Drakes Expedition Ale

Brewed by Drakes Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
San Leandro, California USA

12 fl bottle. Pours clear and golden amber with a small off-white head. Aroma is roasted malt, light fruity too. Roasted malt flavoured. Bitter and slight fruity finish.

Bottle shared by Turd. Pours dark amber with one-finger beige head. Spicy hoppy nose, more so than I’d expect from the style. Dry palate. Solid.

12 oz bottle thanks to Eric. Pours a light brown/amber color with a medium white head. The aroma is rich and very different; loads of sweet citrus and tons of dark toasted malts. The flavor is very nice; loads of citrus- especially orange- hops balanced with a large toasted malt. Very much like a hoppy dark IPA or even a hop-filled brown ale. Nice.

Thanks to the Turd for sharing this non-blue beer! Nice looking beer, though much as you’d expect from the style. The nose was far more dry and hoppy than I’d expected, and gave an indication as to why this one is so well liked. Among all the sweet malts, there’s definitely some sharpness in there to balance. The finish remains moderately dry, making this one pretty good overall.

Thanks turdferguson for sharing. Pours a dark copper amber with a one finger light tan head. The nose is was rich and malty, prominent citrus rind hop character, caramel. Flaovr is malty, crisp and sweet, nice balancing bitterness, grapefruit rind. Palate is slightly bitter.

Bottle from Holiday Wine. Pours a nice brown purple with a thick nose of roast, malt, fruity hops and coffee. Flavors of the same - reminded me of BBC 30th. Really solid stuff.

(Bottle via trade with BMan1113VR, thanks Andrew!) Pours slightly hazy darkish coppery amber with three fingers of rather lumpy lightly amberish off-white head. Aroma of caramel, vanilla and pine. Mouthfeel fairly smooth but lightly pebbly, medium-full. Big, foamy, droopy rings of lacing. Flavor of big hops upfront - pine and grapefruit. Underneath is a vanilla and caramel-tasting malt base. Medium-strong bitterness overlays and provides a bite in the finish. Quite hop-forward for the style, in some ways more like an IPA than an amber. Good.

Bottled.An amber beer with a thin tan head. The aroma is sweet with notes of nuts, caramel, and citrusy hops. The flavor is sweet with notes of malt, caramel, nuts, and citrusy hops, leading to a bitter finish.