Jack Russell Olde Ale Winter Warmer

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

not bad, but it definitely doesn't do anything to stand out. decent mouthfeel and musty/malt aroma...all as the style dictates. above average beer, slightly below average olde ale.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 4 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 4

Not sure what it is with Jack Russell beers. They are either average or below average and this was no different. A malty aroma with a nutty angle but with a heaping dose of wet paper. Uh-oh. Oxidation time. It also set in on the flavor of the beer, which combines with the overly sweet malt bill and smallish hops made this barely drinkable.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

While I was a bit disappointed with the Irish Red Ale from this brewery, I still went into this beer with a relatively upbeat frame of mind. Most breweries can't do every style 100% dead-on, and I'm not exactly a huge fan of Irish Ales anyway. So, that having been said and put behind me, how does this "Olde Ale" work out?

As an Old Ale, I'm not convinced. But as a tasty Brown Ale? Color me impressed.

I guess my misgivings about this being called an Old Ale stem from the seriously lacking gumption in the alcohol department. If this is supposed to be aged prior to sale, and meant to be something of a Winter Warmer, it's my thinking that it needs to have a bit more backbone. I grew up near the Camino CA vicinity that this comes from, and it does indeed get quite cold in the Winter!

But enough of that -- let's call this an English Brown, and be done with it. How does it fair in that light? Tasty, I'd say. Nicely roasty/chocolatly in the malt bill, with what I'd swear were vague chocolate-covered cherries somewhere in the mix. And with enough back-end hops to give this some balance, and perhaps even a little warmth, but by no means taking charge n' living large, like most West Coast beers have a habit of doing.

Had this with Karen's always tasty chicken n' rice dish, and found my glass empty way-too quickly. :)

Not as immediately accessible as many of the other Jack Russell beers -- letting it warm up some helps out a lot here. But with some paitence, this beer does the trick, I'd say.

Music: Celtic Frost's "Cold Lake"
//TB

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 4

Dark amber color. Small head. Aroma is malty and slightly spicy. A medium bodied ale. Malts are nutty and sweet. Slightly spicy, cinnamon and nutmeg. A very typical ìinter warmerí beer, but there is a kind of cardboard flavor as well. Its more annoying than unpleasant, but it still shouldnít be there and detracts from the beer and cannot be recommended. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.