Tax Holiday
Taxman Brewing Co.

Tax HolidayTax Holiday
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From:
Taxman Brewing Co.
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Ranked #36
ABV:
10.2%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,610
Avg:
4.13 | pDev: 6.78%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
26
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 26, 2023
Added:
May 01, 2015
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  3
Tax Holiday is a creamy, full-bodied, reddish-amber Christmas ale. Chocolate rye creates a rich and spicy malt profile, while Hunter's Farm Buckwheat Honey provides deep color, sparkling dryness and subtle notes of molasses. A blend of Pacific Gem and Saaz hops contribute warm but balanced fruit and oak flavors on the back of the palate. Ringing in at 10.2% ABV, Tax Holiday will be the perfect beer to warm up with on a cold winter's night
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at the source.

A - Dark raisin colored pour with thin caramel lacing.

S - Dark fruit, honey, light yeasty presence, spice, and Bourbon.

T - Some sweet dark malt, honey, spice, Bourbon, and some oak. Leaves a delicate chocolate residue layer with spice and Bourbon reating on the palate.

M - Thick, light syrupy body, viscous, and warming in the back of the throat.

O - An enjoyable cold weather sipper that warms you up.
Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.16 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Jul 21, 2022
 
Rated: 3.83 by Chuckdiesel24 from Illinois

Apr 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.15 by icemanexit from Indiana

Dec 17, 2021
Photo of Victory_Sabre1973
Reviewed by Victory_Sabre1973 from Minnesota

3.96/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This beer is a brown colored pour. It reminded me of root beer in the color. I get a beautiful 2 finger light tan colored head. The head has very good retention with a nice bit of lacing on the glass. The bubbles in the head are quite small in size.
The aroma is pretty much caramel to me. I do get a hint of licorice as well.
Taste - up front there's a bit of licorice, and a good amount of caramel. On the back I get a light kiss of honey.
The body is pretty good. Nice and thick, but not too thick. There's no alcohol burn at all, very smooth feeling.
Damn good beer overall.
Jul 06, 2021
 
Rated: 3.93 by kkarimi from Texas

Jan 26, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by aasher from Indiana

Dec 16, 2020
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark body, mahogany in tone, slightly murky; dense and thick off-white head. Earthy aroma; grainy. Malty, boozy flavor; star anise and licorice; boozy; hazelnut. Heavy-ish body yet somehow a tad weak and watery; alcohol heat; warm and slippery.

An interesting holiday ale with character that seems just a twitch weak, yet still an easy enough sipper (especially for the its relatively high octane backbone). 10.0% ABV per the can label.
Sep 27, 2020
Photo of BBThunderbolt
Reviewed by BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

3.6/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Thanks to jkblr for this one, from a recent trade. 12oz can (canned on 10/29/19) poured into 14oz teku. poured a dark brown color with just a thin cap of tan head that had low retention and no lacing.

A sweet malt base is at the front of the nose, with some yeast spice, a hint of fruitiness, and just a touch alcohol in there too.

Pretty similar, but expanded, on the tongue. The malts had a touch more grain, the sweetness was more pronounced, they yeast sharper, and the fruit kinda floated around the edges. Just a hint of alcohol at the back. Everything combined nicely on the palate.

The body was smooth, even, and had a finish that started off sweet, but dried out nicely.

Drinkability was good. I wouldn't drink it in a hurry, but it was worth a second can, if I had one.

Overall, a very nice beer. It all came together nicely, a case of the total being greater than the sum of its parts. A must-try if you see it.
Jun 16, 2020
Photo of BigGold
Reviewed by BigGold from Mississippi

4.24/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Had poured from 12-oz. can, label stamped "CANNED ON 11/25/19," into goblet.

Gorgeous beer on pouring, as apparently black is actually deep rose, with a tan head soon gone. Aroma is dark malts and fruits, and not quite Belgian candy sugar. Alcohol up front, then dark malt, dark fruits, spicy hops and a very interesting honey flavor. A little less hop or alcohol bite might have released even more of the other flavors.
Apr 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.24 by nwhittin from Indiana

Nov 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.24 by alexsergio from New York

Mar 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4.14 by ppavlick from New Jersey

Feb 16, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by rarigney from Washington

Jan 31, 2019
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

4.09/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
I have now quaffed a few beers from Tax Man. They have produced tasty beers from what I have tried. I have this beer and a barrel aged version to try. The beer is 45 degrees and served in a tulip glass. The pour produced a one finger light tan head with a reddish hue. The color of the beer is SRM 24 a deep amber brown color with ruby hues. The clarity of the beer is somewhat opaque. The beer has carbonation and yeast visible. The head dissipated quickly leaving only a creamy ring around the glass. The beer has a satisfactory appearance.

The initial aromas in the beer are cloves and banana, baking spice and a malty sweetness smacked my nose. The beer has toasted malts, bready, crackers, floral, caramel, a touch of toffee, toasted sugar, oranges, and herbal.

The beer is lively with cloves, spicy floral hops, cinnamon, nutmeg, toasted malt, phenolic, bananas, toffee, caramel, toasted sugar, oranges, bready, alcohol, loads of herbal, grassy, and dried cherries.

The mouthfeel is warming and chewy.

The body of the beer is full, medium-low carbonation, and full finish.

The beer has the complex feel of a Belgium but drinks like a gutted car. All the great stuff can be there but is not. I wanted a traditional Belgium beer which I got to a degree. I just kept sipping and wanting more body, more of the Belgium profile. The beer is good but not amazing.
Jan 29, 2019
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a lightly hazy, medium reddish orange with a half finger light khaki head with that dissipates to patches with slight lacing. Aroma of dry caramel malt, dried and fresh plums, raisins and Belgian yeast. Flavor follows, with dry caramel malt, dried plums, dates, raisins and Belgian yeast. Finishes a little drier with more dates and figs. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A very well made domestic take on the Belgian dark style. Yeast, malt and fruit flavors are all authentic and appealing. ABV well covered, requiring pacing. There is an interesting overcooked caramel flavor in the finish that is very reminiscent of caramelizing sugar. I'm doing business taxes tonight, and this a welcome holiday indeed. I'm trying both this base version and the port barrel one side by side. Despite taxes, life is good.
Jan 19, 2019
 
Rated: 3.89 by RickS95 from Indiana

Feb 03, 2018
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

4.21/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
22oz 2017 vintage bottle poured into a snifter at just above fridge temp 10.0% ABV (per label). The beer pours medium brown in color with quickly fading khaki head. The head recedes to a thin ring and paper thin island with some lacing. The aroma is faint with sweetness and Belgian yeast. The taste starts with rich dark dried fruit, then chocolate, then spice from the rye and yeast. You catch a little of the honey in the finish. Mouthfeel is thin to medium bodied, well carbonated and suitably dry in the finish. No real sign of the 10% in aroma or taste.
Overall, excellent. This is a beer that's hard to review because I enjoy each sip so much, I forget what I'm supposed to be looking for. Recommended.
Dec 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by heysuz from Indiana

Nov 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Nov 26, 2017
Tax Holiday from Taxman Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 26 ratings