ReaperAle Ritual Dark Ale

Brewed by ReaperAle Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Lake Elsinore, California USA

A good aroma of brown sugar and hops. Some hops but mainly a high amount of malts and pipe tobacco.

Darker brown color with a beige head. Aroma has some cocoa, earth, and slight dark fruit hints. Flavor is of an "off" dry stout that can’t seem to pull it all together - I get some chocolate, earthiness, hops, and assorted flavors but nothing special. Not bad, but the constituent parts don’t come together to make a standout. Decent.

Bomber pours clear deep amber – brown with lasting tan head and sheet lacing. The aroma reminds me of aged Sierra Nevada Bigfoot with rich caramel, sweet roasted malts, muted pine hops and dark fruity esters. The taste begins with both dark fruity esters of sweet black grapes, boysenberries and red apples along with roasted to caramel malts. Seems a bit thin and lacking in depth possibly due to the beer’s age. The pine hops are a muted shadow of their former self. Tasty brew that has held up well.

Pours a deep dark brown with red highlights. Big off-white, somewhat frothy head. Smells a bit sweet and malty. I’d have to say that so far this is my favorite brew of this style of beer. Tastes dark and malty, nice and toasty. I also taste grapes for some reason. A bit thick on the palate but just right I think. Nice carbonation. Like I said, a great brew from a somewhat unknown brewer. Once I heard these brews were contracted through Green Flash I had to try them. OOB now, but they’ll be back up and running soon.

Rather enjoyed this porteresque ale. My bottle was almost two years old, and hops were probably mellowed down, and roasted malts were coming forward. Chocolate and coffee flavors abound, with fruity aleness in the middle. Tasty dark ale.

Bottled, consumed on 12/25/07. Pours a medium/dark brown from bottle but is somehow nearly jet black in glass. Gorgeous light tan head forms and lasts until bottom of glass: pillowy, fine bubbles. Aroma has sweet wine and molasses notes. Mouthfeel is watery, thin. Big flavor: roasted malt and chocolate. First sip tasted off somwhow, but all subsequent quaffs were fine. Slight hint of sour cherries. Lightly bitter (choclate, coffee) aftertaste with slight astringency. Very good, if a tad simple.

$5.99 bottle from beer store near 78/Santa Fe. Was told by Green Flash brewer that this beer is getting good now. Was happy to see this and Sleighor thus. I think this beer should be retired now, because it was last brewed 1 yr ago in Nov 2006, according to Chuck the brewer. Deep dark tan. Small head quickly diminishes and is replaced with a nice 1mm creamy layer of wisps on the surface. Nose shows signs of cardboard oxidation. Not unpleasant, but not the pleasant sherry oxidation I like. Stored in a 40F frig, so this is a little surprizing. Aroma is hard to pick out otherwise. Nice bitterness blends level. Not sweet, nor dry. No other off flavors other than the O2. Good. Pretty drinkable, but not super interesting. Maybe a decent pizza beer. 3.6-3.7

Pours a dark brown copper with a huge off white head. Also has some nice floaties pillaging around in there. Aroma is malts, hints of nuts, hops. The hops come out a little more in the flavor and are on the bitter side. Nutty, malty, light smoke and I thought I noticed a hint of maple as it started to warm up a little bit.