Beer style: Old Ale
ABV/IBU: 10.2%/Unknown
Serving style: Poured from the bottle into a Dogfish Head chalice.
I'll note that this is one of my first attempts to be less subjective and instead review based on what I understand the style guidelines to be.
Appearance: A beauty! The color is deep and rich, with dark orange, cherry red, and apricot tones. The ale is fairly hazed, and there appear to be some dark particles in the glass, even though I attempted to leave any sediment in the bottle. The head is thin, but the carbonation level is very appealing. If it didn't have the sediment it would be nearly perfect. 4/5
Smell: Mild notes of sparkling cherries and rich malts appear with time, as it warms I picked up some dried fruit, almost portish aromas. Not sure if the aroma is too tame on this, but it fits the style. I wish the aromas rose out of the glass with a bit more vigor, but when you pick them up they are quite nice. 4/5
Taste: A complex brew, for sure. It's big, very big, with all sorts of chewy dried fruit flavors meandering across the tongue. The malts are rich and sweet, which add to the complexity. There is maybe a hint of chocolate behind the fruit. The finish is long, lingering, with a hint of pleasant bitterness and a smidge of oxidation, which is fine for an old ale. It's a fantastically integrated group of flavors, and it makes me wonder just how old this "old ale" actually is. I want to put a few years on this and see how phenomenal it can get. 4.5/5
Mouthfeel: Fantastic. It's huge and chewy, with a great level of carbonation to keep it lively on the tongue without adding any bite. Perfection for an Old Ale. 5/5
Drinkability: Again, I am forced to ask, what does "drinkability" indicate? Would you session a 10% Old Ale? No? Do I want to keep taking more whiffs and more sips, trying to get every nuance of this beer? Yes, yes I do. A phenomenal effort by Bell's, showing a deep knowledge and appreciation of the style. 4.5/5
Overall grade: A
No comments:
Post a Comment