Sweet Child Of Vine
Fulton Beer

 

 

 

 

draught
Rocky, beige head. Medium, deep orange and caramel look. Soft, caramel malt aroma, with a bit of an edge to it. Good, hard, floral hop bite. Medium toasted, caramelized malt backbone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: Pours a dark bronze color, that is mildly clear. Even a tall, off-white head that lingers. SRM of 14-15. (3.75)

Aroma: Mild aromas of spicy caramel and bread. Earthy orange & melon. Some herbal & somewhat lemon component. But earthy caramel, sweet, watermelon, canteloupe, pineapple, and mango that have been sitting in the sun. Very earthy. (4.00)

Flavor: Strong floral/herbal bitterness upfront. Then comes a pithy and ripe earthy caramel as described above. Faint ripe melon, pineapple. Finishes witha strong and malty flower/herbs and toasted bread over some burnt and spiced caramel that somewhat attenuates the hop bitterness. Finishes dry, yet clean. As the beer warms the toasty caramel and toffee malt profile really comes through as the hops dissolve into the background. A respectable bitterness. (4.00)

Feel: Medium to heavier bodied. Moderate carbonation. Finishes smooth and malty relatively. A slight airy pine on the finish. (3.75)

Compared with Surly's Furious: Very similar in appearance: This one has more subdued hop notes and less bitter. More nectarine and peach with some smooth malts in the finish. It's more fruity and airy, but only slightly and that's not saying much compared to Furious. Overall, it's much smoother, clean, and less bitter.
2/22/21: Pours a similar color with a milder head. Milder aromas. More caramel and toasty vague malt flavors. Less spice caramel, pine, grapefruit, and bitterness.

Compared to Goose Island IPA: Much darker color. Stronger floral/lemon. Much more malts including toffee and caramel. Much truer to the English IPA.

Compared to Surly's Minor MIracle 5/15/20: Pours a darker color. More malty aromas. More toast, caramel, and earthy orange. Less lemon and pineapple. Overall, smoother and heavier.

Compared to Sam Adams' Boston Lager 7/22/20: Pours a slightly darker color with a stronger head. More aromas/flavors of orange and flower. Less bread spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Heavier and more full.

Compared to SN 40th Anniversary Ale 8/27/20: Pours a darker color. More orange herbs and caramel. Less soapy and nectarine. Slightly more bitter herbs.

Compared to Summit's Extra English Pale Ale 11/12/20: Pours a slightly darker color. More roasty and herbal aromas. More burnt brown bread, roasted red citrus, herbs, and pine. Less smooth caramel and orange citrus. More hoppy and IPA-like overall.
2/22/21: Darker. More spiced, resinous, and toasted caramel malts. A darker, resinous caramel and bitterness. Hoppier, but not necessarily more fruity.
On a spectrum there is Summit Extra English Pale Ale, Sweet Child of Vine, and Furious IPA.

Compared to Sierra Nevada's Celebration Ale 3/4/21: Pours a similar color, slightly darker. More bitter pine and herbs. Less smooth resinous orange, orange soap, and caramel. More roasty, and less smooth.

Overall: Nice earthy citrus, herbs/pine, bitter flower spicy burnt caramel, and floral flavors. Strong burnt caramel and bready notes with hints of earthy orange and pine.Sort of like Sierra Nevada, but without the soap quality, but herbs rather. Still, English flavors throughout. Really showcases the English hops well. Flavors like an English pale, with the bitterness of an American West-coast ale. (Final Rating: 3.86)
*Compare again to any herbal IPA*

Poured from 12 oz bottle into shaker pint glass.
A: Pours a nice deep golden hue with half inch white head that fairly quickly recedes to a thin skim.
S: Some mild grapefruit, stronger pine, and fairly strong cracker malt.
T: Mildly tart grapefruit, pine, and dry cracker malt.
M: Light body. Slightly oily feel. A touch of bitterness and some mildly smooth sweetness. The dry cracker malt lingers more into the finish.
D: I remember liking this when it came out. Now, it settles into the "pretty good" category. I usually have about one or two of these per summer...nice summer session beer.

 

Poured from a pint can into a tulip.

Pours just a touch lighter than amber. Hazy. A nice two-fingered head that lies between foamy and creamy. Excellent retention and lacing. A very nice-looking beer.

Earthy and floral hops are the first aroma, with caramel malt sweetness in the background. Classic aromas, but a bit muted.

Like the nose, the flavor is solid and straight for the style but a bit laid back. Well-balanced between malt presence and earthy hops. The American influence is there with just a bit of orange and white grapefruit.

The brew is just short of medium bodied and has a nice drinkable finish, but could use just a bit more carbonation.

Overall a solid take on a style that is decidedly different from its American cousin. The flavors and aromas are very representative, but a little muted and muddled.

Quite tasty English IPA. Would definitely buy it in the Fall, buy doesn't fit my Spring/ Summer flavor profile preferences. I personally think its rating is too low. The melt profile isn't overly sweet, though the hops are more earthy (plenty of Simcoe) than modern tropical varieties.

 

 

 

 

 

DATE: October 4, 2018... OCCASION: no school tomorrow due to Dad's impending hernial surgery, so I I will prepare with a big hop promise... GLASSWARE: HopDevil nonick.... pours a rich amber brown with a steady stream of narrowly hidden bubbles that build a soapy, sudsy white blanket, complete with a thick webbing of lace that frames the nonick nicely--a handsome start... a thick haze of tea that blunts any citrus and go straight for the thick, dark, dank hops of a NE IPA... apple mash, fig leaf, and hearty malts make for a strong insinuation, even at 6.4%... its 69 IBUs is hardly detectable in its mouthfeel... a buzz exists in the teeth, while the strength is palpable, if not chewable... the oak, earthy assertive flavor due the glacier hops... this beer is oversized for its weight, with crushable ends and murky means... this is a beer that is sweet, almost like honey, with lilac and flowery accents peaking its flavor...the malts are also accountable, with a lightly baked feel... happy I picked this up at Wegman's, and a solid NE IPA approximation...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Had this on tap at City Works in Minneapolis. The beer has a clear dark brown appearance with thick lacing. To me, the aromas appeared to be apricot and grapefruit but the taste dimension was more like sweet cherries. Very silky texture for the mouthfeel. Overall, not bad; really good flavor.

A thanks to the commander of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has a bronze color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of malts, some tropical fruits. Taste is of bready malts, a bit of mango, mild bitterness. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.