MrBendo (1012), Swedesboro, New Jersey, USA Jun 30, 2008 6 month old bottle, 12oz. I haven’t been rating lot of the Scratches, but I felt I had to rate this one. <br />
Deep mahogany color with a small head. Aroma is toffee , caramel and lots of spicy hops (the citrus hop taste is mostly depleted) Rich caramel and raisin taste; balanced between sweet and dry. I respectfully ask you to brew this again, Chris and John.
jbrus (4305), Delft, Netherlands Nov 28, 2008 Bottle@Home. Not very strong aroma, black currant, wet clothes and some coffee can be found. Dark ruby color, beige fine head, good lace. Very sweet, very bitter, very fruity, licorice wood, quite complex flavours. Full with a dry finish. Nice complexity but lot the balance a bit. dkachur (1051), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Nov 16, 2008 12 ounce bottle shared by cdumler. Thanks! Pours a brownish red with a medium frothy head. Low head retention. Malty brown sugar aroma with citrus hop notes. Taste is brown sugar, toffee, citrus and leafy hop notes and vanilla. Full bodied. Very nice. Ughsmash (3148), Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA Oct 25, 2008 Bottled. Poured deep orangey-brown with a creamy cap of beige head. The aroma picked up a rich array of darker fruits and tosted toffee with notes of caramel and brown sugar as well.. there was also ample and engaging hop presence represented by spicy floral and citrus.. the balance was there, and this was a real treat to smell! The flavor was skewed just slightly toward the hoppage with aged floral notes and citrus strewn throughout.. sweet toffee and caramel for support.. finished spicier with citrus bitterness and raisiny notes. Heavier-bodied with moderate carbonation that moved it well across the palate.. warm at the back and memorable. Great, great brew! JB175 (1417), Holland, Pennsylvania, USA Oct 13, 2008 Finally decided to crack one of these - REally nice looking reddish-amber color with a medium head. Aroma is of orange peels, candy, pine, dark fruits, and a plethora of other scents. Flavor is still quite hoppy with a heavy dose of citrus and pine, some wildflowers, a large sugary-dark fruit bite, and a really nice thickness that is present throughout. Nice feel and finish. I think this one will be awesome for many years to come, and could be one of my favorites in 2012 or so. To the brewers - please, please make this part of the regular rotation as I will be happy to drop lots of cash on cases of this stuff - most of which will be cellared for a long, long time and enjoyed as only a beer this fine can be. Its best days are way ahead of it, but I don’t know if I have the patience to wait for this thing to mature! oreogobbler (202), Austin, Texas, USA Sep 29, 2008 Nice hop aroma, not bitter but floral and sweet. Strawberries and pineapple. Pours a reddish brown, thick creamy head. It’s has such and interesting look to it. Black current tartness upfront, with strawberries, and cherry sweetness. It has such a great bitter hop finish. Palate is the most balanced barley wine I’ve consumed so far. The hop bitterness is smooth and tingly on the tongue. Sweet and wonderful.
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