Menagerie #3
Evolution Craft Brewing Company

**
12/12/15
On tap at Koopers, Fell’s point.

AROMA: citrus and tropical, fruit, lemon, mango, not bad.
TASTE: lemon, mango, but also a late bitter resinous pine with the hair spray taste.

Not bad, but not good. A little rough around the edges.

**

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: Pours a brownish garnet body with a two finger light tan head.

S: Strong bourbon, mixed with a sweet malt presence and a healthy Scotch ale yeast aroma.

T: Taste is great. It reminds me closely to New England Brewings Wet Willy. Both are in the high abv with what I have to presume is the same yeast. The flavors are very fresh and mix well with the bourbon barrel aging.

M: Light in body for a 10% abv scotch ale. I may have predicted it being a little thicker. Maybe the bourbon has watered down the body slightly but all together this is really nice.

O: Very well put together. Neither hot nor underflavored, this is a really great scotch ale. If you can get one of them I highly suggest it.

Bottle shared thanks to yourefragile, Thanks Michael.

A: Light reddish brown color with a ring of head and some lacing.

S: Interesting smell, not a ton of bourbon, some cream corn, some crystal malt, some licorice or fennel seeds, straw light malt, and a little smoke.

T: Light, spicy and tinged with a little vanilla. Some cinnamon and other kitchen spices. Almost like a spicy dessert, nice and unique.

M: Ok, a little bit of heat and decent yet thinner than desired feel.

 

I had a pour of the original batch at Kloby's during Baltimore Beer Week. Served in a sample glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy reddish amber with hardly any head at all.

Smell: Lots of bourbon. There is some caramel and vanilla notes as well as some dark fruit.

Taste: The bourbon just crushes everything else. Caramel malt and vanilla notes show up and are quite pleasant. There is some dark fruit in the sweet malt flavor. The finish is hot from the bourbon.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I thought this was a bit too hot. I don't know if more age would help since it is a year old. It smells really great.

Per yourefagile's recommendation, I checked with my server. Was told this was still a keg of the original and is not the redux. At Frisco's today...

The beer pours a reddiksh, tawny amber brown color with fairly good head retention and lacing. The nose is impressive, showcasing considerable brown sugar, chocolate, light root beer, milk duds and tootsie roll. The beer smells rich and sweet, something that my first sip confirmed. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but I have to say that age has been very kind to this beer. There is a considerable amount of brown sugar, chocolate and vanilla on the palate, with an undertone of cherry and light booze. The beer is fairly sweet, but is not cloying or tiring on the palate (surprising, given the abv.). Mouthfeel is otherwise medium bodied and just a bit thin, which is surprising given how rich this beer is. Otherwise, the finish is long and sweet, with nuances of brown sugar and light chocolate.

An impressive beer, that struck me as slightly oxidized. However, the light oxidation in no way detracted from the flavor profile, and I found this to be a very impressive effort from the folks at Evolution (not that I'm surprised). Nice stuff...

Hi! Read me please. If reviewing the new Fall 2011 release of this beer please add to the DB as Menagerie #3 Redux. That beer is a different blend and used a different yeast in the base.

This review is of a year old keg of the original Menagerie #3 served at Klobys during BBW11.

Pours a hazed deep copper/golden orange color with a quickly dissipating cream head; minimal lacing. Rich aroma of bready and doughy malt, dark fruit and bourbon, raisin and light vanilla. Flavor is equally sweet, with doughy and caramel malt blending smoothly with vanilla, butterscotch and oak from the bourbon barrels. Medium thick body with soft carbonation. This is still a little hot and much sweeter than I care for, but age is doing it well and I like forward to trying some of the fresh M3 Redux.

Had on tap at Specific Gravity. Had been looking to get a taste, and was not disappointed. Wow. What a fantastic beer. Have been drinking so many imp or doub imp BBA stouts, that I'd forgotten how a very well made then aged non-stout would be when BBA'd. Beer is reportedly @75% Scotch Ale aged on Bourbon barrels for 6 months blended with 25% unoaked Scotch Ale.Unfortunately, lost notes and won't try to recall well. But thought the bourbon and vanilla very noticeable yet still complementary to a rich malty flavor. Hops enhanced but did not detract or overwhelm...as a great Scotch Ale should be. Mouth was excellent, and I enjoyed drinkability over a couple of pints. Highly recommended. Get it before retirement!

Hazy, deep amber in color. decent carbonation level though not much in the way of head. Very full, boozy and bourbon aroma. Quite a solid malt presence though the bourbon and booziness really comes thru. Not in a negative way just really makes it's presence felt. Oakey with some mild vanilla going on. Body is a touch thin for my liking but still enjoyable. Very good effort, damn drinkable and enjoyable. FYI the base for this is a scotch ale. I believe #2 was a porter blend. Cheers to my local brewery!

I had this on cask at Max's Taphouse in Fell's Point, MD on 10/9/10, served in a nonic

A deep garnet/bronze color with mild haze and small cream head that dissappears quickly. Legs are visible when swirled around the glass. The smell is intense with dried fruit notes like fig and ripe banana with a slight date and caramel scent. There is light brown sugar and mild wood notes w/ a bourbon maple type aroma which smells sweet and slightly boozy.

I enjoyed the feel equally as much as the smell as it was full bodied, but not too heavy and was smooth without a lot of alcohol on the palate. The sweetness and spice was balanced well. I enjoyed this from the start -like 'maple bourbon candy' it has a woody and sweet flavor with some fruit elements and mild spice w/ a gentle caramel and light brown sugar flavor -very intensely layered and requires additional sips to pry away the complexity like an onion.

I enjoyed the cask treatment, but can't help but think a little more carbonation would have made this more drinkable and since it is 10% it is not one to quaff anyway. I think the alcohol is mild overall, so it is deceptive and I found it great for what it is.