Crusader
Dragonmead Microbrewery

Had this on-tap during the 11/1/03 Detroit BA get-together. Poured out to a dark, ruby-esque color in the glass. Very faint aroma reminiscent of malt and bread dough. The taste was quite light, yet managed to bring forth a nice hop to malt ratio and was quite delicious. This is a very drinkable beer and one you could quaff all night. The mild ale style is one more brewers should make.

 

 

 

This brew was served on tap at Dragonmead in Warren, Michigan. It arrived in a generic pint glass, giving off a deep Tootsie Roll coloring. It held a one finger head of eggnog colored bubbles, showing solid retention until sheeted lacing replaced it. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared to be average. The nose gave notes of toasty black and English brown malts, charcoal, cooked brown sugar, candied Granny Smith apples, synthetic plum sweetness, dust, clover honey, and medicinal phenols. The taste was comprised of a roasty chocolate, coffee, and brown malt base, with help from Styrofoam plastics, peanut oil, soy sauce saltiness, melted Worther’s candies, banana esters, spicy cloven phenols, white vinegar, heavy creamer, and soured buttercream frosting. The body was medium, and the carbonation was lightly medium. Each sip gave beautiful slurp, smack, cream, from, and silky pull. Finishing pop was full, and glug was intact. The mouth and throat were coated in their entireties, leaving the mucosa cooled and lightly puckered, without any strong astringency to follow. The abv was easy going, and drinkability was nice.

Overall, this was a nice beer to finish the night off with. It was flavorful enough to follow the previously tasted beers, but light enough to not knock you out or singe the palate. Of particular note was mouthfeel. This was one creamy offering. Actually, this came as a bit of a surprise for the style, as we’re used to duller, more flat, “real ale” type of purism that you see with many of the British or European styles. By keeping the flavor most certainly to the sweeter side they were able to keep a lot of that extra sugar for the body, and here we found it to be a welcomed union.

 

 

 

brown. slightest hint of haze. brown head. huge lacing. fair retention.

roasted malts. no hop aroma.

very malty, but not so sweet, more roasty. very slight hop bitterness. no hop aroma.

very light body. very soft, so you cant even tell it carbonated, till the finish.

kinda watery. but still lots of flavor. not watery to a fault, just very refreshing. petite. mild. this beer i think is very much what it should be.

 

Reviewed on 6/19/2010. On nitro tap at the brewery. Pours a dark brown with a thick tan head. Aroma of chocolate malt, roasted malt, and a touch of sourness (?). Flavor of sweet malt, roasted chocolate malt, with a light palate. Decent mild I guess although I didn't much care for it.

On tap at the Dragonmead Brew Pub.

Poured a medium amber color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of some chocolate and lightly roasty. Tastes of chocolate, nutty, and lighter caramel. Not bad for a mild ale...something you can drink all day long.

A-Clear, dark, deep brown with a beautiful creamy, dense light tan nitro head. Reduced just a bit and left hefty lace.

S-Light oaky notes with a bit of sweet malt.

T-Dry, oaky tinged malt. othing crazy but just about what it should be.

M-Medium-lightbody with a impressive smoothness.

D-Nice, smooth and mellow.Hey, it's a mild it wasn;t meant to be crazy. A true to style easy drinker that can be sessioned for days!

from the brewery. pour a nice mahogany with a tan head. finally a beer that has some aroma and flavor to it from this brewery. aroma malts, chocolate, hops, the flavors were nicely balanced, got malts and hops, caramels and chcolate, this is one I could have a few of.