Manhattan Project
Brooklyn Brewery

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From:
Brooklyn Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Rye Beer
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.92 | pDev: 11.48%
Reviews:
75
Ratings:
88
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 04, 2016
Added:
Aug 27, 2009
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bhalter8:
Photo of bhalter8
Reviewed by bhalter8 from Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Was glad to happen upon this beer at Leon's after a Belgian dinner at the Brick Store. What a nice desert! Served in a Brooklyn stemmed glass, the beer has a deep brown hue, with a slight ruby hint around the edges where light brightens the beer. A white one finger head rests atop, and thankfully stuck around for a while, as this beer turned out to be a sipper. Aroma is a mix of alcohol, rye, and a hint of cherry, but not very potent in any of these characteristics. Drinking this beer, I had mixed feelings. On one side, I have to give it credit for accomplishing the essence of a Manhattan in beer form (I am not much of liquor drinker, but this happens to be the one drink I order). The botanicals and rye whiskey barrel aging have given the beer the necessary hints that vermouth adds the mixed drink. The rye itself is not as strong as I had anticipated, and is a bit overtaken by the alcohol and cherry flavor. This is the other side, I felt the cherry presence was just too intense, it added a syrupy sweetness that was a bit much for me. In the end, an amazing blend of flavors, but maybe a bit much of the one. Despite the ABV, and mix of contents, the beer itself is rather thin and light in mouthfeel, however, the intense flavors, and maybe its youthful boozy character make it a sipper for sure. I enjoyed this as a night cap, just like the drink, and would suggest others do the same with this beer's big, complex flavor.
Oct 20, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.94 by Griphon from Florida

Jul 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.87 by Needmorebeer312 from Washington

Feb 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by muskiesman from New Jersey

Apr 01, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by twowheelssoar from North Carolina

Jan 26, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by wrath98 from New Jersey

Jan 17, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by bonbini26 from New Jersey

Jan 11, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by whartontallboy from New York

Jan 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 24, 2011
 
Rated: 4.5 by smithmd4 from New York

Dec 21, 2011
 
Rated: 4.25 by generallee from Virginia

Nov 27, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by Photekut from Tennessee

Nov 19, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by tclapper from Maine

Nov 17, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by HopStoopid120 from Connecticut

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of sholland119
Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Teresa's Next Door, 3/30/11.

A-Pours a murky iced tea brown and amber with no head to speak of.

S-Fresh ginger and sweet malt. A rye beer, eh? Not really getting that.

T-This beer is a gingersnap in a glass. Graham crackers and herbs. Maybe a hint of rye but very subdued.

M-Light to medium bodied, very light carbonation.

O-Tastes good but one of these is plenty.

HV
Apr 01, 2011
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

4.22/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap.

Pours a hazy reddish-brown color with a small fading whitish head.

The aroma is very interesting - sweet candy, spicy rye, oak, herbs, spices, and cherries. Lots going on, and it is a little Manhattan-like.

The flavor is better than any Manhattan I've tried. Really tasty. Somewhat sweet with cherry and vinous notes, vermouth, rye, and oak. Definitely on the sweet side, but in this case, it works.

Medium-full body with average carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel.

This was one hell of an interesting beer. Really unique and enjoyable.
Nov 10, 2010
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Reviewed from notes. On tap at Rustico.

Pours a reddish brown with an off white head. Nose brings a bunch of spicy rye and a bit of booze. The taste is quite zesty and really gives off the cocktail vibe. Feel is a bit dry and quite a bit of rye is noticeable. Drinks okay and it is well executed, just not sure that I really like it all that much.
Oct 19, 2010
Photo of StephenRich
Reviewed by StephenRich from Canada (ON)

4.31/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
This is an interesting one to say the least. The Brooklyn Brewery has created a series of beers branded as BrewMaster's Reserves. Brooklyn's BrewMaster is the much renowned author and beer and food advocate Garrett Oliver. Garrett has been the BrewMaster at the Brooklyn Brewery since 1994, and has helped propel Brooklyn to the highest ranks of American Craft beer - it is beers like the Manhattan Project that prove this feat.

This beer is a collaboration between Garrett and one of America's leading cocktail experts David Wondrich; it has been inspired by the traditional Manhattan made with Rye Whiskey rather than Bourbon. This really is a new and amazing realm of beer then, one driven by the power of spirits and cocktails. If done masterfully, this could really begin a new genre of great beers. Already brewers take flavors from foods, herbs and spices to create great beer; spirits and cocktails is just the next step.

The Manhattan Project is a rye beer than has been aged in Rittenhouse 100-proof Bonded Rye Barrels from the Heaven Hill Distillery. It has been brewed with malted rye, crystal rye malt, Canadian Two row pilsner malt, British Maris Otter malt, German Perle hops, and a slew of ingredients used solely to impart a true Manhattan flavor into the beer such as organic cherry juice, better orange peel, sweet orange peel, lemon peel, gentian root, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander and cloves. Get the picture? This is shaping up to be largely complex and spicy beer.

It finished at 7.5% abv and is only available on draught at select locations. I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy it at Cole's Pub in Buffalo this past Monday. If you are not familiar with what a Manhattan cocktail is, go try one. It is whiskey (Bourbon or Rye), sweet vermouth, bitter, and typically garnished with a maraschino cherry.

It was served to me in a Brooklyn Pint glass and came out a murky brown beer with a short airy white head. The beer showed dirty red browns and oak like amber with some traces of flat burnt orange. There was sediment floating everywhere in the beer. Literally, it was easy to spot flecks and specks of unfiltered beer perfectly suspended in every cubic inch of the beer.

That all being said, it was completely opaque and pretty dirty looking. This though enticed me even further. This beer will easily dispel the idea that good beer must be clear - that could not be farther from the truth. What I had in front of me what pure and real ale with no artificial cleansing or filtering. The way it should be.

The nose is sweet and malty, filled with herbs, tart cherry, and that distinct bitters touch. So far it definitely smells like a Manhattan, with a fresh and crisp hop aroma and soothing malts. Oak is warming and floats to me with cinnamon, clove and sweet orange peel. Mostly though the cherries and malts balance off each other and win the battle in the nose.

Drinking the Manhattan project is really fun; the flavors of a malty, lightly hopy Manhattan glide over your palate like they have never before. It comes in cool and clean with a silky burst of rye malts, big dark cherry sweetness, oak, vanilla, spice and herbal bitter sensations (I expect that would be the gentian root). The malt is soft and round showing classic malted rye flavors, soft caramel, hints of toffee, touches of pale malt and biscuit with a gentle balance; it is never overpowering.

That is the backbone of this beer, now layer on top of the a myriad of spices. The orange and lemon peels come in and meet coriander, clove and nutmeg to burst open a fresh wave of spicy whiskey. When combined with the oak ageing and the herbal and floral flavors that blanket the entire beer, a Rye Manhattan becomes extremely obvious. The Perle hop is relatively gentle, and should be for this concoction - it adds just enough to the herb and floral bitter tartness to the cherries to balance the beer and provide that angostura bitters feeling.

The finish is sweet and warming with a smooth silky touch - ok Garrett, well done - this truly is a beer Manhattan. It was very satisfying and even slightly refreshing. One of my favorite pleasures with a good Manhattan is a big robust cigar. I am going to have to find the opportunity to try that with the Manhattan project.
Aug 20, 2010
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A - Pours a ruby amber color with an even, creamy, caramel colored head.

S - Sweet malt, spice, rye, and reminds me a little of a beer that might be offered in the Fall.

T - This is a unique beer. The taste mimics the nose with the majority of the flavor coming from the sweet spice and some tart black cherries. The hops barely surface after the sip and linger for a very mild bitterness in the finish.

M - Medium body with some chewiness.

D - A little too sweet for my liking but nonetheless an interesting and unique beer, I still enjoyed it.
Jul 17, 2010
Photo of kingcrowing
Reviewed by kingcrowing from Vermont

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
On tap poured into an 8oz wine glass.

Pours a nice ruby red with a small thi white head with no lacing at all. Nose is sweet and fruity with some light sweet notes.

Taste is very sweet and fruity with some light bitterness from the rye, no real percepable hop flavor but there is some lingering bitterness on the finish. Mothfeel is really full and rich, very nice drinking.
May 13, 2010
Manhattan Project from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 88 ratings