McKenzie Trappist Pale Ale

Formerly brewed at McKenzie Brew House
Style: Belgian Ale
Glen Mills, Pennsylvania USA

2004 bottle. Pours a hazy copper orange body with a white head. Brett, leather, light spicy and yeast character with a dry finish. A bit oxidized for sure, but not bad.

Date: 07/20/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

hazy dark yellow, huge white head, big funk aroma and flavor, nice malt, good spices well blended with the funk,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.8/5.0
Score: *4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Thanks to Slander for sharing this one at heavyweight open house. 750 ml bottle- label fell off, but labelled on the cap. This was a bottle from 03, so I think the brett characteristics may have increased over time. Pours a clear light gold with a nice fluffy lasting head. Aroma is out of control with brett, in a good way. A crapload of barnyard aromas- hay, horseblanket, musty cobweb like, and even a bit of lemony citrus to it as well. Flavors are loaded with horseblanket, leather, nice citrusy notes, light bready malts, and a dry slightly acidic and bitter finish. Mouthfeel is creamy and smooth despite a relatively high carbonation. Excellent beer- similar, but better than many other beers that use brett to try to replicate orval.

Shared 750ml bottle. Not a bad beer. Was expecting something a little more. Tasted what it should be.

Pours a clean, medium golden color with a giant foamy head that’s gonna be here a while. Yeasty aroma with a little barnyard funk, and a subtle hop nose. Flavors are yeast, a little lemon, and some pepper with a light finish. Nice fizzy palate.

750ml bottle shared with scubatrip: Slightly cloudy light orange-amber that is a pale straw golden yellow when held to the light. Medium white head that lasts for the first few sips and then dies. The aroma has some barnyard to it, and at first I’m worried that maybe I have a bad bottle. Checking other ratings here it seems like it’s supposed to have this light farmhouse quality to it. There are also hints of lemon zest, spicy cloves, yeast, wood, and wet leather. The taste has some barnyard & leather flavors at first, and opens up to show apple, tart orange rind, sweet light malts, biscuit, and a hint of peppery alcohol if held in the mouth. Finishes dry with grassy/spicy hops, sweet light malts, and funky yeast. Tastes a bit more like a farmhouse ale, as BobSandage points out that what I was expecting.

Pours a murky medium yellow with lots of head. Aroma of sweat socks. Yeasty and medicinal in flavor. If the beer was classified as a farmhouse ale, I could see the justification in the high ratings this beer achieves. As a Belgian Pale Ale, I don’t think it is that good of an example of style.