Short's The Woodmaster - Short's Brewing Company

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a New Belgium globe. Bottle generously provided by Exiled, thanks Jason!

A - Pours a rather dark color, bordering on the darkest shades of brown with some brighter highlights around the edges. About a finger's worth of head builds, tan in color with moderate retention. The lacing is sparse, however, with not much sticking around from the foam of the head.

S - Immediately after smelling this I am relieved that it isn't an infected mess like nearly all of my past Short's experiences have been. It's rather complex, actually, and brings to mind a freshly baked pecan pie in the way that the sugar-coated pecan smell comes across. Lots of earthy malts are coming through here, as well as a nice maple syrup smell. You can almost smell how sticky this beer will be.

T - Thankfully, the taste mimics the smell nicely. Again, I'm getting the pecans and malts right away, and the earthiness lends an almost grittiness to the taste, as if eating them straight from the tree. The maple syrup ad brown sugar comes afterward to wash it away with a rich, sweet flavor. It's not as sweet as Clown Shoes' Pecan Pie Porter, which is a great thing, and I think it's a nice, unique flavor. Not getting much alcohol taste out of this at all.

M - Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with high carbonation. If I could change one thing about this beer, it is that I'd crank the carbonation down a little, as right now there's just a bit too much jazz going on. Otherwise, it finishes crisply and leaves a long aftertaste.

D - Drinkability is high. A noticeable pecan flavor mixed with maple syrup is a recipe for success. While not an everyday drinker for sure, this would be great in the dead of winter, much like the label depicts, but I also didn't mind drinking this one in June.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 04:00:48 | More by nhindian

stooge

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle dated 12/7/12; tasted on 6/5/13 in a Hair of the Dog tulip glass.

A- dark brown and cloudy, slightly opaque
S- subtle sweetness, maple and vanilla
T- slightly sweet and well-balanced with hints of maple, vanilla, pecans, and dark fruits that blend very well in harmony together.
M- just the right amount of carbonation for the style, not too much as you would expect from a brown ale.
O- quite enjoyable, excellent blend of flavors that complement each other well. This has become my favorite Short's offering, which says a lot. Not too sweet, not too carbonated, and not too complex; they really hit a home run with this one. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 05:38:51 | More by stooge

Slay40

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

05-10-2013 19:03:07 | More by Slay40

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

05-04-2013 20:42:16 | More by Kelp

rsenters29

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.5%

05-01-2013 19:52:49 | More by rsenters29

Texasfan549

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

04-28-2013 05:52:15 | More by Texasfan549

FLBeerGuy

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

04-28-2013 03:19:20 | More by FLBeerGuy

kjkinsey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

04-28-2013 02:03:54 | More by kjkinsey

johnyb

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

04-24-2013 00:10:40 | More by johnyb

CMUbrew

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.5%

04-08-2013 03:20:26 | More by CMUbrew

sleuthdog

Illinois

3.36/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Thanks out to rpbuckeye for this one

Poured into my new Short's pint courtesy of rpbuckeye also

Pour: A nice rusty brown with reddish hues when held up to the light. Maybe a half finger of dirty white head that decided not to hold on. No lacing even when trying to produce some.

Smell: Sweet with a nutty like touch on the nose. I do pick up on the maple aspect of this with some brown sugar and dark fruits. There is some roasty notes within everything else.

Taste: Sweet for sure with toasted malts and the pecans in the back and aftertaste. It is somewhat a big beer in that it is very sweet and maybe too much so. There is the sweetness that I guess is from the maple syrup but it also has a burn sugar like quality. I am not getting much alcohol if at all.

Mouthfeel: I would describe this as medium maybe because of the sticky feel that seems to cover the palate but yet it is thin at the same time. Hard to describe for me. It is smooth and creamy with a let down on the thinness of this beer. Carbonation seems medium.

Overall: First offering from Short's and I guess I would say it is just ok. It is pretty easy to drink despite it's fairly high ABV but just too sweet and a bit off balance. I like the uniqueness of the nut flavor with the sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:00:55 | More by sleuthdog

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4/5  rDev +5.5%

03-27-2013 02:39:34 | More by Rhettroactive

SimcoeJoe

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

03-16-2013 13:04:44 | More by SimcoeJoe

smutty33

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

03-09-2013 04:46:43 | More by smutty33

Sparty55

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%

03-07-2013 14:56:33 | More by Sparty55

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap @ Lord Hobo

Appearance: dark brown in color, clear, one inch head, medium carbonation

Smell: wood, nut, and sugar

Taste: big wood in the beginning, nut appears in the middle, and maple kisses the end, alcohol is noticeable.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy body, medium carbonation, sweet start with a bitter middle and slightly sweeter end, dry

Overall: A nice woodsy brown ale where I wish the maple was a bit more pronounced. Not a bad beer, but probably a victim of Shorts overall quality. I do not think the flavors burst here as much as they do with other Shorts beers. I would get this again, but there are others in the brand I would go to first.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 13:57:54 | More by tigg924

waiting4lunch

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

03-02-2013 23:21:20 | More by waiting4lunch

SaisonRichBiere

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.5%

03-02-2013 02:17:28 | More by SaisonRichBiere

yourefragile

District of Columbia

2.75/5  rDev -27.4%

02-23-2013 20:51:48 | More by yourefragile

JohnnieNepal

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%

02-22-2013 21:48:24 | More by JohnnieNepal

Scotthuller

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%

02-22-2013 03:04:28 | More by Scotthuller

chugalug06

Colorado

4.29/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Very dark brown with very light dense foamy head. Not much lacing.

Vanilla, maple, sugar, roasty, sweet.

Very nutty flavor, dry and mouthy. Sugars are roasty and forward. Nothing is subtle about this brew. Carbonation is a nice medium with a slight agave finish. Flavor is a bit tight and could use sometime in the cellar.

Highly recommended, a great drinker even at 9.5%. Lots of unique aromas and flavors. Thanks Abanton for spreading the Shorts wealth.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 01:47:04 | More by chugalug06

azdback

Arizona

4/5  rDev +5.5%

02-21-2013 07:55:21 | More by azdback

rpbuckeye

Ohio

4/5  rDev +5.5%

02-14-2013 15:48:24 | More by rpbuckeye

jaasen64

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%

02-08-2013 03:59:37 | More by jaasen64