Small Batch Hoarders: London Fog
The Bruery

A: Poured into a snifter to a deep brown beer which is topped by a finger of dense off white head which fades slowly to a collar around the edge of the glass
S: Smells of vanilla, lemon zest, bourbon barrel, hints of tea and a touch of fruity yeast.
T: Taste is tea, lemon zest, vanilla, bourbon barrels, dark fruits, caramel and toffee. On the finish there's more lemon zest, vanilla, tea, caramel, and lingering dark fruits.
M: This beer has a body which is somewhat creamy and on the heavier side of medium. Carbonation is somewhat low but it is still adequate while the beer has a drying finish due to the ABV.
O: Overall this is a pretty interesting beer. Good flavors and decent execution, but overall the flavor profile is likely polarizing.

1772
Small Batch Hoarders: London Fog
The Bruery
BA Old Ale
ABV: 13.5%
Date: 20 May 2020
I think I will dig a little in my cellar. The last tea-inspired beer from this brewery was fabulous. Prying the cap off, I could smell the classic earl grey aromas with barrel aging. Poured into a tulip glass, creating a light tan one-fingered head. The retention is nil and left no lacing on the glass. A dark amber color charts the color around SRM 13. The clarity is clear with some carbonation.
Bergamot, black tea, oranges, oak, bourbon, and caramel aromas are what I smell first. Nosing the beer again, I detect lemons, vanilla, toasted malts, milk, and a hint of herbal.
Tasting the beer around 48 degrees, I think I will let it warm up a bit more. The Earl Grey flavor in this beer is incredible. I taste black tea, loads of bergamot, lemon zest, vanilla, orange, bay leaves, caramel, toasted malts, bread crust, milk, bourbon, and oak.
The mouthfeel is warming and finishes long. The body is medium, and the carbonation is low.
The tea flavors in this beer are unparalleled to any other tea beer made. The two year age on this beer was close to perfect. The poor showing for the head will detect a few points. Other than that, I love this beer.

375ml bottle poured into a tulip

A- pours a clear amber color with a one-finger foamy white head that has good retention and leaves some lacing behind

S- the only way I can describe the initial aroma is burnt tea, followed by lemon zest and creamy vanilla. Just a hint of oaky bourbon and cracked pepper

T- vanilla comes through much more in taste, providing a sweet note of milk sugars and creamy vanilla bean. Mid-palate brings out some lemon zest, as well as undertones of herbal black tea. The finish gives some light barrel notes, with more milk sugar sweetness. Lingers of vanilla and lemon

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns slightly creamy into a warming finish

O- aroma was a bit strange, but the sweetness of the milk sugars matched well with the tea and lemon. A subtle, but enjoyable sipper

Pours a murky rusty brownish orange from the bottle, light white orange head that settles out to a thin ring, a bit of visible carbonation. Nose is pretty spot on for Earl Grey - bergamot, black tea, and even a sweet milkiness. Missing the vanilla on the nose, but really think they hit the aroma out of the park on this. Taste leads with sweet (not overly so) citrus, even slightly tannic, that surrenders mid-palate to the harsher, hotter elements of the base beer. The milk sugar lingers long at this stage and coats in a very...milky kind of way. The citrus comes back a bit on the finish, along with the tannic tea. Didn't get very much of the vanilla, nor the barrel for that matter. Not the greatest Earl Grey take I've had but still worth seeking out - hoping to see more tea beers down the road!