Darlin'
Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales

Darlin'Darlin'
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From:
Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
9.3%
Score:
89
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 8.66%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
24
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Oct 15, 2017
Added:
Sep 24, 2014
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  6
No description / notes.
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Ratings by DMarlinJ:
Photo of DMarlinJ
Rated by DMarlinJ from Michigan

4/5  rDev -1%

Dec 16, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.1 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Oct 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.05 by lochef81 from Michigan

Feb 20, 2016
Photo of buschbeer
Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

3.89/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1 PT. 6 FL. OZ. bottle
Served in a tulip glass

It's a gusher! As soon as I opened the bottle a steady column of white foam emerged from the mouth of the bottle. Even after an initial pour it still rose out of the bottle. Once I poured a second glass I could concentrate on drinking it. This beer pours amber in color with golden highlights. It is hazy. A constant stream of millions of tiny bubbles feed a saison-like white head that clings to the sides of the glass.

As the beer warms, the aromas come out. The first thing I picked up on was the lemon. Then I got some floral smell from the lavender and some booze.

There is alcohol throughout the taste. The charred lemons try to mellow it but remain in the background of the boozy front. There is some spiciness through the middle.

Medium and highly effervescent.

This is an interesting beer. I like it even though it leans toward being boozy. It has some saison elements to it. I wish I had another bottle to age a year or five. It is definitely worth a try.
Aug 09, 2015
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.26/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
an awfully delicious brew from a brewery i have never heard of, brewed with charred lemons and lavender. the pour is a strange one, milky thick, hazy green yellow, very very heady, enormously so, with tiny champagne bubbles rising up like crazy. the nose is plenty hoppy, and i definitely get the lavender. its not perfumy, but more like a floral tea, delicately used. the lemon aspect i dont really see yet, aside from the fruit sweetness that is there. malt base is hard to call, wheat in here i would guess, but beyond that its wide open. the haze is all from the yeast, but this is pretty textured even in the feel. if it were not the most carbonated beer i have ever had, it might seem heavy, but the supreme dryness and fizziness make it still appear light, and the abv on this is very well hidden, it drinks like 6% abv, not north of 9. the lemons appear in the flavor more of a caramelized thing, more sugary than i expected burnt lemons to be, but their presence goes well with the also citrusy hops. the lavender is all in the finish, and gets even more pronounced as it warms. as much a saison as an ipa i think, which is why i like this so much. the yeast is funky and produces a tang thats compatible with the additives. dry as they come, which is remarkable, and explosively carbonated, bright as they come. one strange brew, and in a weekend filled with curious beers, this one stands out. very very cool beer. thanks to thebrewo for bringing this one down. i am dying to try their other stuff now!!!
Mar 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by stadmo1 from Michigan

Jan 25, 2015
Photo of johnnnniee
Rated by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle from secret Santa. Rustic with hits of citrus and brett. Light floral nice brew
Jan 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4.15 by MarkyMOD from Colorado

Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by Kerrie from Michigan

Dec 03, 2014
Photo of ThickNStout
Reviewed by ThickNStout from Georgia

3.3/5  rDev -18.3%
22oz bottle from IAmJacksHopTongue (thanks!). No bottling date but this is bottle 1748 of 2040, as hand written on the bottle. Served in a goblet.

Pours an opaque, cloudy, orange hue and this is an absolute gusher! Initially I can only pour about 3oz into the goblet. Then, long after gettling closer to 12oz poured, I had to continue watching for overflow from the still-active bottle. The froth settles slowly but maintains a thick cap and leaves copious lace.

Mostly earthy, bitter aromas. Grassy, vague oak, hints of lavender and a big, almost cleanser-like alcohol presence.

Flavor of charred lemons galore. Behind that is earthy pine, herbal hops, citrus zest, pear skins, burnt oak, floral perfumed notes of lavender and a persistent, heavy-handy booziness. Between the lemons and booze I can't shake that cleanser vibe I got in the nose. Surprised at how little sweetness there is- I would have thought between the grain bill necessary to get to 9.3% and barrel aging there would be a strong streak of sweetness.

Feel is rather sticky/ slick and on the fuller side of medium bodied. As previously noted the carbonation is out of control and constantly fizzes on the tongue almost like a Belgian strong pale ale or tripel. Bitter, floral and boozy aftertaste.

I appreciate a nice brewing experiment but Darlin' is a bit disjointed for my tastes. It's listed on Beer Advicate as an America IPA but I have a hard time labeling my drinking experience as such. This is more of a generic labeled style like strong ale. At any rate this came across as unbalanced and a little too hard to pinpoint to be something I'd recommend anyone actively seek out.
Nov 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.52 by doc_logic from Ohio

Nov 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by pandow from Michigan

Nov 12, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by jhickman from Michigan

Nov 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by EricTKole from Michigan

Oct 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.7 by JasonR1975 from Michigan

Oct 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DrinktotheDead from Michigan

Oct 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Washtenaw_Beer_Guy from Michigan

Oct 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by SaisonRichBiere from Michigan

Oct 14, 2014
Photo of TheBrewo
Reviewed by TheBrewo from New York

3.96/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
We crack a bomber labeled 1695/2040 in hand-penned black ink. It pours the color of pine resin. It holds a two finger head of fluffy, snowy yellowed bubbles, showing tight aggregation and caking, and retention that lasts forever. A dense haze obscures clarity, but no sediment is outright noted. Carbonation appears to be active. The nose jumps right out at you with fusel booze, intensely cloying bubblegum esters, insanely juicy fruitiness of pineapple, papaya, kiwi, pear, and banana fruitiness that comes across like white sugary piña colada iciness, bittered balancing lavender, white wax, buttercream cake icing and angel food cake, slippery soapy hops, faint organic oaked woodiness, Magic Marker phenols, burnt rubbers, and steel. The taste is much less sweetly cloying than the nose, thankfully, and much more representative of the advertised ingredients. Notes include those charred lemons (for the first time), continued piña colada chill, light barnyard grassy funk, massive vanilla oakiness, molded cantaloupe, sunscreen chemical bite, dense boozy sweetness, lime seltzer, burnt lavender and rose petals, grassy hops, chemical and rubbery phenols, blunted banana and bubblegum esters, tart raspberry fruitiness, and powdered chalk. The body is medium but hearty, and the carbonation is medium. Slurp, smack, cream, froth, and pop are all out in full force, helping to enhance the fullness of feel. The mouth is slightly puckered and astringently dried, while the belly is left warmed and coated. The abv is appropriate, and the beer sips back relatively easily.

Overall, we probably look forward to each new Fecker release more than any other brewery’s releases. They sincerely outdo themselves with each subsequent effort, and every one of them has been a glorious local gem. We’ll start here with a joke. If you like piña coladas, you’ll adore this beer. Really though, our first thought upon pouring was this flowery blended tropical drink. Much sweeter than you’d expect from the description. The flavoring shows much more of what you think this beer will be like. The lemon is indeed charred, as is the lavender, with big oak and juicy, earthen hoppiness to match. You actually find yourself hoping that the included flowers will bitter much more than they do. That curious cloy is tough to penetrate, and leaves you wanting to talk to the brewers to see if that was the true intended blend. Regardless, there is nothing that isn’t unique about this beer, and it will be the one we’ll be talking about for the remainder of the night.
Oct 12, 2014
Darlin' from Bitter Old Fecker Rustic Ales
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 24 ratings