 jstraw (440), Oak Park, Illinois, USA
May 11, 2008
In bottle at Jerry’s. Orange-amber with good, foamy off-white head / Nose of grapes, bananas, and cream, / Medium body, with wine-like creaminess from the grapes, and a touch of bitterness on the good finish / Flavors of white grapes, banana, lemon, wood, resin, and coriander / Have to consider these as a cross between a beer and a wine.
Oakes (6853), Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Aug 23, 2008 Hazy golden-amber. The aroma is woody, footy, slighlty fecal, with light fruity and vinous accents. Spritzy body shows grape, rich pale malts, woody/peppery hop/alcohol balance and light pediococcus. OK, but nothing jumps out as being special.
vyvvy (1689), Hazelwood, Missouri, USA
Aug 23, 2008 I expected the score on this one to be a lot higher ~ what a fine beer this turned out to be. Pours pale orange with a small faint beige head with large bubbly carbonation. The aroma has red wine grapiness in the forefront, Belgium blond ale traits underneath and light yeasty earthiness. Medium / thin body with lots of prickly carbonation. The taste starts similar to the aroma, but there is a overabundance of carbonation that mutes a good deal of the flavor ~ the blending of the Belgium traits with the wine traits is still quite enjoyable. As it warms the carbonation mellows a lot and there is a more noticeable infusion of dry grapes and sweet Belgium malt. The alcohol is very well hidden. Another fine beer from one of my favorite breweries.
Beershine (1214), Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Aug 20, 2008 Dark gold like topaz or citrine. Semi-clear with a mid-sized blonde head. Barn house aromas. Lemongrass or lemon verbena. Fresh and lovely bouquet is fruity and like chardonnay with some sweet cheese too. Soft but strong effervescence. Alcohol frames the flavors and carries the body forward. Fruit juice-like including mild white grape juice, guava, granny smith apples with punchy finish. Strong, sturdy, complex, underrated, and delicious.
porterhouse (928), Alna, Maine, USA
Aug 16, 2008 (750 ml bottle from Lou’s Beverage Barn, cellared for 8 mos. after purchase) Sweet, soft, grapey and a little hot...Pours cloudy darkish amber. Cloudier deeper into bottle. One finger of light biege head recedes to a thin covering. Initial aroma of Band-Aid as well as yeast, sweet dark fruit and wine-like grapiness. Band-Aid aroma seems to dissipate in later pours. Mouthfeel is full and soft - quite nice, above average. Flavor is medium sweet with notes of wine-like grape, perhaps light caramel and yeast. Nice light-medium bitterness builds toward finish and provides a little pinch. The Band-Aid is quite prominent in the initial tastes but then seems to mostly go away. I’d probably rank this ahead of Victoria but the Band-Aid certainly detracts. ABV fairly well-integrated but can definitely taste (and feel!) it.
General_Gao (2509), Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Jul 28, 2008 750ml bottle. Smelled of cherry, apple, and cinnamon. Not unlike pie or mulled wine. Poured a hazy dark orange color. The head was thick, foamy, and off white with an orange tint. Some lace was left behind on the glass. Medium bodied and slightly sweet. Tasted of mixed fruits (ala fruit punch), mixed with sparkling wine, subdued clove, and a dash of cinnamon. Pretty good stuff, but edged out by it’s sister Victoria.
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