Middle Ages Grail Ale

Brewed by Middle Ages Brewing
Style: Amber Ale
Syracuse, New York USA

Date: 09/13/2008
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

Appearance: hazy dark amber, wispy off white head, streaks of drippy lace,
Aroma: sweet bready caramel malt aroma, light floral hops,
Flavor: sweet caramel malt flavor, lots of bready character, well balanced with plenty of earthy bitterness, lingering bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.9/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

12oz bottle. dark amber color, small lasting head. not a lot of aroma, some malt. strong mix of malt and hop taste with a sight bitter finish. Enjoyable.

Appearance: Pours a clear, deep, dark amber body with a small, bubbly, whiteish head. Smell: Palt malts with a touch of graininess present and a bit of caramel. Pretty standard stuff here. Taste: Pale maltiness with a continuation of the grains from the aroma. Not much sweetness, though. And where’d my caramel run off to? Small hint of fruit. Spicy hops with a medium bitterness. Finishes dry with that tiny touch of fruit lasting until the end. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-high carbonation. Drinkability: It’s altogether okay for an amber ale, though it could use a bit more sweetness and a dialed down carbonation if you ask me.

Bottle: Really not a bad amber. Much better than their IPA. Aroma of hops and spices.

Pours a ruby red with a small almost non existent head. Smells of mild hops and spices. First sip has some spicy notes but not much flavor with a bland finish bitter. Fairly light bodied but carbonated well. Not too bad…not great.

This beer was sitting around for a LONG time at the distributor that I work at. It had a HUGE amount of head and a sweet amber taste. It left some flakes of something at the bottom of the glass. It didn’t taste skunked so I don’t think it was too old? Anyway, overall it was OK for an amber.

12oz bottle: Dull bronze pour with a thin, tan head. The nose is interesting with a mash of flavors that range from cinammon to fresh dough to husky grain to brown sugar. While the nose seems like a mish-mash of aromas, these notes come together better in the body. Creamy carbonation. A mildly bitter rindy character leads the charge, followed by candied malts and more cinammon. Not great, but definitely interesting.

Bottle. Malts dominate this amber ale that leans to the sweet side. Dark amber pour below an average-size, off-white head that quickly disappears. The nose is mostly caramel with some notes of grain and overripe fruit. Just a hint of grass. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly bitter. Wet finish with a hint of bitterness. Medium body with a watery texture and light carbonation. The tastes just don’t meld.