Isabella
The Shed Restaurant & Brewery

A million thanks to weeare138. This was hand-bottled with CO2. I have had the privilege of being able to dink this beer at multiple tasting thanks to weeare138. I loved the beer so much every time I wanted more. I really wanted to write a full review when I had the chance just me and the bottle. Thanks Mike for giving me this opportunity. This beer was actually named after Mike’s daughter Isabella.

Appearance: Pours an opaque copper brown into my snifter glass with a one finger beige brown head and nice spotty lacing on the walls of my glass. A few swirls showcase a wall of carbonation left behind.

Smell: Toffee and pumpernickel bread, with a whole wheat attribute and a nice hop kick. Spicy, and dark, and very enticing.

Taste: It has a rich bread flavor with a toasted multigrain element and a rye bite along with the bold bold hops. That tart dry rye feel is accompanied by toffee and toasted caramel and bittersweet chocolate. Then the hops come big into play. Citrus flavors no doubt! The hop and the rye work so well together! Why are there more rye beers out there. This beer destroys (in a glorious way) the palate. It overwhelms all the senses leaving every square mm of my mouth tingling. It is spicy and bold in the aftertaste even more than the front end. The aftertaste may be one of the longest lasting I have encountered. It is one of the things I have loved about this beer from the first time I tried it.

Mouthfeel: Certainly weeare138 home bottling had no ill effects because I can't imagine enjoying the beer any more. it is exceptionally smooth medium/full and rich with malts and grain and spicy flavors.

Drinkability: I don't know how this beer is made or how Sean gets all that flavor into each and every sip but I guarantee this beer is a masterpiece and one I can’t get enough of.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

A growler generously shared by weeare138.

A: The ale is thick and brown, looking like a strong robust brown ale. The head held up quite well for a growler, coming in around 1-1.5 fingers on initial pour. Subsequent pours were not as vigorous head-wise.

S: Not knowing the style ahead of time worked well. I was expecting a nutty malt body and instead was overwhelmed by a big citrusy hop aroma. The hops dominate the nose, allowing only hints of rye sharpness to emerge.

T: The flavor continues the big nose, allowing for a better take on the hops. They are citrusy, grapefruit with a slightly tart edge. The malt body is more evident here, with the grainy sharpness of the rye shining through more clearly. The grain emergence is pleasant, but the hops still rule the day.

M: The mouthfeel is bready thickness with big hops, very enjoyable.

D: If I recall correctly, I had at least 1/3 of the growler. I found the hop profile and malts really came together nicely.

BA Review # 1,000.
Much thanks to grassrootsvt for this...
Appears a murky, dense haze of dark mahogany with with caramel red edges. A small, tan, velvet cap hangs around for the duration of the drink. Scattered spots of lace are left around the glass like randomly painted zebra stripes.
Smell is of citrusy grapefruit, earthy, floral notes, caramel, light cocoa, and dark rye bread with a touch of black pepper.
Taste is a mix of the aromas that settles out with a sugary candy upfront and a citrusy grapefruit wave that splashes along the tongue like a wave of ingredients that are meant as a base for an orange/grapefruit muffin with poppyseed & rye that's been drizzled with melted baker's chocolate.
Mouthfeel is bittersweet, medium bodied, nice carbonation with a mild graininess and light astringency that takes a back seat to the cocoa powder flavor from the chocolate malt. The beer is obviously dry, as expected, from a rye beer.

Poured a brownish copper color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted malts, some cocoa, buttery malts, with nuts, and tons of amarillo hops. Taste of cocoa, with some light tobacco, citrus fruits, caramel malts, and finishing with grapefruit, and light alcohol.