitz Scale: (reference my profile for an explanation)
I do not give a Schlitz for Widow Maker Black Ale. In fact, after this, I feel the need to wash my mouth out with an ice cold Schlitz Tallboy.

Serving type: can

08-05-2011 20:09:48 | More by weizenbob

brdc

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From notes. Poured from a can into a pint glass.
Name is obviously black ale, style here states brown. The beer is definitely brown in color, if dark. Minimal head like everything else I had from Keweenaw. No lacing.
Aroma is malty as well, with some roasted notes, coffee.
Thin on the palate, with malty flavors that are quite delicate, and at times even hard to notice. Looking closely, you will find roasted notes, coffee, some caramel. Passable.

Serving type: can

08-04-2011 02:12:19 | More by brdc

mdaschaf

Washington

3.13/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Review from notes. Thanks to Marc for this one!

A: Poured a dark brown with a slight reddish hue. A small tan head formed on top with decent retention and minimal lacing.

S: Very roasty with a hint of smoke.There was also a bit of coffee and a slight metallic note.

T: Extremely roasty. There is a little bit of caramel and coffee, but the roasted malt flavor dominates everything here.

M: Light to medium bodied, seemed a touch thin to me. Carbonation was a little more active than I am used to for style.

O: Not bad, the name confused me, as I thought it was going to be a black ipa, and the flavor profile reminds me more of a porter than a brown.

Serving type: can

08-03-2011 15:39:02 | More by mdaschaf

THECPJ

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown with a reddish hue and 1 finger off white head.

smell: roast, patent, coffee, malts,

taste: roasted malts,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, thin to medium body,

overall: a nice brown ale almost porter like with the roast characteristics. glad I got to try it.

Cheers,l
The CPJ

Serving type: can

07-27-2011 02:45:45 | More by THECPJ

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to woodychandler who continues to unearth more canned beers. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a black color with 1.5 inches of head and considerable lacing. Smell is of roasted malts. Taste has roasted malts, up front, then a bit of sourness I can not quite describe, sour fruit and a touch of metallic flavor. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.

Serving type: can

07-02-2011 14:10:15 | More by tone77

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

caramel color brown with just enough light getting through to give it a sort of off reddish tint. The smallish tan head quickly faded and left behind only traces of itself. The aroma itself was lightly smoked almost, full of roasted malts and a touch of caramel. The flavor was light bodied but nicely roasted with a touch of a bittering finish and a flavor full of earthy grain like tones. A nice subtle bread like base was quaintly masked underneath.

Overall this was a decent brown ale. It was nothing spectacular, but I do not think it was designed to be, but rather it was a very nice interpretation of the style. I could see myself drinking this on a session basis as it was very nice and very full of flavor without being too heavy or filling. A quality sessionable brown ale is what it should be and it definitely succeeds at that.

Serving type: can

05-30-2011 01:07:07 | More by mikesgroove

beerprovedwright

Georgia

3.95/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

My sister from Marquette, MI brought me this beer. Four plus finger head of light brown foam, the thick clinging lace. Color is black, tar black, a 38 on the SRM beer color chart. Smell is thick smoke, caramel, black cherry, malt, and pepper. Taste is intense, with flavors of dark cherry, caramel, coco, grapefruit peel, and pine. The flavor is bold and full, and tart. There are tastes of coco, black cherry, caramel, grapefruit, smoke, and hops. Mouthfeel is full and rich, but sort of sticky and has a drying effect on my upper palate. Not a beer I can get around here, but when I travel to Michigan again, I will look this beer up.

Serving type: can

04-11-2011 18:35:48 | More by beerprovedwright