Notes:
English Strong Ale
12.7oz Bottle
7.5% ABV
I picked this brew up at a local Binny’s when I saw it on
the mix-a-six rack…I look at those racks every time I go into a beer store as
it’s my way of tasting things that I ordinarily wouldn’t buy a six pack
of…anyway, this was on there, I’d never seen it before and it was a “vintage
ale”…while the label doesn’t state which year it was made, the bottle has best
after “07/06/07” stamped on it, which I honestly didn’t see before I bought
it…best after 2007 (!?!?!), this brew is old and I’m not sure how it could have
been at Binny’s all that time…the bottle indicates that it can be cellared, so
maybe it’s still good…
Appearance:
Pours a dark caramel brown with hints of candy ruby red…little head
formed upon pouring, but swirling it around livened this brew right up with
tons of little bubbles along the edge…after about 20 minutes, it has an
undeniable flatness to it…(2/5)
Smell: Tons of
sweet cherry/dark cherry/strawberry candy smell…hints of sugar, alcohol heat,
caramel and fig…smells like a Christmas/winter warmer seasonal…(3.25/5)
Taste: Sweet
candy malts, this brew has turned into a traditional Christmas brew…there’s
some warmth in my belly, which could be the spices, alcohol or a combo of both…I’m
getting mostly candy/caramel malts and little else…it’s not bad, but the time
in the bottle has dwindled all other flavor ingredients to non-existant…fairly
one dimensional at this point…it tastes like a watered down liqueur drink…(2.5/5)
Mouthfeel:
Light to medium body, very wet, it’s loss of carbonation makes it feel
like flat beer…with that said, I can make it fluff up for a moment, so there’s
still a little life in there…but overall, it’s flat candy sweetness all over
the palate…(2/5)
Overall: This
brew has flattened with its time in the bottle…the flavor has diminished (I’ll
have to assume) dramatically, leaving only a caramel, sweet cherry candy
taste…what is left isn’t all that bad, but it’s not choice…if it were the only
beer I had left in the fridge, I’d probably keep drinking it, but as there are
many other available brews for my enjoyment, I’ll probably just dump this one
and start anew…I’d take a flier on Coopers Vintage Ale if I found a fresher,
much fresher version because this strong ale style is typically pretty good,
but this possibly 7 year old brew’s better days are behind it…(2/5)
Score:
(2.45/5)
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