RCH Ale Mary

Brewed by RCH
Style: English Strong Ale
Weston-super-Mare, England

Bottle at 48 F. Poured clear brown with a large frothy white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate sweet spicy hoppy aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture. Medium sweet spicy flavor with a medium smooth bittersweet finish of moderate duration. My expectations where met.

500 ml brown bottle, courtesy of Cardinal pub, Stavanger. "Hand brewed" by RCH Brewery, but bottle conditioned by Branded Drinks. ABV is 6.0%. Contains coriander seed oil. Deep amber colour, just a slight haziness, low head. Enticing and very special aroma - coriander, cloves and ginger, rum-drenched raisins, fortified sweet wines and herbal shampoo. Flavour is very spicy - one of the spiciest beers I’ve had so far, initially sweet and vinous, but with a ferocious attack of coriander, dry ginger and bittering hops in the finish. Dry aftertaste. I’d say they could with advantage have gone a little easier on the spices here, and we’d have a softer and more drinkable beer. The ale "base" seems decent enough. As it is, this is an INTERESTING beer, to say the least. Not for people who hate coriander and ginger.

Nearly no head. Pours a cloudy amber color with a white ring of foam on top. Aroma is spicy with hops. Not overpowering and difficult to determine which spices. Taste has a nice smooth spice and hops combination with a fruity aftertaste.

Pour is a very hazy brown with a average white head. Aroma is nice. Lots of stong spice with a nice dose of hops. Flavor is also pretty decent. Very tart and citrus with some nutmeg and clove. A super spice ale and one to look for.

Large off-white head of medium sized bubbles. Frothy on top. Very good carbonation. Nice oaky and slightly tart aroma with some malts, toffee and a hint of spices. Color is a dark amber. Flavor is nonexistant. Watery and weak. Dry palate with no real body. Minimal malts and spices. Very dissapointing for an english strong ale. Little alcohol warming. Dry and tart finish. Started off pretty good but finished weak!

Pours a copperish golden with a small off white head. The aorma has notes of clove, rum, dark fruit, caramel and toasted malts. The flavor has tastes of rum, raisins, dark fruit, and spices.

Tasted 24/08/2006. 500ml bottle conditioned ale from Rumble’s, Wellington. Pours a lovely copper gold with a just off-white head that slowly fades to a lovly lace. Plum, red wine, rum, caramel and toastiness in the surprisingly mild the nose. Smooth in the mouth: perfect soft carbonation, medium body, autumn fruit, warming alcohol notes, slightly vinous through the middle and a lovely woody herbal finish that is both bitter and mildly astringent. Some medicinal character shows through as it warms. Oily fruitiness lingers. Magic stuff - another cracking English ale from Rumble’s. I’d like a touch more hops to balance - but that’s just getting picky.

Interesting brew... Pours deep caramel into the glass, with a definite bouquet of allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger (that didn’t come from the commercial description, folks.... it’s honest to goodness first-read). It has a weak-ish head, with awesome spiderlace. The flavors are of multiple spices (see aromas) and a slightly citrus-peppered hop finish.... medium-lingering. A watered-oily mouthfeel makes for a complex beer. Not that it’s my fave, but I really appreciate all of the complexities at work here. Definitely feels like a cold-weather offering, but went very well here in summer! It’s a very nice brew!