fidel (884), Livermore, California, USA Apr 24, 2009 Poured dark reddish brown, smooth, creamy, caramel, malty, dark fruits, little chocolate. MrManning (1634), London, Ontario, Canada Apr 17, 2009 Bottle courtesy of HogtownHarry- Thanks for this one Harry, I was able to share with several people including Milos, and the owner of the Keaton, Mark. All were quite appreciative, so thanks! A deep chestnut pour with some red hues. Nice beige frothy head leaves lots of lace. Nose is pretty intense. Lots of burnt caramel, dark fruit, wood smoke, spices, sherry, some vanilla. Tastes sweet and fruity, of burnt sugars, sweet sherry, vanilla, lots of smokey components, dark pit fruits, dark chocolate. Towards the end, this is assertively bitter, while being big and boozy, almost syrupy. Certainly a sipper. This was enjoyed by many, so thanks again Harry! ketchepillar (475), Viña del Mar, Chile Apr 7, 2009 Oh wow! 750mL into snifter. Bottle received in trade 16 months ago. I normally find scotch ales and their associated characteristics to be overpowering or unbalanced, but not at all in this wonderful creation. The balance is flawless. Aroma is of dark fruits, some slightly smoked wood, molasses, and caramel. The mouthfeel is quite nice, with good carbonation level, no cloying tendency, yet a slightly oily film coats my palate following each voluptuous encounter. The flavor is even bolder and richer than the aroma, with rich velvety chocolate joining the party. Intriguing caramelization and molasses backs up the rich chocolate melding seamlessly with the light smoke and wood flavors. The perfect level of assertiveness in the warming sensation pleasantly guides the finish, emboldening the rich chocolate, dark fruits, and smoky wooded overtones.
This beast dries out in the finish much more than I would have assumed, which brings us from overwhelmingly, decadent liquor back into the realm of sweet quaffable goodness. Raisins, currants, and chocolate linger from start to finish of the finish. The smoked woody peat comes back in the tail end of the finish to tease the nostrils briefly before retreating into the depths. hillfiiiiire (283), Madison, Wisconsin, USA Apr 7, 2009 Pours a dark with white head. Aroma is dark fruits with some woody character and a little bit of chocolate. Flavor is really strong, but comes off well with lots of malty sweetness. Lots of caramel too. Finishes nice and smooth. Delicious. crowderm (275), Recklinghausen, Germany Apr 7, 2009 Deep reddish-brown pour with a light tan head. Aroma of caramel, roasted malts, short bread, a hint of smoke and vanilla. The flavor is truly awesome. Tons of caramel throughout, coupled with an early hit of chocolate and roast. This is quickly followed by some mild dark fruit notes. The finish is sweet, but tempered by a very nice (but mild) alcohol warmth. The mouthfeel is awesomely smooth and full. This beer rules. The first scotch ale I’ve really enjoyed. jeff789 (359), Pennsylvania, USA Apr 6, 2009 Huge sweet malt balanced nicely as to make it not excessively sweet or overbearing, very complex gets better with each sip... Minimal hop profile but just enough to keep the malts in check... Top notch offering of a not so WEE heavy... shawnm213 (882), South Bend, Indiana, USA Mar 30, 2009 bottle from bev mo in la jolla. decent scotch ale. maybe it’s just me, but i think the alesmith beer ratings are a little upwardly biased. larryLSB (139), La Selva Beach, California, USA Mar 29, 2009 Poured from 750, dark reddish bron with big tan head. Mild nose, bananas and malt. Smooth taste, sweet buttery, heavy in the mouth with a nice dry finish. Overall a great beer!
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