Enlightenment: The Age Of Raisin
Renaissance Brewing

Enlightenment: The Age Of RaisinEnlightenment: The Age Of Raisin
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From:
Renaissance Brewing
 
New Zealand
Style:
Belgian Dark Ale
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.46 | pDev: 8.67%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Sep 20, 2017
Added:
Jan 27, 2014
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Ratings by byronic:
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Rated by byronic from Canada (ON)

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%

Nov 21, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by dsshuck from Delaware

Sep 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.59 by Kplummer82 from California

Jun 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by yancot from Canada (ON)

Nov 18, 2015
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Enjoyed from the 500 ml bottle in a snifter. This ale pours a brownish red with a moderate light tan head of dissipating foam that dies down to a thick ring and light lacing. Nose of brown sugars, earthy yeast, and raisins. Flavors start with a brown sugar profile on the front, then a mild raisin note comes through on the back with a mellow yeast note. VERY high carbonation sears the taste and makes most of the flavors very subtle with it's effervescent mouth feel. Finish is fairly dry. An interesting take on the style, yet detractors from the overall brew are the carbonation.
May 29, 2015
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Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.59/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
500 ml bottle served cold into a pint glass. Purchased this relative newcomer to Ontario markets at the LCBO for about $6 CDN.

Appearance - crazily carbonated, even. Minor pour yielded the biggest frothier head I've ever seen. Pouring beer should not be this much of a challenge. Dark brown in color with a reddish haze throughout. Certainly a good looking beer despite only good but not great retention.

Smell - candied sugar, lots of brown sugar and a bit of the funky Belgian yeast aroma. Pretty good and enriched aroma.

Taste - candied sugar, a hint of raisin, boozy flavor too. Moderately bitter finish, but this just doesn't quite have the cohesiveness of other beers in the style. Raisin shines through a bit more as it warms.

Mouthfeel - insane carbonation cuts to a moderate body and even keeled finish.

Overall - not a bad beer, but the raisin isn't really pronounced here and otherwise doesn't blow me away as something exciting and interesting for the style. Solid beer, but others are far more affordable.
Jan 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.52 by RedAleMan from Canada (ON)

Dec 28, 2014
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Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
Bottle: Poured a dark brown color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of sweet Belgian malt with light caramel notes and some dry fruits clearly identifiable. Taste is also dominated by light sweet caramelized malt notes with some dry fruits notes easily noticeable. Body is about average for style with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Interesting but not necessarily something I would seek on a regular basis.
Nov 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.2 by jaydoc from Kansas

Oct 16, 2014
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Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.67/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
500 mL bottle picked up at the LCBO; best before Feb 2015. Served slightly chilled.

This Belgian-style dark ale pours a brownish-copper hue; a little foggy, and topped with two fingers of fluffy, light beige-coloured froth. Retention is excellent; it takes well over five minutes for the head to seep away, leaving behind a more manageable 1 cm cap in its place. Very little lace, but otherwise this is a fine-looking brew. The aroma is very saccharine, which is not unusual for this style - dark toasted malts, molasses, fruitcake and baker's chocolate are all noticeable, with a fruity, raisiny sweetness dominating the bouquet. There are some nice spicy notes, too, with cinnamon and clove featuring most strongly.

Interesting flavour, but not particularly complex for this style of beer. The malts dominate, providing hints of caramelized sugar, plum pudding, toasted grains/bread and a distinctly raisin-like fruity sweetness. The finish is earthy and reminiscent of dark chocolate, with mild hints of cinnamon and nutmeg lingering briefly into the aftertaste, alongside the aforementioned earthy/chocolatey note. Medium-bodied, with somewhat assertive carbonation that gives this brew a lively, prickly feel on the palate. This is a tasty beer, for sure, but not an especially memorable one.

Final Grade: 3.67, a B grade. Renaissance's Age of Raisin makes for an intriguing glass, though I'd preface that by pointing out that as far as Belgian dark ales go, this is a fairly pedestrian example. Quite sweet, as one might expect from a dark ale brewed with raisins - but not at all cloying, with an earthy, bitter finale that rounds the profile out nicely. I don't think I'd buy this one again, but that has more to do with the price point than the quality. Worth a look if you're a Belgian beer fan looking for something a little different.
Oct 09, 2014
Photo of mick303
Reviewed by mick303 from Canada (ON)

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
Bottle from the LCBO, poured slightly chilled into tulip glass, colour is a medium darkish brown with a rocky tan head with decent retention and lacing.

S - burnt caramel, plums, raisin aromas, some earthy almost metallic notes, dark malts and christmas cake mixed with some subtle belgian yeast aromatics, some clove and spice.

T - frothy and sharp head, flavour yields a rolling caramel with raisin and figgy plum character, vvery sharp and assertive carbonation, leading to a crisp and zesty finish. Flavour also has some plum brandy character, clove and cinnamon, preserved lemon.

M - quite overcarbonated I think, body was good otherwise, decently spicy and mouthfilling with a full dried and preserved fruit character and complimenting spice.

Overall, the carbonation and initial acidy were drawbacks on an otherwise decently good beer. Aroma did a good job showcasing the potential which was then muddled in the course of the flavour on the palate. It bounced around a lot, the raisins and caramel were a bit of a mainstay but it got quite bright and zesty which didn't work as well. Overall it was an interesting concept, but I think maybe going a similar route to Lost Abbey with more robust flavours would be a better compliment to the raisins. Still an interest concept and it is quite drinkable.
Sep 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.84 by ToddMopps from Canada (ON)

Aug 29, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Aug 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Aug 17, 2014
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Reviewed by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

3.45/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
500ml Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for $7 or so

Appearance - Reddish brown colour with an average size off-white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around 4-5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Caramel, malts, breads/grains, raisins, burnt sugar

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel, malts, and raisins. There is also some burnt sugary sweet notes, and a yeasty spiciness.

Overall - I'm on the fence with this one. Not good and not bad at the same time. It has an interesting mix of flavours but comes across as a home brew in some ways. Definitely not a repeat purchase - especially given the price - but not a complete waste.
Aug 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by DannyBaldoni from Canada (QC)

Aug 01, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by WillAndSarah from Canada (ON)

Jun 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by valianes from Canada (ON)

Jun 21, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

Jun 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by TerryW from Canada (ON)

Jun 11, 2014
Enlightenment: The Age Of Raisin from Renaissance Brewing
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 28 ratings