This is a highly divisive beer. If you take some time to scan some of the larger (and more democratic) beer sites it tends to either be awarded a 2 or an 8 by individual reviewers. Much as many drinkers find a heavily peated scotch difficult to swallow, beers with an abundance of malt can equally deter. To my mind, it is delicious. A lovely nutty flavor with an essence of burnt toast and a 4.3% ABV leaves this a wonderfully characterful amber session beer. It is fair to point out a few flaws however. The biggest is the obvious lack of balance, which, while enjoyable at first, wears thin by the third pint (if you get that far). The second is the feeling that a bitter should be, well, more bitter! It's almost as though they had a concept for a brilliant beer and then ran out of hops part way through the brewing process. For my money, a scoop or two of cascade and this would be one of the great beers of the last ten years. As it is, a 7.5/10 with the warning that many, if not most, of my readers will take greater exception to the malty flavor.
No comments:
Post a Comment