Roots Organic Epic Ale

Brewed by Roots Organic Brewing
Style: American Strong Ale
Portland, Oregon USA

On tap at the brewpub. Deep brown-red pour with a small beige head. Heavy scents of raisins and cherries and a light wine smell. Very roasty malt flavor with a hefty cherry flavor and some smoked toffee and plums with a dry light hop finish. An interesting brew for sure, and it snuck up on me with the 14%. Extremely well hidden ABV.

Tap... Poured deep, opaque brown/ruby with a thin, light, beige head. Aroma of sour fruit juice ad roasted malts. Would never have guessed this would be 14%. Really beautiful feel in the mouth and well balanced. Fruity flavors similar to cherries or plums with roasted, caramel malt notes. Sort of a hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste. Like a sweeter barley wine, or one that has been aged for a couple of years.

(3L bottle, 2005 vintage) Pours a brown body with a small beige head. Aroma of caramel, raisins, plum, cherry, and vinous. Flavor of roasted malt, cherry, toffee, light smoke, wood, toffee, and plum with a dry finish.

Bottle at Hamilton’s 2nd Anniversary party. Pours with a brown body topped bya thin head with some lacing. It’s sweet and malty with a nice caramel and toffee note as well as nice fruity esters. Full bodied, smooth and a touch warming.

19-Jan-08 (Draft: Connoisseur’s Session, 2008 Great Alaskan Beer and Barley Wine Festival in Anchorage, AK) 2005 release. Sweet, fruity and very earthy up front, intensely caramely in the finish. Slight citrus element running through it adds light sourness and bitterness for complexity and drinkability by breaking up the full-on earthy malts. There are even notes of coconut, sweet vanilla and oak. The nose is very earthy and malty with moderate oxidation notes, yet sweet and fruity in the background. Full-bodied and moderately carbonated with some tanginess for a lively palate. Hazy, ruddy brown in color with a very small, bubbly, filmy, light-tan head that fully dissipates within a few minutes. As a fan of aged beers, I think this is excellent. It’s one of the most interesting and enjoyable beers at this festival.

3 litre bottle 2005 vintage poured a clear dark brownish red with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of carmel, dark fruit, light cardboard, light wood and some sherry notes. Palate was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of toffee, dates, carmel, spice, light cherry and a hint of wood with a smooth dry lingering malty finish.

5oz Taster - Fred Fest 2008 - Hair of the Dog Brewing - Portland OR
Aroma – Strong oak and fruit aroma with good malt background.
Appearance – Dark Amber in color, little to no head and clear.
Flavor – A huge strong beer with a great oak flavor there was a cherry essence and it was huge with the malt.
Palate – Great Mouthfeel, good texture with a dry finish.
Overall – Rich in many flavors this was a very well made beer. Loved the flavors. Fruit, malt and a red wine barrel flavor that was not masked at all.

Bottle #49 from 2007. Appearance: Pours a quite dark, reddish-brown body with a small, ivory-colored head. Smell: Slightly boozey black cherry aroma with muted notes of malted grain and fine vintage leathers. Taste: Sweetish dark caramel flavor with a splash of two of cherry cordial. Slight perceived bitterness peeks out from around the full flavors. Hints of leather and smoke. Cherryish finish with some tannic qualities to it. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Somewhat chewy mouthfeel. Drinkability: Definitely a sipper, but a good one. If you can’t enjoy this one in front of a warm, cozy fire, at least sample it with the fine company of TheBeerCellar.