Nuptial Ale
Watch City Brewing Co.

Bottle dated 4/4/02,stored in cellar on its side since obtaing from Watch City.
Poured with very light carbonation,little to no head, dissapating immediately. Nice color, reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's, dark ruby with a tinge of brown.
Spicey belgian nose developes as it warms, but you've really gotta swirl and stick you nose in due to lack of carbonation. Honey and citrus in the nose, perhaps coriander and black pepper too. Definately clovish and plenty of bubblegum. A little hot in the nose as well, alcohol warming the nostrils.
Still slightly sweet on the pallet, somewhat oily and syrupy.
Nice spicing, not one spice dominant. A Myriad of Belgian nuances.
Very Grand Cru-ish,(in the Allagash sense anyways).
Decent malt, but not it's not predominant by any stretch.
Lingering honey and spicey bitterness. A little hot in the throat.
A little dissapointing, I've had this beer before on tap and it was in better shape. Strong dark Belgians should improve with age in the bottle. Maybe some bottle conditioning next time with a better carbonation level would help this baby achieve greatness.

22oz bottle from brewpub - dated 4/14/02.

Pours a hazy dark reddish-brown, with the smallest ring of tan foam, very still bodied. Aroma is big sweet fruitiness (grape, raisin, plum), some hops, a bit of honey, and some alcohol. Flavor is fruity, vinous, a bit of alcohol comes up in the middle, some chocolate pokes through at points, and ends with a fairly strong hoppy finish. Full bodied, very slick mouth feel due to lack of carbonation.

SG 1.085, 71 IBU. Grain: 86% Bel. pale, 6% Torr. Wheat, 5% Brown, 3% Caravienne, 0.3% Chocolate. Hops: Magnum, Lublin, Cascade. Other ingredients" Clover Honey.

This ale poured a hazy, dark amber-red with good, tan foam. The smell was figs and caramel and malt. The taste included figs, sherry, raisins, alcohol and only a modest dose of hops (surprising considering the 71 IBU rating). The hops were well balanced by the sweetness. The mouthfeel was smooth and mellow and fairly dry. It was full bodied with low carbonation feel. This was very drinkable! I hope they brew more of this some day!