The Grape Ape
Five Seasons North

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Five Seasons North
 
Georgia, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
10.1%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.11 | pDev: 3.16%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
7
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 23, 2010
Added:
Feb 15, 2009
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750ml bottle.

Pours completely and utterly black, with no light passing through, underneath a thick creamy tan head that recedes very slowly and leaves good lacing.

Aroma is massive and seriously toasty with lots of roasted chocolate malts and espresso. But the more interesting part of the nose is the red wine character with grapes, dry oak and a hint of spiciness. Kinda like oak and chocolate covered cherries rolled into one.

Taste is more of the same with the first taste being a dry red wine flavor witch is followed by the backbone of heavily roasted malts and cocoa powder. The finish brings back the wine barrel with oak and alcohol burn.

The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with low carbonation. Fairly slick overall but with a very, very dry finish for a stout.

I've been sitting on this one for a while and I thought it might have lost a little bit. I was wrong and this is a very enjoyable and unique vinous impy stout.
Nov 23, 2010
Photo of largadeer
Reviewed by largadeer from California

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
One of many bottles present at the You Bring the Cheese tasting, provided by seaoflament. My notes on this one are brief.

Appearance: Pitch black in the pour with almost no head.

Smell: Chocolate covered cherries are the first thing to come to mind. Butterscotch, peanut brittle, dark chocolate, burnt bread. The port barrel leaves me with more of a cherry character than anything. Very nice in any case.

Taste & mouthfeel: Charred grain, bordering on burnt but not in a harsh unpleasant way. Tart and tannic red wine, chocolate, cherries and fruitcake. Medium in body, not exceptionally an exceptionally full or rich take on the style, which I found pleasant, though it surprised me coming from an imperial oatmeal stout. Chocolatey, grainy and bitter finish. Interesting stuff, I'd gladly drink it again given the chance.
Sep 14, 2009
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

4.12/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thank you, Carlos! I'd never heard of this beer, and the description sounds awesome - port barrel aged imperial oatmeal stout

A: Jet black with a thick, dark brown head with OK retention

S: Beautiful aroma, complex and layered with chocolate, raisins, wood, wine and mild tannins. Earthy and port like. This smells delicious!

T: Opens up with a dark chocolate covered raisins with some burnt sugar. Pretty awesome. Flavors of wine, grapes, and oatmeal are present on the palate. Finishes a little dry and vinous with a dark cherry-like tartness.

M: Medium body, light body, dry, raisin-like finish. The oatmeal character is pretty nice, there's a pleasant slickness on the palate.

D: Enjoyable to drink, I would not turn this down.
Jul 30, 2009
Photo of HopHead84
Reviewed by HopHead84 from California

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Consumed at the tasting we had on 7/25/09-7/26/09. Thanks Carlos!

The beer appears black with a creamy toffee head that lingers for a minute.

The nose opens up with earthy and woody notes, accompanied by prunes, raisins, chocolate, brown sugar. Grapes are evident, as well as slightly tart grape skins, tannins, oak, and oatmeal.

The flavor is initially of sweet oatmeal, chocolate, and a touch of caramel, segueing into slightly tart cherries and grape skins. Other fruits I taste are raisins and prunes. Tannins are evident, as well as brown sugar. The finish is sweet with notes of fudge and cherries. The alcohol is well hidden.

The beer has low carbonation, and as I brilliantly worded in my notes, "the mouthfeel is somewhat thin, still chewy & creamy, but slightly thin."
Jul 30, 2009
Photo of seaoflament
Reviewed by seaoflament from California

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to GAManiac for trading me this hard to get beer. I shared this bottle at the 'You Bring the Cheese Tasting' which took place on July 25-26th 2009. This beer is an imperial oatmeal stout that was aged for over 6 months in red wine barrels from a local vineyard, Tiger Mountain Vineyards. From an unlabeled, corked and caged, 750ml bottle.

The beer pours like any other solid stout, dark and with about a quarter inch of foam.

Starts with some earthy aromas followed by raisins, fruitiness, chocolate, a bit of bark, black cherries, berries, brown sugar, roasted barley, a bit of burnt toast, cocoa in the end, and a very interesting neapolitan ice cream aroma that was pointed out by Chris. Once it warmed up, and close to finishing my sample, I could pick up tannic and fruity red wine notes in the background.

The Grape Ape tasted of roasted barley, oatmeal, chocolate, lots of raisins, hints of tart black cherries, dates, and raisins. Roasted barley and burnt toast in the finish. A little fudgy mid-way with some tart berry flavored brownie flavor. Wine barrel flavors and tannic in the last few sips. Low carbonation and a bit thin on the finish, especially for an oatmeal stout, but that is understandable for a barrel aged beer. A very interesting beer actually and would love to have it again with a fresher palate.
Jul 28, 2009
Photo of ATLbeerDog
Reviewed by ATLbeerDog from Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours pitch black with a twinge of red. Smells of bourbon and oak. First sip is woody, bourbony with a ton of wine, sherry and raisin flavors coming thru. A strong bitter finish adds to the overall experience. Heavy bodied but somehow it feels light on the tongue. Very tasty and yummy.
Feb 15, 2009
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a viscous, black body with a foamy, tan-colored head.

Smell: Foremost is the oaky, redolent wine scent with large notes of roasted malts, rolled oats, chocolate, Breakfast Blend coffee, a drop of vanilla, and whipped heavy cream in tow.

Taste: Rich, luscious maltiness with tastes of melted bittersweet chocolate, sweet oatmeal, and small, wooden sample-sized spoonfuls of vanilla and coffee ice cream. Enter the fruity, moderately oaky, very slightly tart wine flavor with touches of homemade plum jelly and black cherry. The multitude of fine flavors all come together seamlessly. The wine character lingers into the long, sweetish finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Very velvety, very smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability: It has been decided! The Grape Ape ale is a very admirable, highly enjoyable wine barrel-aged brew. Also, kudos to 5 Seasons (North) for employing the use of a Norton wine barrel from the Tiger Mountain Vineyards situated in North Georgia.
Feb 15, 2009
The Grape Ape from Five Seasons North
Beer rating: 4.11 out of 5 with 7 ratings