Middle Ages Wailing Wench

Brewed by Middle Ages Brewing
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Syracuse, New York USA

Notes: Pours a heavy amber/red color with a big ol’ fluffy off-white head. The head isn’t going anywhere; I could rub it off with my finger and lick if I wanted to. Smells strongly of butter, herbs, malt and a tad bit of hops in there. Very thick aroma; could be used as incense. Fresh! Quite a few more hops are present in the flavor than in the aroma; pine and resin is prickly on the tongue. Ultra tasty. Incredibly smooth for 8%. Tiny bit of chalk at the end and a zip of carbonation. This is definitely Middle Ages’ finest offering. I loved this beer when I first tried it, and even though this is the first time I’ve rated it, I’ve grown more and more affectionate towards this wailing wench.

Pours a ruby copper with plenty of autumnal browns. Creamy beige head reduces to a milky film of creaminess. Laces in intricate patterns. Pleasant aromatics of full-on hoppiness with only a hint of my nemesis...Ringwood yeast. Soapy and perfumey air to it as it warms. Perfumey flavor with big piney hops greeting the tastebuds. Then as it slips and glides down the gullet, there it is...that goddam Ringwood yeast. All buttery and creamy and slippery, basically ruining this potentially positive IPA. Hops are lost, the beer is disjointed, and the Ringwood makes this a slick mess. The only saving grace is the set of knockers on the label...

22oz bottle
Bready brown colored body with a off-white to tan head, spotty, with large bubbles. Looks like cola almost. Nose of rough cracked grains, slightly burnt oranges and cedar. Flavor is lacking... the hops don’t work, the burnt bread crust doesn’t work, the slightly burnt cracked grains don’t work, and the palate is overly rough, unrefined and nearly caustic. I found myself struggling to not toss the contents of my glass into the bushes, but I’m hardcore so I drank the damn thing, but I sure as hell didn’t like it that much. Just really comes off as a complete mess.

On cask at Blue Tusk in Syracuse.

A dark, browner shade of ruby pint, with a great frothy head...I’m a sucker for cask ales...
Starts off weedy and green, then turns into the bouquet of fresh cut flowers, then switches to pine needles. Very nice!
High hop Beers are just fantastic on cask, the bitterness is sharp without going out of control and going harsh on you. I expected a little more body, but it’s not like it was too thin either. The aftertaste is all crispy hops and builds momentum with every silky smooth sip. A very enjoyable pint!

In the current age of hop one-uppmanship, it is refreshing to find a brew that stops short of novelty, but, rather, balances a strongly hopped ale with large quantities of well roasted malts. This wench is tall and dark; she gives great and prolonged head, yielding to a happy finish of dark malts with coffee and molasses layers without the typically cloying sweetness that accompanies such a strongly malted treatment. In every glass there is first love, followed by oblivion. Amazing!

Bottle: Pours a darkish red with a thick foamy head, aroma is very hoppy, flavor is hops and pine. Solid brew.

pours a deep red body with a sizable head that lasts. Aroma is of hops and fruit. taste is a very full IPA but also very balanced. Good beer, but i prefer my IPAs with a little more bite.

Clear copper body is topped by a large almond hued head. Lavish lacing. Bold aroma of caramel and toffee is more than balanced by huge waves of hoppy orange, grapefruit and pine notes. Assertive hop bitterness dominates the taste but maltiness is huge as well. Borders on a barleywine.