Shorts Aorta Ale

Brewed by Shorts Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Bellaire, Michigan USA

Thanks to my wife for surprising me with this bottle. You are the best! Poured a cloudy light brown color with an off white head. Smelled inviting, citrus and biscuit notes. Taste was citrus again, balanced by a big malty base, biscuit and bready. I really enjoyed the balance here. Kept it’s hop profile for over a year now. reminded me a bit of decadence 2006, which I love. Well done shorts.

750ml Bottle #184 of 780 Brewed 7/5/06 Was lucky enough to land this in a great trade with Hoppymeal, thanks Derek! Aorta Double Red pours a glowing slightly hazed ruby red. A few fine carbonation bubbles make their way to the surface but there’s not much action. Two fingers worth of ivory head formed on the pour and eventually fell to a thick cap leaving sheet lacing on the fall. A really great looking beer! My nose is immediately greeted with a good amount of mandarin orange and a tea-leaf like hoppiness. The mandarin is something I don’t come across very often and I’m really diggin’ it! Light caramel and toasty malts lay down the foundation and add a touch of sweetness. A hoppy red ale? Just my style! The flavor follows the aroma step-by-step. The toasted graininess sets the stage for the more dominant hoppiness. There’s hardly any bitterness involved but more of flavor, aroma, and a big dry hopping. The hoppiness comes along more tea leaf like in the flavor than the mandarin the aroma suggested but that may be because it’s been a year and a half since the brewing. A very well put together red ale. I’ve sampled a few Short’s beers and the mouthfeel has been very good on each one, this is no exception. They manage to keep the body lighter than expected for such big beers. Velvety medium body with a mild carbonation but there’s just enough there to tickle the tongue. Aorta Ale is an easy one to put away. The alcohol, at 7.6%, never gets in the way. And it’s all at once refreshing and delicious! Another really good brew from Short’s. I would have loved to get a bottle of this fresh and give it a try. I’m sure the Columbus used would have been a real treat fresh because they’re still damn good after a year and a half. 4/6/08

750ml bottle, shared by masonjer at DLD 08. Nice hazy amber pour with medium off white head. Beautiful fruity hop aromas, kinda fruit punchy like drewbeerme noted. Flavor is nice and fruity with some maltyness. Really good stuff. Thanks masonjer.

Amber beer with medium head. Aroma of hops such as pine aroma. Flavor is also of hops with some caramel flavor.

Thanks for sharing, General_Gao. The body is deep garnet and copper with a khaki head. The aroma was malt balls with some floral hops. There is also some pancakes made with bananas. The taste is earthy plantains with some bread crust and carmel. A very sweet finish to this one. Interesting.

Bottled. A hazy deep red beer with a thin beige head. The aroma is sweet malty with notes of fruit and alcohol. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of caramel, fruit, and alcohol, leading to a dry bitter finish where notes of straw lingers around.

Bottle. Clear red brown coloured with a medium sized off white head. Fruity aroma of hops, pine needles and caramel with notes of grass. Fruity flavour of grass and caramel with notes of hops and pine needles. Hoppy finish.

Bottle 192 of 780 purchased at the brewpub. Bottled 2/6/07. Poured a clear amber color. Head was light tan. Aroma was of dark fruit, molasses, cereal grain (ala steeping barley), and light alcohol. Slightly sweet with moderate hop bitterness that peaked at about 5 out of 10. The flavor was malt dominated with lots of molasses and caramel. There was also a fair amount of sprucy hop flavor and a more subdued cherry note. Solid.