St. Michael's Double Pale Ale
Rust Belt Brewing Company

NUMBER 2,900!!!!! I thought the bottle said double amber ale????......nevertheless.....it poured a cloudy amber with little head that did not lace. The scent had some pine and citrus hop to it. The taste was a nice malt base with good hop on top....pine and citrus being present. The mouthfeel was fuller in body and smooth carbonation. Overall it was decent.

I don't know whether my bottle was old or not due to the lack of bottle dating (which I feel should be mandatory) but this tasted stale and not fresh.

After reading the high reviews, my expectations were high and failed to live up to them.

First off, this beer is way to dark for a double/Imperial IPA. To sweet and to malty for me to consider this a IIPA. If this were labled a barleywine I would score it different.

Not impressed at all and the price tag is a real let down.

 

Thanks to my brother John for the bottle! Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, this is a clear ruby-almost mahogany color. It's beautiful to look at! The smell is of hops and malts, not unpleasant! The taste is equally of bready malt and citrussy and piney hops. The mouthfeel is just about right. I don't taste the alcohol. This is probably the best beer I've ever had from Rust Belt(and because my brother lives in Youngstown, I've had many examples of their beers). This is a marked improvement on their past efforts and a worthy beer in it's own right. If you live in Northeast Ohio, try it. You'll like it! I did!

Appearance: Dark Amber/Red color, . About 2 fingers of cream colored head that hangs around. A good amount of carbonation flowing off the bottom of the glass. The head laces the glass nicely.

Smell: Plenty of hops on the nose, piney, floral characteristic. A little bit of caramel notes, but not too much.

Taste: A good balance of hops with malts. Slightly sweet at first, but finishes with a good pine/floral taste. Tastes almost creamy as well. It lingers in my mouth for a while, making me want more

Mouthfeel: Creamy/Smooth feeling. Coates the mouth well, almost thick and chewy in a good way.

Overall: Easy to drink and I would buy another. A solid offering from Rust Belt that is very balanced on the pallet. Probably the best offering from RustBelt

22 oz. bomber purchased from Whole Foods. Pours dark amber with a mildly sweet hoppy aroma somewhere between a pale ale and an IPA. Full-bodied but drinkable with a distinct roasted malt flavor reminiscent of a red ale and an assertive (but not overpowering) hop bitterness. Not as hoppy as typical double IPA, this is an excellent American pale/amber ale with all of the flavors intensified. Surprisingly refreshing and drinkable considering the 9% ABV. A very solid beer.