Caught some at the end of a Sam Adams half-tap takeover. Reminds me of plum wine but not as sweet. Prunes, raisins, dirt, olives. The alcohol covers well. Cognac colored. Light syrup viscosity. After some air, I get some caramel and toffee. No carb. I feel like I should have more to say about this but I don't. More of a port wine than anything else.
I don't remember anything distinctive about this. But it was ok.
Dark amber pour; scattered, sticky head, more like painting than lacing. Nose is huge: resin-y, sticky, thick hop aroma, with pellet hop density. Mouthfeel is standard, lighter than I might expect from an imperial. Finish is clean and not sticky. Overall hop impression is not as strong as the nose might suggest. An dangerously easy drinker, though I wish it had more hop bittering. The taste is primarily imperial amber-like which is nothing, finishing mostly straight sweet; not a lot of malt tones. A little bipolar.
Opaque black pour; thin, tight head. Smooth mouthfeel, low carb, milk stout-like. Taste is rich but not overpowering nor bitter; reminds me of a milder Black Chocolate Stout. Finish is easy; chocolate and dirt.
A beer blended drink that was passed on to me. 1/2 Guinness and 1/2 root beer gave it too strong of a root beer bite and sweetness. 3/8 to 5/8 or 1/3 to 2/3 is a better ratio that preserves the Guinness Extra Stout roasted bitterness. The head turns into something akin to that of a root beer float but much subdued, which is interesting.
Pretty heavy, super dense grape, lots of sediment. Body was extremely velvety and tannins have mellowed. A bit of tartness but this was a pop and pour. I'll have some tomorrow after breathing time.
New ginger beer I saw at the store. Figures since Gosling's is one of the few dark rums out there for Dark and Stormys. Milky pour, high carb. I can smell the ginger in it, but the actual taste is restrained. Finishes with a bit of bite but a little too sweet (48g of sugar). Lingering burn. If I had dark rum, I would try a Dark & Stormy. But I don't have any.
Stopped by Middle Ages on the way back from Howe Caverns. They weren't running tours, but the tasting room gives free samples. I've had Middle Ages on several occasions in the past and was never terribly impressed. The shop is pretty cool, nice selection of brews and memorabilia. I ended up getting a growler of Old Marcus, an ESB, a 4-pack of Tripel Crown, and an imperial pint glass. Had dinner at Empire in the nearby Armory Square area. Nice brewpubs around. Definitely worth future visits.
Pour is a crystal clear red-amber, minimal head. Sweet maltiness in the nose, inviting. Mouthfeel has good carbonation, mild bready taste, mild bitter. Nothing crazy but not bland. Overall, very approachable and drinkable. I love finding beers like this, that aren't fairly nondescript, just good. Even at 6.6%ABV, this is a great beer to sit around. New respect.
Addendum: Uh, I apparently forgot to take notes on this before I left for the summer. I remember this being an awesomely malty, biscuit-y, sweet, Belgo-style, refreshing, and dangerously sessionable ale. A pretty good beer. I didn't have much interest in Middle Ages before, and I still find most of their beers average, but the Tripel Crown is evidence that they can turn out some remarkable stuff. Druid Fluid is now on my list.
Pretty weak. After having had Dale's Pale Ale (which, while hoppy, I still would call a pale and not an IPA), I have been ruined for everyone else's pale ale.
From the OC sampler. Smells brown. Tastes like cold coffee with a little lingering hop bitter on the end. Mouthfeel is stout draught-like, smooth and nicely carbonated. Maybe one of the more assertive Cascadian dark ales I've had. Goes well with this brownie.
Maybe first source from Reeni. Exactly what it says. Nothing out of the ordinary. A nice, voluminous dish that can plate well as a side or main.
