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Martial Law
Iron Fist Brewing Company
Beer Geek Stats
| Print Shelf Talker
- From:
- Iron Fist Brewing Company
- California, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Dark Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 8.3%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.64 | pDev: 16.48%
- Reviews:
- 7
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jan 24, 2013
- Added:
- Oct 16, 2011
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota
3.83/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.83/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
First had: on tap at City Tap House, Philly, PA
Served in a tulip glass, a cloudy maple color with a half-finger or so of foamy off-white head that retained fairly well and left a bit of soapy lacing behind. Aroma is thick with Belgian yeast and fruit esters, sweet and malty. Taste is bready, yeasty, chewy cherries, sweet caramel and vanilla, finishes with a hit of medicinal alcohol. Mouthfeel is smooth but chewy, medium bodied, soft carbonation, with some alcohol burn. Easily drinkable. Pretty good overall.
Sep 05, 2012Served in a tulip glass, a cloudy maple color with a half-finger or so of foamy off-white head that retained fairly well and left a bit of soapy lacing behind. Aroma is thick with Belgian yeast and fruit esters, sweet and malty. Taste is bready, yeasty, chewy cherries, sweet caramel and vanilla, finishes with a hit of medicinal alcohol. Mouthfeel is smooth but chewy, medium bodied, soft carbonation, with some alcohol burn. Easily drinkable. Pretty good overall.
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California
3.59/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Iron Fist Brewing Company in Vista, CA.
Pours a hazy dark brown with a tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this one. Smell is of dark malt, sour dark fruits, and brown sugar. Taste is of dark malt and brown sugar up front with a slightly sour dark fruit finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it smells better than it tastes.
Mar 07, 2012Pours a hazy dark brown with a tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this one. Smell is of dark malt, sour dark fruits, and brown sugar. Taste is of dark malt and brown sugar up front with a slightly sour dark fruit finish. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it smells better than it tastes.
Reviewed by phichifiji00 from California
4.23/5 rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.23/5 rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: reddish amber in color. Off-white head, moderate lacing.
Smell: cherry, vanilla, nutty, light oak presence, bready.
Tatse: cherry, vanilla, oak, caramel, toffee, dark fruit.
Mouthfeel: medium bodied, light carbonation, silky, smooth, creamy.
Overall: A damn good beer. Very creamy. The cherry/vanilla combination is wonderful. Not sour and not medicinal. Well balanced. Subtle complexity. Very drinkable.
Jan 09, 2012Smell: cherry, vanilla, nutty, light oak presence, bready.
Tatse: cherry, vanilla, oak, caramel, toffee, dark fruit.
Mouthfeel: medium bodied, light carbonation, silky, smooth, creamy.
Overall: A damn good beer. Very creamy. The cherry/vanilla combination is wonderful. Not sour and not medicinal. Well balanced. Subtle complexity. Very drinkable.
Reviewed by ehammond1
3.01/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
3.01/5 rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
On Tap
Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA
Dark caramel and maple brown throughout with a thin brown head. This leaves small spots of lace down the glass.
Simple and unexciting aroma: caramel and bread with perhaps a bit of sweet fruit essence. Nothing unpleasant, though quite unspectacular.
Sweet, syrupy, and slightly medicinal flavors of roasted malt, cacao, and cherries combine--though the flavor as a whole is quite subdued. The alcohol is well hidden until the beer comes up to the room temperature and then becomes quite pronounced. I did not finish my 4oz. pour.
Somewhat thick with low carbonation. I would have preferred thinner with high carbonation.
Admittedly, this is a tough style to nail (and one of my favorites). Iron Fist did not nail it.
Nov 16, 2011Churchill's Pub & Grille
San Marcos, CA
Dark caramel and maple brown throughout with a thin brown head. This leaves small spots of lace down the glass.
Simple and unexciting aroma: caramel and bread with perhaps a bit of sweet fruit essence. Nothing unpleasant, though quite unspectacular.
Sweet, syrupy, and slightly medicinal flavors of roasted malt, cacao, and cherries combine--though the flavor as a whole is quite subdued. The alcohol is well hidden until the beer comes up to the room temperature and then becomes quite pronounced. I did not finish my 4oz. pour.
Somewhat thick with low carbonation. I would have preferred thinner with high carbonation.
Admittedly, this is a tough style to nail (and one of my favorites). Iron Fist did not nail it.
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
4.25/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
4.25/5 rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Local Habit in San Diego where it was listed at 8.6%.
Big chocolate flavor. Rich and spicy. Tastes like Mexican chocolate and wine. Some dark and funky flavors with a little chalk and lots of sweet cherries. Complex, hard to pin down. Dark chestnut in the tulip glass. Not too much carbonation. Intense roast malt and dark caramel makes for a great sipping beer. Not overly hoppy. I hope they keep the recipe. My favorite from Iron Fist so far.
Oct 31, 2011Big chocolate flavor. Rich and spicy. Tastes like Mexican chocolate and wine. Some dark and funky flavors with a little chalk and lots of sweet cherries. Complex, hard to pin down. Dark chestnut in the tulip glass. Not too much carbonation. Intense roast malt and dark caramel makes for a great sipping beer. Not overly hoppy. I hope they keep the recipe. My favorite from Iron Fist so far.
Reviewed by HopHead84 from California
2.6/5 rDev -28.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
2.6/5 rDev -28.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
10/16/2011
On tap at Iron Fist. A Belgian Strong Dark with sour cherries. Snifter.
A: A brown that borders on black with a finger of beige foam.
S: Cherries are pronounced and sweet with a hint of tartness. Grape blends with prune and plum. Chocolate is evident.
T: Dark chocolate with notes of grape and plum. There's a light tartness and a pervasive cherry presence. The finish is mildly tannic and tart. Alcohol is well hidden. As the beer warms it begins to taste a bit like cough syrup. Actually, it tastes a lot like cough syrup.
M: Lower full in body with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Would be solid except for the strong resemblance to cough syrup. If you order it make sure to drink it fast before it warms up enough to really taste it, or else you aren't like to finish it.
Oct 16, 2011On tap at Iron Fist. A Belgian Strong Dark with sour cherries. Snifter.
A: A brown that borders on black with a finger of beige foam.
S: Cherries are pronounced and sweet with a hint of tartness. Grape blends with prune and plum. Chocolate is evident.
T: Dark chocolate with notes of grape and plum. There's a light tartness and a pervasive cherry presence. The finish is mildly tannic and tart. Alcohol is well hidden. As the beer warms it begins to taste a bit like cough syrup. Actually, it tastes a lot like cough syrup.
M: Lower full in body with moderate carbonation.
Overall: Would be solid except for the strong resemblance to cough syrup. If you order it make sure to drink it fast before it warms up enough to really taste it, or else you aren't like to finish it.
Reviewed by NickMunford from Wyoming
3.8/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
They say this is their first anniversary beer, so I don't know if that means it's a one time brew or not. Made with sour cherries.
Had a couple tasters at their first anniversary party today.
Pours a dark hazy brown with moderate head.. Malty caramel aromas. Reminds me of a quad, but with a little more sharpness on the tongue. Possibly from the sour cherry. Didn't pick up much cherry flavor though.
All in all, this is a pretty good brew. I have a growler of it that I look forward to breaking into tomorrow.
Oct 16, 2011Had a couple tasters at their first anniversary party today.
Pours a dark hazy brown with moderate head.. Malty caramel aromas. Reminds me of a quad, but with a little more sharpness on the tongue. Possibly from the sour cherry. Didn't pick up much cherry flavor though.
All in all, this is a pretty good brew. I have a growler of it that I look forward to breaking into tomorrow.
Martial Law from Iron Fist Brewing Company
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
13 ratings
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