Bend Outback Old Ale

Brewed by Bend Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Bend, Oregon USA

Big and toffeeish. Respectable example of the style. Disclaimer: it was really hot out when I tried this, and it would likely taste better if it wasn’t the middle of summer. But then I wasn’t the genius who decided to bring it to the OBF, either.

Tap @ Brewpub: Caramel bronze color, light head and nice lacing. Nose of dry husky caramel and light spice. The flavor is thin and starchy, floral hops in the tail. Kinda lame actually. Nothing like a BSA.

Draft @ the brewpub. Pours a clear amber color with a small off-white head. Has a malty fruity aroma with some hints of caramel and dark fruit. Malty dark fruit flavor with some hints of caramel. Has a slightly sweetish fruity malty finish with some hints of dark fruit in the aftertaste.

1/1/08 At the BrewPub with Bikesandbeer after a day’s drive from Portland, Brewery 5 of the trip. Pours dark amber with a bright white ring. Nose is basically dead. Taste consists of sweet malts, low abv in the taste. Eh.

Amber-brown and slightly hazy. Rewarding mouthfeel. Very sweet base, with a lot of roasted, toasted and burnt flavors. Hints of chocolate and coffee here and there, too. Big, aromatic hops. Finished dry and clean with some lingering bitterness. Good beer.

Orangeish amber appearance, with a big off white head. Malty and almost smoky, with some big fruitiness as well. Astringent with some soapy hoppiness, cereal maltiness. Woody and weak, and not very tasty at all.

(Draft: Bend Brewing Company in Bend, OR) Though called an old ale, this is NOT an old ale in the usual sense. While it is very flavorful, it’s more just a big amber ale, sweet, very fruity, caramely, malty and gently roasty, and moderately bitter. Sweet and caramely nose seems to match well with the flavor. Medium body, but sweet and malty enough for a long, substantial mouthfeel. The color is dark amber, and it’s topped by a small, light tan head that fades to a small rim and leaves a bit of patchy lacing. I feel mislead with the beer name, but once over the duping, this is actually a pretty nice beer.

Tap at brewpub :Hazy reddish brown, beige head.Light malt nose. Thinly carbonated light malt profile, floral hop end. I wasn’t impressed Couldn’t detect alcohol, seemed more like a somewhat bland session beer.