Blalance of the haul from Romulux

Solstice D'été Aux Framboises

Romulux be da man!

This might be the most pink beer I have ever had! Deep pink with a lighter pink head. Good retention, good lacing.

Aroma is obliterated by raspberries, very close to a Framboise lambic minus the possible funk. Taste is clean, but not as clean as the perfect Framboise... a little too puckering, a little too much acid for me; with a vinegar like acidity. But very good regardless.

Very very good; certainly more drinkable than NG Raspberry Tart for instance (which itself is very good!), but missing the clean, 100% lactic character of, say, LP.

4.5, 4.5, 4, 4, 4

Madame Rose

2010 vintage sent by Romulux, thanks! Split with a few BAs at a tasting.

The aroma is very soft and well integrated... somewhat funky, somewhat sour with a soft fruit presence. Doesn't smell too acetic. Good.

Only slightly sour tasting with light oak character and almost grape (wine) like at times. Some tannins at the end. There is a good fruit presence but I am not getting cherries specifically. Medium feel and dry finish, very good.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Tasting (Aug. 19, 2012)

Lips Of Faith - Super India Pale Ale (Alpine Collaboration)

Thanks Ryan!

Golden with a slight haze, very good head, retention and lacing. Smells tropical with mango coming forward the most; followed by caramel maltiness; and finally only hints of spice. Bitter and coating with fruit, weed and spice in the taste. Medium mouthfeel. It's good but it's not phenomenal. I initially gave it 4 on all counts but changed the overall to 3.5 after sampling it again yesterday. It is a little too malty and for its own good, IMO. Also, could have been more crisp.

4, 4, 4, 4, 3.5

Bourbon Barrel Aged Seeing Double IPA

Thanks Jason!

Dark amber, somewhat hazy, good head, good retention.

Aroma -- sweet, citrus, caramel, barrel.

Taste -- bitter citrus, hints of toffee, mellow but tasty, finishes rindy and clean.

Medium mouthfeel with the growler drinking just fine. Could have been bigger on the barrels and that would have been an instant hit for me.

4, 4, 4, 4, 3.5

Cascade Sang Noir

Romulux delivers again, thanks!

Slightly hazy, deep brown with medium head. Soft cherries in the aroma, oak-y for sure. Quite sour and acetic-ally so, but fortunately not enough to deter me. Hint of bourbon and oak most definitely, with some sweetness as well.

Finishes dry and tannic, reminds me quite a bit of Rodenbach Grand Cru.

A quite good beer overall but seems likes it's not my type.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Behemoth Blonde Barleywine

Thanks Dave!

2009 vintage. Dark caramel colored with good clarity; either I am night blind or this is not blonde at all. Perhaps blonde refers only to the lady on the label and not the beer inside.

Anyway, sweet citrus and fruity maltiness stand out in the aroma. The bitterness is definitely not up there in the taste although you can tell it has hops. Good, sweet maltiness shines. Medium feel.

It's good and I like it but it is certainly not great. There are better barleywines out there.

4, 4, 4, 4, 3.5

R&D Sour Ale

Shared by Jason, thanks! From the recent release coinciding with Great Taste.

Clear amber with ample effervescence. Aroma is funky, musty, earthy with hints of balsamic. Tastes somewhat sour, oak-y and quite clean. Feels light and spritzy and finishes dry. I think they hit it with this one, I liked it very much!

4, 4.5, 4, 4, 4

Tasting (Aug. 17, 2012)

Cantillon Vigneronne

Shared by Steasy66, thanks!

Hazy amber with a medium head, ok retention, ok lacing. Funky (manure), musty and slightly acidic aroma. Clean and mildly tart taste; wine notes come through (grape peel) and dry white wine tannins linger.

Mouthfeel is good as with all Cantillon, light and dry. One of my favorite 'loons.

4, 4, 4, 4.5, 4.5

3F Schaerbeekse Kriek

Purchased at The Nova's (Hudson, WI). Hurt the wallet.

A deep and clear pink color with a light pink-rose head. Soft cherries in the aroma and the signature 3F notes. Fruit in taste but the essence, not the flesh. Cherry, of course. Good sourness, very clean, big on oak. Amazingly light and clean feel, drinks like the FG was 1.000. Thoroughly enjoyable.

4.5, 4.5, 4, 4.5, 4.5

Torulus Unblended Barrel  Aged Rye Imperial Stout

Sent by Romulux, thanks as always!

This is the 100% Rye version I believe. Looks the part, dark brown with a lingering ring for head/retention. Roast and malt in the aroma, possibly some spice. Not much of a -bal presence here. Drinks roasty, bitter chocolaty with a good presence of oak but again, muted -bals. Mouthfeel seems a little thin, the beer a little overcarbonated. Overall it's not bad but doesn't stand out.

4, 4, 3.5, 3, 3.5

Founders Frangelic Mountain Brown

Shared by Steasy66, thanks!

Clear with a dark amber color, not exactly brown. Some head.

Toasted hazelnuts dominate the aroma, not much of a coffee presence here. Never thought I would say this but sweet and artificial flavors dominate this beer. Everything about the mouthfeel is balanced, medium whatever but the beer itself is pretty mediocre.

I think it is well made, but the recipe sucks ass IMO. The "backstage series" is an utter flop compared to the regular and seasonal lineup of Founders.

Avoid at the price.

4, 3, 3, 4, 3

Dogfish Head 75 Minute IPA

Shared by Steasy66, thanks!

Amber colored beer with a big head and good retention. Maple and caramel dominate the aroma although some hops still linger. Only slightly bitter, strictly in the balancing role, with sweet flavors stealing the show. Mouthfeel is spot on. Overall one of the better DFH beers, and possibly my favorite after Burton Baton.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Surly Syx, others

Syx

On tap at Muddy Pig. Served in a 12 oz tulip.

Deep amber with a viscous clarity. Medium head and retention. Doesn't smell like much at first but some malts and fruit come forward as it warms up. I am neutral on the aroma.

Off to taste --- WTF?! Acidic, harsh and somewhat bready but very shallow malt character for the octane. I am NOT digging this weird tartness at all. Drinks like a poorly made DIPA once you get past the acidity. I'd give it a 1 on taste but there is no hint of booze at all, which is something.

Mouthfeel? I am not sure what to expect but I am going with a 3, right in the middle. Not bad but nothing exciting either.

In my humble opinion, this is just not a good beer. Or maybe it's not ready (no pun intended!).

4, 3, 2, 3, 2

Green Card Barleywine

Alright, funny name!

Pours a deep amber-brown with good clarity. A good malty-sweet aroma, there's some serious malt in here. Tastes of caramel-toffee and figs-dates with a medium touch of hops. Good at this point but somehow doesn't seem like it could develop into anything much bigger, better. Body and carbonation are apt and it's a good beer overall.

4, 3, 3.5, 4, 4

Horn Dog Barleywine

09 Bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours much darker than the usual with a medium head. Aroma is a little too dark and it smells like an aged stout. Weird.

The taste is too heavy on roast with no sweetness and only a hint of malts. WTF?! Feels like a stout for all I can tell. Mouthfeel is alright for a Barleywine OR a stout.

Not a bad beer but thoroughly disappointing for an English Barleywine. Did Flying Dog mess with me here and bottle a blend that was heavy on the stout?

4, 3, 1, 4, 2

Town Hall seasonal sampler part xyz

Belgian White

The ABV is up to 6.1% but the name and the description are consistent with this entry.

Hazy golden colored with a good, lasting head. Perfumy, yeasty, bubblegum notes in the aroma; which was good but a rotting egg funk kept ruining it for me time to time. The off note was faint but detectable and interfering. Tasted spicy, yeasty and slightly tart. Alright on the mouthfeel.

4, 2, 3.5, 4, 3

Flight of The Falcon

"Single hop" pale ale.

Burnt amber hued with a good head etc. Dank hop aroma, and good, clean hop flavors in the taste. In spite of a reasonable malt base, the beer is dominantly hop forward. Silky and smooth mouthfeel, almost like drinking on cask (the freshness didn't hurt either).

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Crimson Oat

Clear and amber colored. Fruit and an otherwise clean malt note in the aroma. Tastes only lightly malty, good fruitiness and slight hints of darker malts.

The mouthfeel is rather thin and watery. Can't say it was bad but nothing was remarkable about it. A solid C beer.

3, 3, 3, 3, 3
 

Raspberry Crimson Oat

Raspberry Crimson Oat was the "fruit infusion" on Town Hall's seasonal list a week or so ago. The base beer Crimson Oat is listed as an amber ale I believe.

Looks only slightly more red-brown than its base although the light is low and it is tough to accurately comment. However, it drinks way better than its base --- a strong raspberry jam aroma and a strong raspberry flavor in the taste without any significant tartness and sweetness from the fruit. Only hint of the base beer is the kick of specialty malts at the end.

Crimson Oat succeeds in being an excellent vehicle for the fruit but since it was thoroughly average, this beer cannot exactly be much above.

3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5, 3.5

Belgian IPA

Advertised as a Belgian IPA. The server or the boards did not mention Elves' Elixir so I am assuming this is a separate beer.
---
Clear pale golden with a good and long lasting head. Smells closer to a tripel than an IPA; too heavy on the phenols in my opinion. A distinct note I can best describe as slightly soapy?

Tastes aggressively bitter but retains its Belgian character in its esters and phenols. Some fusel notes are present.

Finishes clean and dry although I could live with an even higher carbonation. Not bad at all.

4.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4

Blåbær!

Cantillon Blåbær

Dang!
Review # 444. Huge thanks to Steasy66 for sharing this beer. I am glad that I know the right people!

Deep pink-purple hued with a light purple head. Good head and good retention. Very clean aroma with no vinegar whatsoever, an instant hit in my book. Somewhat sweet with tart and bright berry notes and only mild hints of funk.

Taste is a clean, lactic and mild sour with strong berry notes. Very very blueberry. I was pleasantly surprised that my "robust" palate could detect the blueberries, they must have used a lot!

Medium body, medium carbonation and a clean finish. Very very good.

4.5, 4, 4.5, 4.5, 4.5

Jackie O's Evelyn

Shared by dc55110, thanks!

Hazy, reddish, blood brown with a fast departing head. Quite complex aroma that was off putting at first but got enjoyable soon --- framboise, earth and grass.

I preferred aroma to taste; I found the intense sourness hindering to the enjoyment of this beer. There was also an odd nuttiness in the finish but I am neutral about that. The body and carbonation were fine.

It was a good beer but too acetic and sour for my taste.

3.5, 4, 3.5, 4, 4

Lawson's Finest Liquids Double Sunshine IPA

Thanks JeepCop for the bottle!

Hazy light golden colored with a very good head and excellent head retention. Smells pretty good --- dank, leafy, weedy. My kind of IPA.

Great flavor, light malt backbone. Medium-high bitterness, good carbonation and a dry finish with no hints of booze whatsoever.

Awesome beer, VT FTW!

4.5, 4, 4, 4.5, 4.5

Iron Hill FE 15 "Imperial Tripel"

Shared by Yulles, thanks!

Excellent looks: golden color, great fluffy head and great retention. If you take into account the ABV, the looks are nothing short of perfect!

Very sweet, very estery aroma with hints of lemon. Slightly cookie dough-y at times. No alcohol whatsoever.

Tastes very sweet with a strong note of honey and some citrus. Warms as it goes down and yet doesn't seem boozy at all. Furthermore, the finish is nowhere as sweet as the taste would lead one to believe.

Oh yeah!

5, 4, 4, 4, 4.5

Jolly Pumpkin Perseguidor (Batch 5)

Thanks dougofthefuture!

Deep amber colored with medium clarity. Funky and grassy aroma with hints of mustard seed (I think). The taste is slightly disappointing: mild, watery and weak? Oaky and tannic. The carbonation could have been higher, otherwise the mouthfeel is ok.

I am not wowed.

4, 4, 3.5, 4, 3.5

Westbrook Citrus Ninja Exchange (2012)

Clean and thin looking... I am hoping it'll be dry. Sweet, citrus and fruity aroma... I would have missed how malt forward the aroma was had someone not pointed it out.

Regardless, there was only little sweetness in the taste. It was prominently bitter and citrusy. Light feel, good carbonation and a clean finish.

Westbrook makes some good beer for sure.

4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break

Thanks bucky10!

Dark with a ring of foam for head. Smells dark, fruity and chocolaty.

Dark fruit, chocolate, some acidity and roast towards the end. Obscure smoke. Medium-good body with appropriate carbonation.

It's a good and rich stout; worth seeking out.

4.5, 4, 4.5, 4.5, 4

Ticking Top 100 (Beers of fame)

Currently at 98/100 on this list.

Allagash White

Thanks Steasy66 for bringing this from SC. Pours a cloudy hay color with medium head and poorer retention than I expected. Smells awesome... the spiciness reminds me of Saison Dupont, stat, although the two are quite different. Still, I get the lemon and pepper, and then some more... coriander if you will.

Off to tasting... sweet-ish and spicy, this is actually quite close to Saison Dupont in its profile but significant differences exist. Most notable is the estery character as opposed to phenolic, the fact that this one is more dirty and less sharp.

As I drink more, it appears more and more complex... I am thinking tulsi. For sure. And there's a certain "herb" character if you know what I mean.

Medium body, bursting with spritzy carbonation. A bready but relatively clean finish with a lingering yeast-y-ness (I think).

I thought this beer wouldn't be any good, just an overpriced "craft" version of Blue Moon, but damn, this is one sexy beer! Highly recommended. A++, would drink again!

PS: I am well aware that this is not a Saison. Just find it very similar in some of the notes it has.

look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Chimay Première (Red)

Dark brown with good clarity and a big, dirty head.

Toasty, yeasty and slightly phenolic aroma; fruit and spice (coriander I think).

Tastes fruity with notes of pears and ripe apples, slightly tart, slightly caramel-y, and somewhat tannic at the end.

Very effervescent, mildly warming, generally clean and dry with a light body.

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fuller's London Porter

Dark brown, quite clear with a good tan colored head. Roasty and fruity aroma. Tart, dark fruit taste (I am thinking prune like) with a kick of roast at the end and a lingering charred character.

Medium body, medium-high carbonation. Not stellar but very good and certainly worth revisiting. Also, better on cask if you can find it.

look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ommegang (Abbey Ale)

Dark amber with a light rusty colored creamy head. Medium retention. Somewhat fruity, somewhat yeasty and somewhat rotting fruit notes in the aroma. Taste is certainly darker than the color suggested. Tastes more like a hoppy brown ale to me than a Belgian dubbel although the texture is spot on (light, effervescent body etc.). Only similarity is the slightly yeasty-estery finish. Not a bad beer but different* from what I expected.

* That's just a nice way of saying that don't purchase it if you want a Belgian dubbel.

4, 3, 3, 4, 3

Founders Porter

Darker than most within its style and ABV range with a medium head etc. Smells faintly of chocolate and roast. Tastes chocolaty and roasty with a long charred and somewhat nutty finish. There is some acidity as well. Mouthfeel is medium with carbonation a little higher than my preferred level.

Overall a great beer that's tough to beat at its price point. Founders has a really good regular lineup with this one, Dirty Bastard, Centennial and Red's Rye. This reminds me why it is one of my favorite breweries.

look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Victory Hop Wallop

Clear golden with generally good looks. Smells like sweaty socks at times. Tastes good but not as Double IPA-ish as Saison like. Go figure. Not the most bitter I have had but the bitterness lingers and sometimes borders on unpleasant. Also, what's the deal with the solvent character? Good mouthfeel on this one though, they got the FG and the carbonation spot on. Overall this seems like a beer that'll give me a hangover but it is not a bad beer!

4, 2, 4, 4.5, 4