 jazz88 (2235), San Francisco, California, USA
Nov 9, 2006 Tap from December 2005. A muddy brown color with a foamy tan head. A misty aroma with a malty base. Pleasant but mildly understated spice hop flavors. A strong orange flavor throughout. Rating from December 2005 notes.
footbalm (1218), Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Jan 22, 2006 I will rate this but the one I had read as Belgian Yule Ale on tap at Winterfest 2006. This was an over-spiced version of OSA. Too much mulling spice and not enough of anything else.
beermatrix (1497), Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA
Jan 2, 2006 On-tap at the brewpub: Deeply murky reddish brown color with a medium thick cap of light tan foam. Diminishes slowly to a broken skim and a thin collar. Lacing coats the glass is spotty sheeting.
Aroma is lightly fruity and wheatly dark and snappy with a light yeasty profile of whole grains, wood, and candied citrus spice.
Taste profile is big and bountiful with lots of dark wheat with a little front snap of body and grains. Great little additions to citrusy candy of raisin, date, orange, and lemon. Lightly spiced with a kick in the middle with a lovely display of playfully set yeast tones. Finishes smooth and rounded with a bit of chocolate and a left over realm of some orange peel and corriander. It grabs hold and plays the Belgian yeast with striking chords of harmony among the wheaty, breadish, snappy, rounded crispness. A damn good beer!
Feel is quite relaxing and nearly full. Nice dunkle-like presense in both wheat-like snap and its Belgian candyish smoothness. Playfully bold and captivating to the palate. Reminded me a bit of the Black Forest Black Ale with a bolder, broader placement of both malts, yeast, and spice. Kinda like a set back Anchor OSA mixed with a Dark Belgian ale. Sounds yummy eh...it is!
Nuffield (2718), Roseville, Minnesota, USA
Dec 25, 2005 Hazy chestnut-red, dense cream-colored head. Spicy, ginger, nutmeg, anise, clove, plus fruitiness (the brewer says cranberry, but I’m not sure about that by my tastebuds). Vigorous flavor, orange soaked in something, grape finish. Carbonated but still decently smooth. Pretty nice. (tap at brewpub)
badgerben (3586), Blaine, Minnesota, USA
Dec 24, 2005 Muddy brown color with a thin head. Solid malt aroma with a bit of a sweet hint. A little fruit as well, specifically banana. The taste is spot on for the aroma: malt and fruit. Thick feel. Pretty tasty.
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