MacTarnahan's Oak-Aged IPA
Portland Brewing Company

MacTarnahan's Oak-Aged IPAMacTarnahan's Oak-Aged IPA
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From:
Portland Brewing Company
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
6%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.56 | pDev: 12.92%
Reviews:
92
Ratings:
94
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 10, 2013
Added:
Jun 21, 2003
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by rallison:
Photo of rallison
Reviewed by rallison from California

4.3/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Note: This bottle has aged for approximately 1 year. Aged 1 year is tastier than I remember it being fresh.

A: Cloudy amber brown color with an off-white head that persists.

S: Toffee and wine like sweetness.

T: This has turned very winey and sweet. A bit of apple juice flavor too (in a good way). Just a tiny bit of bitterness at the end, but just a bit. Tiny bit of oxidation now. It really is no longer an IPA, but that's ok.

M: Medium body with a nice richness. Decent amount of carbonation.

D: Very drinkable. Great flavor without a heavy body.

Recommended at this point in time.
Feb 02, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by harpus from Alabama

Oct 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

Aug 05, 2013
Photo of magictrokini
Reviewed by magictrokini from California

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer is in a category of its own. Pours clear amber with a medium white head. Decent lacing. Aroma is sweet lemongrass with pine and grapefruit hops. Neither are fresh, mostly dank. Pleasant resiny taste, but the edges are worn off by the barrel aging, leaving the pine taste without the bite. Mellowed citrus aas well, turning the grapefruit into a pink grapefruit/passion fruit tanginess. Good oak taste without the rotten-barrel aftertaste. Nicely done.
Jan 05, 2009
Photo of clickpush
Reviewed by clickpush from Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Pour: 12oz bottle to pint. Comes out of the bottle a lightly cloudy amber brew with one finger of eggshell head that dissipates quickly to a fine coat of lacings. Randomly interspersed bubbles go up the middle of the beer.

Nose: Sweet, marshmallows and biscuits, almost no hop presence in the nose which, for an IPA, is both unexpected and disappointing. Apples and caramel add an adjunct scent that scares me, but I wonder if these are products of the barrel aging.

Mouth: Whew, this beer completely redeems itself upon entering the mouth. The hops are immediately present and hold strong all the way through, presenting floral flavors upfront and touches of mint and licorice as the flavor palate progresses. The swallow, though it leaves a strong hop flavor in the mouth, seems a bit uni-dimensional, and the exhale doesn’t add anything to the remaining flavors that are just waiting to be rekindled. After allowing the beer to warm up a bit the oak came through gently, hand-in-hand with a nice chewy nutty flavor.

While the m/f is a big let down, foaming about halfway through the mouth and swallowing like water, the flavor is wonderful. I hope they'll do another run of this further down the road.
Aug 04, 2006
Photo of WeisGuy
Reviewed by WeisGuy from New York

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
a - golden amber color, moderate fluffy white head, little lacing

s - lemony citrus hop aroma, slight oak evident also

t - sweet and caramelly initially with a short burst of bitterness, very short finish

m - medium-bodied, moderate carbonation, dry finish

d - pretty drinkable though I'd move on to something more interesting

Not a terrible beer, but nothing exciting here. It's the first "oak-aged" IPA I've ever had, and I can't say it made me want to try anymore. Worth a try, but get a single.
Jul 14, 2006
Photo of Pegasus
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas

3.58/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Clear, brilliant toned copper in color, with a massive white head, which retains very well, and slight carbonation. The lacing is excellent, ringing the glass walls.

Aroma: Rather sweet caramel malt, with hints of oak wood. Citrus hops are present, but rather understated.

Taste: Sweet caramel malt at the open, soon followed by pine hop, and later in the taste, citrus hops. Finishes with a lingering mild note of oak tannins.

Mouth feel: Smooth and very full, rich, almost syrupy, with hints of carbonation at the tip of the tongue.

Drinkability/notes: A well-crafted example, not outstanding, but certainly quite pleasing.

Presentation: Packaged in a short twelve ounce brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown, served in a standard pint tap glass.
May 14, 2006
Photo of HardTarget
Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

3.13/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Bottle Inspection: “Assertively hopped”, oak aged, 6% abv. no date. It appears to have been repackaged as "Mac's IPA".

Aroma: Perfumed malt with the same hop characteristic as the Mac’s APA I tried earlier, but with more lemon rind citric coming through

Appearance: Clear copper red glass topped with a full head of cream with large bubbles peppered about, lace is assured.

Flavor: Hops are up front, but not “assertive” in my book. Malt is firm and has toffee notes. The same tea flavor and slight metallic finish as the APA are also noted. It’s like the APA doubled, or at least time 1.5.

Mouthfeel: Full body, almost creamy with a fizzy carbonation.

Overall Impression: Better than the APA, but I’m not crazy about this one either. No oak characteristics noted, the hops are fairly tame, and the metallic finish just bugs me. I count this as an English IPA of some note, but there are so much better examples out there.
Apr 19, 2006
Photo of Crosling
Reviewed by Crosling from Colorado

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
I feel like I am tasting history when I try these oak aged IPA’s and I usually like the unusual character that they have as well. Light peach in color. Rich, dry, woody and earthy aroma with hints of peach, tangerine, caramel and hops. The earthy, woody and dry character mixes well with the substancial hop addiction. Pretty tasty.
Mar 21, 2006
Photo of Fugazme
Reviewed by Fugazme from Nebraska

3.05/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
A clear/copper pour with a thin, white head... very, very average at best... nothing too special to look at.

Aroma is obviously hoppy with some caramel and malty notes... balanced, in a way. Whiff has some citrus, but not enough to say IPA. Hop aroma is present... but not as much as expected.

Chalky mouthfeel upfront... bitter yet balanced on the back. Some floral overtones. Nothing too exciting, but decent overall.
Feb 17, 2006
Photo of goochpunch
Reviewed by goochpunch from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Pours an cloudy orange with a frothy white head that clings on to about 1/8th an inch until the pint is gone. Aromas of oak, apples, and citrusy and grassy hops. Tastes fruity with a combination of esters and the hops, leading into the bittering hops. Rounding this all out is a pleasent vanilla, oak, and spiced finish. The mouthfeel could have been a bit smoother and with less biting carbonation, in my opinion, not to say that the carbonation was THAT rough. Maybe it's the oak making me feel this way, as other oak-aged beers I've had in the past maybe, perhaps, coincidentally just had smoother, fuller mouthfeels. As far as drinkability goes, although this is really tasty, I can have only so much of the oak after each sip. That and this kind of sits in your stomach like a full meal.
Feb 14, 2006
Photo of rhoadsrage
Reviewed by rhoadsrage from Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer has a slightly hazy golden orange body with a gentle carbonation of big bubbles and a thick rocky head that is off-white.

S- The smooth soft smell of green floral hops and some slightly sweet crystal malt comes through.

T- This beer has a nice green hop bitterness with vanilla, oaky flavors. The oaky flavors taste a bit artificial. The flavors of slightly sweet crystal malt and some notes of honey come through as it warms.

M- The beer has a nice medium mouthfeel with a hint of creamy texture. There is some fizz quality in the finish.

D- This beer has a soft hob bitterness but it is really missing the floral hop taste and is a bit weak in the nose. I like the oak qualities but they are slightly off and a bit stronger than the hops and grain.
Jan 02, 2006
Photo of daedalus
Reviewed by daedalus from Washington

3.41/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a nice honey/amber hue with a frothy white head, which retains quite nicely and provides sufficient lacing. A hint of pineapple in the nose with undertones of fresh citric hop aroma. The taste is suprisingly malty, but ends with a very dry finish, in which the hops blend effortlessly into oak character. Heavy oak flavor again upon exhalation.

Not a bad beer, though the mouthfeel (and to some extent, the drinkability) left something to be desired.
Dec 30, 2005
Photo of carln26
Reviewed by carln26 from Missouri

2.98/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Copper colored and very hazy this beer was topped by a thin off white head that disappeared almost immediately. I just don’t know about IPAs on oak. The aroma that comes off the beer is a blend of grapefruit rind/citrus and vanilla from the oak. That is just not a very appealing odor to me. There is some sweetness on the finish of the aroma. In the flavor the grapefruit almost disappears. The vanilla masks it and accentuates the candy sweetness. It brings out the figs and dates from the malt. The citrus does lend a subtle bitterness to the finish. Slick mouth feel , OK at best drinkability.
Dec 28, 2005
Photo of 1whiskey
Reviewed by 1whiskey from Oregon

2.46/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
12 oz bottle pored into a pint glass. Dull bronze color, big fluffy white head.

Smells...not like an IPA. Malty, grainy...a little sour. Mickeys? Why does my IPA smell like a malt liqour?

Taste is initially dominated by a dull metallic flavor and woody tannins (from the oak, I suppose). Some sweet malts are a little too prominent for an IPA.
Where is the hop flavor???? I wait for it to warm a little...and they finally show up. But these don't taste like your typical America IPA hops...these are perhaps German? In any event, they don't work well in this beer.

Mouthfeel is actually pretty nice, medium body and carbonation with a creamy quality. Leaves a wood tannin aftertaste. Ehh.

I can't recommend this.
Nov 28, 2005
Photo of SteveO1231
Reviewed by SteveO1231 from Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
My girlfriend grabbed me a 6 pack of these wanting to suprise me with somthing different. It wasn't

Poured an amber color from the 12oz. bottle, moderate carbonation, thin off-white head.

Strong malt scent, little hop smell in there. A light smell of pineapple.

Rather smooth cripsness with a mild bitterness in the finish. A smokey sweetness in the finish. Earthy flavor from the oat aging I presume. This tastes more like a pale ale than an IPA to me.

This beer is drinkable but nothing really stand out. I'm not too impressed.

Cheers!
Oct 28, 2005
Photo of beermanbrian
Reviewed by beermanbrian from Pennsylvania

3.36/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Clear pale copper color. 1/2 inch white head that dissipates quickly and leaves a nice film that is maintained by the abundant carbonation bubbles. Great lacing. Smell is tons of citrus hops with an oak overtone. The oak comes through in the taste buts it's not necessarily a good thing. It is more of a dry woody taste than the nice oak taste you would hope for. Not sure how to describe it but other than it just is off of what i would expect. Strong bitterness to the finish that hangs around. Not enough malt to balance this one out. OK mouthfeel and drinkabilty is just a touch above average.
Oct 13, 2005
Photo of ypsifly
Reviewed by ypsifly from Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Undated 12oz poured into a pint glass.

Bright, clear amber with a steady stream of small bubbles that support a small white head that slowly fades into a veiled ring and leaves wispy lace as it goes down.

Fruity hops dominate the nose. Has some citric and floral notes with a good dose of melon. The malts don't seem to come through.

The malts show up for the taste, but only briefly. Its all hops after that. Citric and juicy with a building dryness that fades back before it becomes too much. There's a little wood in the aftertaste, but it doesn't stand out. More of an afterthought.

I like the mouth. Not full, but it has a lot more body than most beers. Nice crisp bite from the carbonation. A good IPA. I recomend.
Oct 04, 2005
Photo of whynot44
Reviewed by whynot44 from Missouri

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Medium bodied, light copper color with a moderate creamy white head that doesn't stay around but does leave a bit of lace.

The aroma is primarily herbal, citrusy hops with just a bit of caramel and malt in the background.

There is a slightly fruity malt flavor with a citrus dry hops finish and a lingering woody aftertaste.

Altogether drinkable. Should go well with spicy or hearty food.
Sep 20, 2005
Photo of Beaver13
Reviewed by Beaver13 from Colorado

3.18/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle. Pours a bright orange with a decent creamy white head that retains fairly well and laces the glass.

The aroma is strong melon and floral/grassy hops with a touch of pepper.

The flavor is melon, some sweet malts and some oak leading to an acidic bitterness that leaves a decent bitter aftertaste. It is medium bodied with sharp carbonation.

Overall, an OK IPA. It's a little to sweet and too much citric melon for me.
Sep 17, 2005
MacTarnahan's Oak-Aged IPA from Portland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 94 ratings