By Jack on April 27, 2011
Look
Old Admiral, an English Strong Ale, is deep red to brown in colour, and pours with a medium off-white head of tight bubbles. Leaves some lace on the glass.
Smell
Aromas of caramel malt dominate, also some toasted malt. Very little in the way of hops.
Taste
Dominated again by the malt flavours. Some dark fruits, but mostly dark malt. Not too sweet, very satisfying. Some bitterness from the hops also comes through, along with a slight alcohol flavour.
Feel
Medium bodied, medium-high carbonation. The head lasts the whole drink, and it has a lively mouthfeel.
Drink
By no means an easy drinker, but this is a very satisfying beer. Good flavours, but could do with a bit more depth. I like this beer, and buy a six pack every now and then, as an ‘in between’ beer. Not so special that I need to share it with someone, but more tasty than most other beers in the shop.
Posted in Beer |
By Jack on April 27, 2011
Happy Goblin is a small brewery on Sydney’s North Shore. I had never tried their Strong beer, I found this bottle at Platinum Liquor.
Look
Happy Goblin Strong is amber to brown in colour, with a small off-white head. It leaves some lacing behind.
Smell
All about the malt. Lots of caramel and toffee, quite sweet. No hops.
Taste
Very malt driven, with almost no hops. Also, lots of alcohol – a little too much.
Feel
Alcohol is definitely present, but is not hot. Low to medium carbonation, medium body.
Drink
Not a really drinkable beer. A bit too sweet, and a bit too much alcohol, without enough bitterness to counteract them. Still enjoyable, but I could only have one of these.
Posted in Beer |
By Jack on April 27, 2011
I bought this from Plonk, ages ago.
I didn’t think it would be an American IPA – from the label, I had some different expectations (something Christmasy?). It was a 2009 bottle – I was concerned that it might be a bit past it’s best serving date. Thankfully, I was wrong.
Look
Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale pours with a lively, moderate head. It is golden-amber in colour. The head retention is wonderful – something that highly hopped IPAs can sometimes struggle with. Fine lacing coated the glass.
Smell
The aroma was typical of an American IPA – pine, citrus and grapefruit hops. They did not dominate though, I also got some sweet malty notes.
Taste
While the hop aroma may be subtle, the flavour is hop-centric. Big, bitter, and bold from start to finish. In the middle, the flavour profile is a bit less bitter, and more focussed on the floral hops. The finish is a typical lingering bitterness – delicious.
Feel
Medium to high carbonation, and medium bodied. Srong bitterness. Finishes dry.
Drink
Incredibly drinkable for a 6.8% ABV beer. An excellent example of the style. I will be ordering more of this one. I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of it before.
Posted in Beer |