Retired Bastard Ale
Squam Brewing

 

Pours a three finger khaki head that fades slowly leaving a good lace. Cloudy brown color. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Light malty nose, flavor is malty with some caramel, hints of bitterness at finish. $9.25 for a 22oz bottle from Bert's Better Beers Hooksett, NH.

22oz bottle.

Pours dark mahogany with chestnut edging and a quarter inch of beige head. Retention is short-lived, with a placid surface appearing quickly after the pour and zero lacing througout the glass.

Aromatics lead off with chocolate, nougat, hazelnuts, and butterscotch. Plump malt with some brown sugar run underneath.

Medium bodied with a bit of tacky chewiness. Low carbonation gives the beer a bit of a syrupy mouthfeel.

Sweet malt, cocoa, chipped toffee, and caramel start the palate. Butterscotch and a mild bitterness follow through.

Finishes with sweet malt and butterscotch.

Tasty enough beer, it comes off as a big, nutty brown ale out of Maine. That being said, the buttery notes are a turn off for me.

Sampled on March 19, 2011. This special edition bottle fermented ale pours a cloudy deep amber with about a half-inch of soapy head that diminishes quickly. The aroma is mainly of malts, sugars, and pine with a hint of hops. The body is in the medium range and fairly delicate on the tongue. The taste tends to be more malt-oriented with a slight alcohol bite and something like melon. It has a quick finish. Drinkable for sure.