 hopscotch (4595), Vero Beach, Florida, USA
May 16, 2008 Updated: May 30, 2008
(Co-rated with Gregis at the Flossmoor Pre-DLD Party) Bottle… Clear, very dark, crimson ale with a small, creamy, of-white head. The nose is a summertime daydream… chocolate covered Orange Dreamsicle with llesser notes of lightly toasted marshmallow and mellow booze. Full-bodied with an oily mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Dreamsicle flavor surrounded by wood and subtle, bitter, dark chocolate. Finishes tangy and tart… dries out in the end. Kudos to BarrelAged for sharing!
Gregis (923), Shawnee, Kansas, USA
May 17, 2008 Co-rated with Hopscotch at the Flossmoor Pre-DLD party. A huge thanks goes out to BarrelAged for sharing this rare treat with us. I liked this one a little more than Eric (hopscotch) did, but I’m a big fan of Dreamsicles. Like he mentioned, in his review, this beer is essentially a less-sweet beer version of that frozen treat with the added compliment of chocolate malt. Dark red-orange with a thin, creamy, off-white head that quickly diminishes. The nose is the aforementioned Dreamsicle with lesser notes of cocoa and faint alcohol. Full-bodied and oily/soft with a slightly dry, woody and lightly bitter finish. The flavor follows the nose with a bitter-roasted, cocoa-like flavor blending with the solid, sweet orange that dominates. Imagine chasing a bite of a Dreamsicle with a high-percentage dark chocolate and you’ll have the overall effect. I’m pretty surprised to see this one is packing 15.5% ABV. It certainly has the goods to reach that level, but the alcohol is pretty well masked in this beer. Aside from a slight warming effect and a hint on the nose, the alcohol hides out in the background on this one. If Kuhnhenn ever decides to release this one, it’ll be on my wish list. Thanks for sharing this one with me, Eric.
Ughsmash (3083), Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA
May 1, 2008 Many thanks to BarrelAged for bringing this to the Flossmoor Pre-DLD party! Poured translucent, highly-viscous reddish-orange with no head sticking around.. lovely color, though! The aroma picked up a heavy, deep sweetness with cotton candy, plum sugar, and a touch of orange.. there were also deeper-rooted caramel sugars and the faintest touch of chocolate.. no significant hop presence.. the sweetness completely masked the alcohol. Powerfully sweet again in the flavor department with oranges playing more of a factor.. candied fruits and toffee provided additional sweetness.. warm on the finish, but again the overt alcohol was hidden. Wickedly sweet on the palate with the booze only showing up to warm the belly (and facilitate drunkenness).. very low carbonation. This was an odd duck, but I enjoyed it.
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