Telegraph Robust Ale

Brewed by Telegraph Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Santa Barbara, California USA

Sample at Stone. This beer pours a hazy dark amber color with a medium beige head that diminishes slowly. Thin rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of malt and spices along with touches of hops and plum. Medium-bodied with sweet spice and malt flavors coupled with dark fruit and hops in the background. The finish is mildly sweet at first with touches of warm alcohol and hops in the aftertaste. Pretty good overall.

Draught at the brewery. They described this as a stronger version of their california ale. Pours a deep orange-amber color with a medium head. Sweet fruity and yeast aroma with pears and tartness dominating. The flavor is malty and sweet, with a little less tartness apparent than the california ale due to the added residual sugars, but still tangy and crisp. Definitely belgian leaning in character, and displays the house yeast tendency toward a dry tart flavor. Quite nice, but definitely less sessionable than the California ale.

Bottle from South Bay Drug. Cork came out with a lot of pressure behind it. Poured hazy amber with a large finely bubbled beige head. Smells like fresh light fruits, sugar, spice and everything nice. That’s what good Belgians are made of. Medium body with frothy carbonation. Flavor is a little citrus, a little brown sugar, a little peach/apricot, a little yeast spice, and maybe even something like grassy hop. Finishes a bit astringent. But it’s not super bitter. Fairly well balanced. Finishing sweet and bitter - seems reasonable for a Belgian.

Cloudy copper color with some crimson highlights and a big eggshell head. Aroma is caramel, honey, banana, and lemongrass. Flavor shows off some citrusy hops, brown sugar, banana, and biscuit. Medium mouthfeel. Best of the bunch.

tap at City Beer. Pours with a cloudy amber color, different what I expected. It has very unique aromas and flavors, a heavy dose of hops,paired with cloves, spices and fruit. This beer needs some getting used to, I was not impressed the first time, but gave it another try and liked it much better.

Bottle. Sent in picture to be uploaded. Served cold, and still nearly took my face off. Would have gushed for sure. Still, pours with a huge rocky, barely off-white head over a light copper body. Aroma is strong with banana esters, burnt brown sugar, peach, spices, apricot, leather, earth and pear skin. Slightly phenolic. Taste is pear eau de vie, earth, slight metallicy, bready, spicy and grassy. Long duration. Very earthy. Very lively carbonation, just a hint of alcohol in the form of brandy. Lightish body for the alcohol.

Draught @ Hamilton’s, SD. Bright orange, barely any head. Fruity nose with guava pastry, custard apple, quite sweet. Slightly sticky palate. Nice hop character but the sweetness bothers me a bit: tropical fruit, bamboo. Nice stuff but not dry enough for my taste.

Poured from 750, gold with off white medium head. Nose of malt, citrus, and banana. Taste was a bit sweet and malty, and again a hint of banana. Seemed to have a bit of spiciness, maybe the alcohol.. Overall a decent beer.