Arbor Jackhammer Old Ale

Brewed by Arbor Brewing Company Pub & Eatery
Style: Old Ale
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA

Wow. This is a hell of a beer, beautiful in the glass and kaleidoscopic in flavour as it allows you to experience a rich and spicy shock of alcohol, a rise of berry-and-chocolate in the malt, and a scant dry breath of hops at close. Only the alt is better in the ABC portfolio.

Draught sample at the brewpub, early August 2006. From the opaque caramel body rises a creamy, lasting off-white head....the nose is invited to partake in a raisiny-figgy caramelized malty aroma, dried fruits and a touch of mustiness enhancing the delight....on the tongue, a thick melange of vanilla, dried fruits and highly tannic strong wine....creamy and thick without being syrupy, the vanilla-oaky sweetness grows with warmth....luscious, elegant and complex without quite ascending to mastery, but still a worthwhle endeavour.

On tap at the brewpub. Pours dark brown with an off-white head. Aromas of dark fruits with some caramel. Flavor is very nice dark fruit, caramel, a bit sweet, and a nice dose of smoke. Not too strong, but not too weak either. I really enjoyed this old ale.

On tap at the pub. Dark ruby brown colored with a little head. Aroma of some light caramel, molasses, dark fruits, and a little hops.

Served in a cool dimpled mug at the brewpub. The body was dark copper with a slightly off white head. The aroma was short bread cookies with some mango. The taste was lots of caramel with hints of grapefruit. There was also some sharp mango fruit type character. Lots of apparent alcohol. Good stuff.

Dark purple. Medium sweet plum and Chianti with cherry flavored malts up front turning more towards some bitter but fresh resinous, oily hops. Sweet but decently balanced. Only complaint would be that it doesn’t stand out, and it’s not decadent enough to stand on it’s own as a mellow, soft old ale.

nice reddish-copper hue with a cream-colored, toward beige, head. a little more carbonated than i expected an old ale to be, with a very estery and fruity aroma. slightly sweet but not cloying; some fusel alcohols behind it. flavor matches the aroma fairly well, with a dry astringency which isn’t apparent in the aroma. malty and enjoyable - a nice winter warmer.

Clear copper with a small white head. Sweet carmal and tobacco aroma. The flavor exhibits more tobacco and lots of earthiness. Light floral hops. Medium dry body. Earthy and interesting.