Profile of sir_tal
Profile of sir_tal
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Drinks22
Reviews0
PalsFrom Oakdale, CA, United States
Last seen drinking Nothing!
About:
I have enjoyed the wonderfulness of beer since before I should have been drinking it. A friend introduced me to beer and taught me the secrets of the microbrew, and since that day, I have never allowed filth such as Bud, Coors, or Keystone to touch my lips. I am willing to make a 150 mile drive to San Francisco just to get a good beer...what else do you need to know about me?? :) Beer is truly an art.
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Beer Reviews
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Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9
The aroma is the first thing I noticed about this beer. I love Kona coffee, which is what caught my eye when I was looking for new beers with a friend. Porters and Stouts are known for their coffee elements, so this seemed like a natural pairing. When you open a bottle of this beer, the aroma of roasted Kona coffee permeates the room! It is a really wonderful aroma, only heightened by the standard elements of a porter. The nose is all coffee, though. (Note, don't drink this straight out of the fridge, or you'll miss out on the aroma. The best aroma of this beer is unlocked after letting it sit out for at least a half hour before serving.) The appearance is standard Porter all the way. Light barely shone through the beer, and the darkness is pretty typical, of course. The mouthfeel seemed a little thin to me. I prefer porters that are nice and chewy. It wasn't as light in my mouth as a lager or any other lighter beer, of course. I rated this an 8, as it's not the most watery beer I've put in my mouth. It was definitely decent. Just not as good as it could have been. This beer has the most extraordinary flavor, though. This is one beer you've just GOT to try. The beer is decently hoppy, but as with the aroma, the overall impression aside from the maltiness is COFFEE!! A close second to the coffee is the heavy maltiness. Almost no alcohol flavor in this beer. Not surprising given the fact that it's only 5.4% ABV. Overall, this is a pleasant beer. It's a limited run, so grab a sixer while you can. I know I'll be going back and getting a couple as soon as I can get back to the store.
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Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10
This is a wonderful example of the Scotch Ale style. Upon pouring the beer, one first notices the gorgeous dark amber color so typical of this style. The aroma of this beer is almost citrus, which was definitely odd. Very pleasant, just not what I was expecting. You can definitely detect the hints of smoke and barley that you expect, but definitely overshadowed by a light, fruity aroma that really pleases the nose. This beer poured with a small amount of white foam on top that left slight lacing on the side of the glass. The mouthfeel really told me I had a winner here. This is the first beer I have had where the alcohol tingling sensation is apparent immediately. The slight carbonation combined with the 8% abv really work well together and do what some other 8% or more abv beers have failed to do for me. Very nice. The smokiness that barely makes its way to the nose is really apparent when in the mouth. Not overpowering in the least. With the reviews claiming skunkiness, I was wary, but I detected none of this in either bottle that I have had. The sweetness that could be overpowering in a Scotch Ale is nicely tempered by the alcohol, which can really be detected on the lips and tongue after swallowing, and the aftertaste is easily one of the best for a Scotch Ale. In a Scotch Ale, you expect little to no bitterness as the Scots made their ales without much in the way of hops, and this brew definitely meets expectations here. Little to no bitterness makes its way into the wonderful flavor or aftertaste of this delightful beer. A note on the alcohol. The high presence of alcohol characteristics could easily lead someone to think that it tastes as though Scotch has been added to the mix here. However, Scotch is just as subjective a taste as beer, and I myself find it to be a refreshing addition to the Scotch Ale lineup. To my knowledge, Scotch has not been added, but Scotch lovers may find a little more in this beer to appeal to their tastes due to the high alcohol sensations when consuming this beer. I love the Scotch Ale, and my favorite is the Moylan's Kilt Lifter. However, while McEwan's Scotch Ale did not replace the Kilt Lifter in my Hall of Fame, it definitely put itself right next to it. A shining example of the Scotch Ale style, and something of which McEwan's can be proud!
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Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8
I was looking for some new beers to try, and all of a sudden, I realized that I had not tried this one. Label isn't very memorable. This beer poured with a huge, creamy head. Honestly, for dark beers, I got a lot of foam here. Substantial lacing followed suit. Nice dark color...pretty opaque in the lighting here. This beer felt great in the mouth, but the flavor left a little to be desired. An unfortunate metallic tang was present, but as the beer warmed up, that dropped out. As other reviewers have said, there was a lot of roasted coffee in this brew. Less hops than I had expected from the aroma, but a pleasant beer. Not as nice as some of the others I have sampled, but a beer that was pleasant for a cool evening.
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Aroma: 2 | Appearance: 2 | Mouthfeel: 2 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 2
This beer is absolute swill. I would not have allowed it to pass my lips if I hadn't been asked several times if I want a beer. I decided to get some scope and remind myself just why I drink the beers that I do. This crap didn't even taste like beer. I've drunk some decent lagers...decent pilsners. It's true I prefer the darker beers, but even decent lighter ones can have flavor. If you want to try a good lighter-colored beer, go with a Gordon Biersch or Brouczech. I have tried those beers, and they are flavorful, while remaining light. Please don't drink this stuff.
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Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 9
I had this beer from the widget can, and was pleased with everything, but a little less pleased with the flavor. After drinking things like the Old Rasputin Russian Imperial stout, I have grown fond of stouts with a LOT of character, and I felt this lacked it somewhat. My friends had built this beer up in my mind, and I felt that the taste left a little to be desired. Dark in color, nice cream-colored head, with lacing left behind. Flavor was that of a stout...very smooth, because there's not much to it. I enjoyed this stout, and it's definitely one I would consider with a meal, as it does not draw attention away from the food overmuch. Not much on its' own, however.
