Oggis Colossus Strong Ale

Brewed by Left Coast/Oggis Pizza and Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Del Mar, California USA

Sampled draught at O’Briens, San Diego.
Clear brownish amber. Pine needle aroma. Flowery and very syrupy. Loads of soft malt, molasses and alcohol. Salty finish with a good punch of vodka.

(draught) Chestnut, quite hazy; slim yellow ring figures as head. Hoppy nose (guess), but with some extras: nutty, meaty, nutmeg, pine. Very hoppy taste indeed, typical American, but with a massive counterweight of all kinds o' malts, even sweetness represented as a back ground - a viscous X-mas cake. Oily mouthfeel, full bodied, warming-massive. Alcoholburn. Great beer indeed. Maybe I'm most impressed with the balance.

Draught. Body is hazy dark amber. Aroma is moderately malty (cookie, caramel), moderately hoppy (flowers, grapefruit), lightly yeasty (dough), with notes of apricot and alcohol. Flavor is heavily sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, heavily bitter. Medium to full body, creamy and velvety texture, lively carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Wow, some malt actually comes through over the big hops in the aroma, I can't believe it. That would explain the relatively low score here, I suppose. Pretty well-behaved at 15%.

9th Annual San Diego Strong Ale Fest: 2002 Vintage Hazy brown with an orange tint and off-white head. Fruity aroma with raisins, malt and dough. Huge malty sweetness in the flavor. More dark fruit and nice aged malt. Very warming. Dry bitter bitter finish. Full bodied and syrupy.

Dark, inviting burgundy-ruby color. Chewy and thick. Very intense, whiskey-like nose. Strong alcohol notes throughout. Though, not as alcoholic as one would think at 15.1%, damn! Sweet and sticky, with licorice notes. Hops take the back seat and keep quiet (add dryness in the finish). Some astringency. Very warming.

(Draft: O'Brien's in San Diego, CA) Aptly named, this barleywine is frickin' huge and you probably have to be a fan of the style to really enjoy this beer; Flavored like Samiclaus, but sweeter up front, and very complex; The initial flavor is extraordinarily sweet, malty and alcoholic, and it borders on overload; There is a strong bitterness throughout, but the sweet and malty flavor suddenly and dramatically transforms into a very smoky and mildly sour flavor late in the finish that lasts forever; The smoky finish was completely unexpected, but what a great surprise; The sourness prevents the beer from being cloying or overly sweet, so very well done indeed; I don't think I've ever had a beer that undergoes such a dramatic transformation from start to finish; Nose is strong malt, sweet, and alcoholic like a barleywine; Sticky, full bodied palate; Cloudy and ruddy mahogany in color; Tan head fades to nothing within 30 seconds, and so lacing isn't a factor with this beer; Supposedly brewed in 2002, and has been aging (wonderfully, I might add) since then; Packs quite a punch, so have a designated driver or the number for a cab available; Others in the bar had this beer last year and felt it has vastly improved with additional aging, and trying in some months later, they're right!

Sampled @ Strong Ale Fest San Diego

The beer as it set in my glass a limpid clear mahogany brown with a minimal head and very patchy lace that was an off white color. Nose was fusel alcohol, quite sweet and the start cloyingly sweet, nicely malted and the top middling in its feel. Finish was benign in its acidity, the hops pertinent in their spiciness but “Alcohol” dominates this brew and at 15.1 percent ABV, that’s quite understandable, one of those beers that’s way over the top for most people, but I do enjoy them on occasion.

This brew pours with a deep amber body with no haed or lacing. The aroma is slightly sweet and malty with a caramel note, notes of dark fruit and a noticable alcohol note. The flavor is slightly sweet and malty with dark fruit notes, a touch of caramel and lots of alcohol. Full bodied, tingly on the tongue and warming.