Mélange No. 15
The Bruery

Mélange No. 15Mélange No. 15
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
Ranked #107
ABV:
14.8%
Score:
88
Ranked #15,108
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 19.44%
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
87
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 31, 2023
Added:
Jun 07, 2016
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  16
Inspired by rocky road; brewed with walnuts, cacao nibs from TCHO and vanilla into rich, bourbon barrel-aged barleywine and old ale to mimic the flavors of the rich, nutty dessert. Lactose was added to impart a marshmallow character and an extra creamy mouthfeel.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by 2GOOFY:
Photo of 2GOOFY
Rated by 2GOOFY from California

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Oct 21, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of colts9016
Reviewed by colts9016 from Idaho

3.44/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Review: 1999
Name: Melange 15
Brewery: The Bruery
Location: Placentia, CA
Style: B.B.A. American Strong Ale
A.B.V. 14.8%
Date: 2016
I am drinking Melange 15 today using a tulip glass. I served it at 48 degrees. Prying the cap off this seven-year-old behemoth, a lovey long hiss of carbonation emitted. The pour created an airy, foamy, one-fingered, light tan head with above-average retention for a high abv strong ale. The color is dark brown with reddish hues, charting around S.R.M. 26. The beer is opaque. The dissipation left no lacing on the glass. The appearance is average for this style.
The initial aromas are bourbon, vanilla, wood, and chocolate. Swirling the glass to get air into the beer and warming it up. I smell char, bready malts, leathery, vinous, brown sugar, lightly floral, a skosh of herbal, earthiness, nuttiness, and a subtle hint of coffee. I do not smell any of the flavors.
The beer surprised me; I expected this massive-bodied beer with a behemoth A.B.V. noticeable on the palate. It comes across as a sour barley wine; it is infected. I don't mind it. The flavors are nuts, marshmallows, brown sugar, earthiness, herbal, bourbon, caramel, coffee, vanilla, wood, char, some acetic acid, chocolate, funky barnyard, and bready malts.
The mouthfeel is tart and chewy, finishing warm. The body is medium-plus, with medium-low carbonation.
That is sad, an infected beer. I know it happens. The brewers know, but I would like to chat with them about it. I am curious what caused it. This is the second infected beer I have encountered in the last month. I enjoyed the sourness of the barley wine, but the acetic acid covers up the aromas and makes it a challenge to taste the flavors; I love challenges.
Dec 31, 2023
Photo of StraightNoChaser
Reviewed by StraightNoChaser from Georgia

4.41/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Look: dark ruby/copper, plush off white head on the pour.
Smell: obtained a few bottles. 1st was infected. 2nd was wonderful. Chocolate, vanilla, nutty, richness. 5 years in, mellow as hell.
Taste: like the nose. Fantastic.
Mar 31, 2021
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

2.43/5  rDev -37.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5
About to get all pastry old ale up in this.

Pours a brown color, looks kind of thin. Smells like chocolate chip cookies, in bourbon. Smells like that possibly short evil girl who likes decadent shit with a red wine note to it.

Taste oh no, I thought it would start to separate that stuff into more discreet feels like marshmallow and walnut compliment the chocolate bourbon cookie note. Unfortunately, it set a record for the strongest unintentionally soured beer I've ever had. Thinned out body and a bunch of cranberry and chocolate sensations. Ugh. What a bummer. A little bit impressed that an infection could survive in this high alcohol environment. Shit I dunno if I even got my money back for this one. Drank what we could, in November 2017.
Aug 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.08 by cd34 from Illinois

May 29, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by edthehead from Maryland

Sep 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.04 by BAsbill from California

Aug 22, 2019
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
750 ml bottle into snifter, bottled on 7/19/2016. This was infected as noted in other reviews, but not too bad. Pours a hazy dark ruby red/brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, toffee, vanilla, cream, cocoa, walnuts, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of raisin, plum, prune, fig, cherry, date, apricot, red/green apple, red grape/wine, leathery/musty/lacto funk, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, cocoa, walnuts, vanilla, lactose, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, toffee, vanilla, cream, cocoa, walnuts, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of raisin, plum, prune, fig, cherry, date, apricot, red/green apple, red grape/wine, leathery/musty/lacto funk, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/lactic tart/sourness; and Brett, bourbon, oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, maple syrup, toffee, vanilla, cream, cocoa, walnuts, bourbon, coconut, toasted oak, biscuit, brown bread/crust, dark fruit, cherry, apricot, red/green apple, red grape/wine, leathery/musty/lacto funk, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, cocoa, walnuts, vanilla, lactose, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast flavors; with a nice malt/tart/sourness, and yeast/oak tannin spiciness balance. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/sourness and bourbon/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a smooth, creamy/silky/bready, and acidic/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is good. Mild puckering sourness and tannic astringency through the glass, but not overwhelming. Mild increasing warmth of 14.8%, with minimal lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a very nice barrel aged infected strong ale for being infected. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, cocoa, walnuts, vanilla, lactose, bourbon barrels, and light-moderate fruity/funky/acidic/spicy yeast flavors; smooth and easy to sip on slowly for the huge ABV, with the modestely acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish; not overly lactic. From an imperial dark sour standpoint this was really enjoyable. The initial strong ale malt/barrel character is noticed in the nose and the front of the palate; but the Brett and Lacto take over immediately and clean the sweetness on the finish. Got better as it warmed.
May 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by RPM3334 from South Carolina

Jun 10, 2018
 
Rated: 4.06 by Beer21 from Florida

Mar 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.83 by BEER88 from North Carolina

Mar 09, 2018
 
Rated: 2.97 by Buck_Jones from Michigan

Oct 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.71 by CharlesK from Pennsylvania

Aug 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by smartassboiler from Illinois

Jul 31, 2017
Photo of nickfl
Reviewed by nickfl from Florida

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is over the top infected, real good and sour. Everyone else I had it with hated it, I actually didn't mind it, but it would clearly work a lot better if it wasn't sour.
Jun 29, 2017
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

4.09/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750ml

A- pours a clear deep ruby-brown color with a small fizzy off-white head that has short retention

S- big marshmallow aroma up front with lots of sweet vanilla. Sweet caramel and toffee mix with bourbon barrel and plenty of booze

T- sweet caramel and tobacco up front give way to creamy marshmallow and vanilla sweetness. Mid-palate gives plenty of bourbon barrel, the finish gives more caramel and a linger of toasted nuts

M- medium viscous body with low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel and a long boozy linger

O- pretty good blend with a noticeable walnut presence
May 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.59 by Zonian1 from Ohio

May 24, 2017
Photo of crob3888
Reviewed by crob3888 from California

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
At nearly 15% alcohol it is incredible that I get no alcohol heat here. And the pour almost seems thin when you're expecting motor oil; but the mouthfeel is impeccable. The aromas and flavors are too: walnuts, bourbon, oak, vanilla, some coffee, and good amounts of dark fruit flavors come through as well.
May 20, 2017
Photo of dannyhipps
Reviewed by dannyhipps from California

1/5  rDev -74.4%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Infected beyond belief... picked this up to share with my wonderful wife on our 20th anniversary... she's always loved walnuts, and hey, Rocky Road ice cream cuz we're old school like that...

on the bright side, I'm enjoying the aftertaste of battery acid with hints of rancid cherry yogurt showing through... yay.
May 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

May 16, 2017
Mélange No. 15 from The Bruery
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 87 ratings