Nor'wester
Dux de Lux

 

Appearance: Color is somewhere between brown and garnet, quite clear with lively carbonation. One finger head with decent retention. No lacing to speak of.

Smell: Quite aromatic, with biscuit malts and somewhat floral/herbal hops being the dominant notes.

Taste: Malty, but balanced by bitterness. A touch more acidic than I might prefer, suspect that drinking too much would give you heartburn. Alcohol is well-masked.

Mouthfeel: Seems rather overcarbonated, in particular for the style. Improves the longer it sits.

Drinkability: At 6.5%, a bit high for an English session ale. Good beer, but rough edges - A for effort, B for execution.

This beer sounds a little different on the front label it has a pic of a sunset with clouds and states that it is a Nor'wester Strong pale ale and on the back label it says that they used a smooth english malt with pacific origin hops just wish i knew which ones as it doesnt state on the label,it pours a really dark copper colour with nice carbonation that leaves a very frothy two finger creamy head that hangs around for a while and leaves sticky lacing all down the glass,it has a real malty aroma with a little hop edge in there aswell but mainly caramel malt it definately smells like a traditional english style beer thats for sure,when tasting this beer i dont taste a standout beer by any means and to be honest i dont think it should be classed as an English strong ale as it definately doesnt taste like one and to be honest not really strong tasting either,it actually tastes quite smooth and the alcohol is well hidden,it is also very malt driven not my fav style of beer and although easy enough to drink just dont think ill remember it too much after ive finished it.

A - Poured into a pint glass with a centimetre of off white head which falls quite quickly.
S - Caramel maltiness, bit of a floral hint and some cooked vegetable notes.
T - Much the same as the smell with a bit of a bitter chocolate touch.
M - Medium bodied, highish carbonation.
D - Not terrible but certainly wouldn't drink it again.

Look for it called a Strong Pale Ale at the brewpub.

A- Very dark amber body. Limited head which vanished after a few minutes to the edge of the glass. Low amounts of carbonation.

S- Hops fading to a larger then expected malt tone

T- Pretty good, there is a strong malt component to this beer just as the smell had indicated. The malt flavors transitioned into a bitter hop note. The bitterness is characterized by the taste of a single consistent sourness that fads into the end of each sip.

M- A clear lack of any noticeable aftertaste, however it fades away rather than burning out in a crisp manner.

D- Fair, the beer isn't that filling and the flavors of the malt and hops are balanced close enough to allow for an even taste and sets up the board for a decent set of pints should you choose.

Pours a medium coppery clear body with a light tan head. A little overcarbonated. Light grainy malt nose with some honey. Herbal hops. A little medicinal alcohol. Not bad. Sweetish malt. Slightly astringent and vegetal. A little off, but not too bad. More like a strong lager, but they called it an ale!