Maylem Midwest Heavy Duty Ale
North Peak Brewing Company

 

This was poured into a snifter. The appearance was a copper to burnt orange color with a finger’s worth of foamy white head that slid off nicely. Just some concave little lace at the edges of the glass. The aroma had some sweet toffee, nuts, mild roast, some cereal, light toast. Gentle earthy sweetness with some leather and wood. The flavor brought all of those previously mentioned aromas together, mostly sweet and added in a little touch of dough. Mildly reached into the aftertaste and slid into the finish. The feel was about medium bodied with a good sipping quality about it. Carbonation felt a bit lower than expected, but I don’t know how old this bottle is. ABV felt on par. Pretty smooth along my tongue. Overall, really nice American strong ale, though it did seem a bit aged to me as I was hoping for a bit more hops for the American style. Still, it’s one to go after for fans of the strong ale style.

 

 

North Peak Brewing "Mayhem Midwest Heavy Duty Ale"
12 fl. oz. brown glass bottle, coded "01/11/16 B#894"
$3.49 @ Knightly Spirits, Orlando, FL

Notes via stream of conscious: Lighter than I expected in color but still a decent deep copper almost russet brown. Creamy yellowed off-white head. Better than average retention, and very good lacing. The aroma displays some alcohol... how strong is this? Just 9.5% ABV... that's probably not a good sign. Spicy and caramelish. The flavor is toffee-like with caramel and nuttiness, and it's a touch chocolatey as well. The alcohol comes through, and it's a bit spicy, but not so "hot"... it actually works (at least at the outset of the glass). It's sweetish and nutty and caramelish upfront, then spicy as the alcohol comes in, and then drying in the finish despite the fact that it's not really that bitter(so, clearly, the alcohol is doing its part). It lingers nicely with some herbal and gently piney character. The body is medium, leaning towards medium light except that there's a bit of a dextrinous edge to it. I love it! I know that the clear alcohol is a fault, but why does it have to be? Why can't it just be a new style? And to be honest, it never really steps beyond what it starts as. There's a time and place for every beer, and I think this would be great after a long day of hiking (or just camping), sitting around the fire on a chilly night with a little bit of naturally added smokiness.

 

Sweet malts, caramel, and biscuit with a bit of boozy heat and a nice, subdued bitterness from piney and floral hops. Full bodied and smooth going down, very easy-drinking.

I realize this is classified as an English Strong Ale vice American but I much prefer this to Arrogant or Double Bastard. It huge like those two and in between as far as ABV is concerned but has a sweetness that I prefer.

 

 

 

Thoroughly enjoyed from the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This fine strong ale pours a clear reddish brown with a firm head of off white foam that dissipates to a thick ring, light pool, and excellent lacing. Nose of rich caramel malts, strong herbal hops, moderate grain notes, and strong booze. Flavors exceed the nose with heavy grain and sweet caramel notes up front awash in rich caramel and heavy handed herbal hops. Strong booze and heat enter middle to back with brown sugars and a touch of raisin and tart cherry. Bitter hop aftertaste that cuts through the sweetness. Medium carbonation and a warming full finish. Excellent for the style and worthy of aging.

Excellent

Cheers

Appearance is a dark brown-red with a full head and lacing.

Nose is heavy with wood and alcohol and maple syrup.

Taste has plenty of alcohol, with brown butter, toffee, applewood, fresh vanilla.

Mouthfeel is full-bodied, balanced well with mild carbonation and a clean finish.

Overall, it is a "heavy duty ale" as advertised. It goes down as elegantly as a hammer, but still has plenty of drinkability. Great for after a long day of chopping wood.

 

 

Pours a hazy, dark brown color. 1/3 inch head of an off-tan color. Good retention and good lacing. Smells of alcohol, strong sweet malt, hint of roasted malt, hint of hop, slight yeast, and caramel malt. Fits the style of an English Strong Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and clean, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of strong sweet malt, caramel malt, alcohol, hops, hint of wheat, and a hint of roasted malt. Overall, strong in body and aroma, good feel, not quite sure what distinguishes this from an English Barleywine, though.

12oz bottle. Poured out a clear, dark burgundy color with a good-sized, khaki-colored head of foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass. It smelled malty and sweet with caramel, toffee and some citrus. Sweet and malty with caramel and toffee. Sharp bitterness.

Slight sweetness. Well done.

Aged for seven months, a very satisfying ale. Typically not blown away by NP, but this was really, really good.

This is far better than its rating. Well balanced malts hide the alcohol. Caramel but not too sweet. Very well done.