Simple Means
Jester King Brewery

 

 

Poured a dark dark brown color with a heavy beige head. The aromas were of smoked malt, kinda like a backyard BBQ. Intermingled is a heavy dankness, almost like weed, very earthy. The taste was spot on smoked malts, essence is BBQ. But then there is a slight fruity tartness - maybe cherry? Not aggressive, it’s just there; I did not expect it though. Overall sweet and malty. Mouthfeel is medium body, perfect carbonation. Overall I enjoyed it. However I did not expect the tartness. Had it been it a bottle at home, I would have thought infection. But it was on draft at there brewery.

Drank with friends on my basement for no other reason.

Batch #2, 1.06.2016.
Drank in 23/02/2019.

Poured into a wine glass.

A: Body is coppery. Head is white and 5mm thick.
S: Aroma is slightly smokey with 3 years old. Aroma is mostly of cereals, yeast and just a slight tone of smokiness and hoppiness.
T: Taste starts with a malty tone, moving on to a smoky tone and then finishing off in a mild to low old school hoppy tone.
M: Body is medium. Carbonation is good. Alcohol is unnoticed. Bitterness is low.
O: Another great beer from Jester King. I want to marry these guys.

 

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass.

Sudsy khaki thick shampoo like head, billowing to three us fingers, and settling to clumpy island puck and lacing. Body color is a very dark but clear almost licorice black/brown.

Nice light smoke aroma, more akin to a campfire with embers. Real nice light touch of berries sort of raspberry like in quality. A nice mix of soft acid and malt, touch of caramel sweetness. Kind of a fascinating combination.

Bit of an interesting but off kilter palate. Wet bodied slightly with touches of ashy smoke on first sip. Large cherry to raspberry like component on the palate mixing with a real rocky steely and mineral flavor. Fruity component dominates after awhile.

Interesting combination, but sort of jarring, doesn't seem to fit in the middle between alt, smoke, and wild.

 

 

Poured into a snifter. Cola-brown on the pour. First clear, then a muddy copper as the bottle dregs escaped. The beer was dark brown in the glass with a large and frothy tan head that lazily receded. The aroma was somewhat muted but it presented a nice smoky mesquite note. Deep inspection revealed faint grassy and floral notes. The taste was different and interesting. Opening flavors were slightly tart with fruity notes, yielding quickly to a smooth and gentle maltiness with a building smokiness that peaked on the finish. The finish was a great combination of crisp tart fruit and lingering Mesquite. Medium bodied with a lively but fine carbonation from the bottle conditioning. Interesting and enjoyable.

 

POUR: Bomber bottle into a tulip glass. APPEARANCE: Deep copper in color. Huge smooth off color head which retains its volume. Moderate glass lacing. Very hazy brew. AROMA: Nice aroma, smoked Gouda? Malty. Subtle sour and funk. TASTE: Very nice balance. Smokey but not overpowering. Plays well with the sour and funkiness, which is in equal part but not overpowering. AFTERTASTE: Finishes very clean and dry. Not much on the back end. Taste recedes with short linger. NOTES: Nice balance and a good looker. Flavors play well here. Wish there was more of a linger on the back end. REVIEW/ RATING: Good/ 3 out of 5.

 

 

 

 

Pours a dark honey-amber color, mostly clear, with good effervescence and a massive off-white head. It lasts a good while with thick rings of lacing.

Nice smokey aroma. Wood. Lightly sweet malts.

Smokey and sour flavor. Hint of cider-like fruitiness: whether apple, cherry or pear is debatable. Slight creaminess.

Medium bodied with modest carbonation.

Honestly, this much smoke in an altbier just isn't my thing. Batch 3. 12/6/16 bottling date.

 

Taste courtesy of Mike - thanks, bruv!

B (3.65) / GOOD

Chill haze dark copper to polished brown with a very large khaki foam that settles like a root beer float and leaves tons of porous rock lace.

Smell is smoky hamhock, soft light wood, caramel, brown toast and cola.

Taste is brown toast and smoky malt, but less potent than the impression the smell gives off, with some toffee, cola, sassafras and nuts. A hint of ham and smoked lemon come in, and at its warmest, plum-apple spice cake fills out the background.

Body is light and crisp with a semi-dry finish.

Batch #3 2016 vintage

 

 

 

Pours a very hazed amber/brpwn with 3+ fingers of sand colored head. Stays hazy, great head retention & lacing

S: Smokeyness & sourness once warm

T: Slight sourness, smokeyness & dryness& a little grassyness up front. Sourness, red grapeskins, pears & leafy hops & dryness as this warms, along with more smokeyness. Finishes sour, smokey with a slight brown sugar sweetness & woody dryness

MF: Medium body, subdued carbonation

This is okay, but doesn't really make me I'm really missing out by not getting their beers on a regular basis. This is a mashup of style that misses many marks, a little disjointed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Batch #2, 1/2016

 

 

 

lots of different smoked beers from these guys, but this one might be my favorite. its crazy stuff, a smoked wild alt, nobody is doing anything like this at all. somewhere between amber and light brown, with great clarity for a wild beer and a very active champagne head on it. the nose is amazing, not too much smoke like some of the others, tons of balance from the sweeter red malts in here, and just a nice autumnal woodsy dried leafy smoke to it, funky as can be too. tons of brett to this in the taste, all the way through, drying it out real well for an alt in the end, but flavoring it with notes of white wine and pear or something as well. nice over the richer german type malts, i love the base beer, smoke and sweet together, nutty and rustic, tree bark and wet soil, this is all brand new to my palate and i love it, especially with all the bubbles, it ends up drinking really light and i have no problem polishing off the large bottle by myself. fantastic use of the smoke here, it seems to have more purpose than it sometimes does, works wonders on the very german beer underneath it. these guys are just so inventive, i love how original it all is. this is one of their best in awhile for me too, i loved it. not too much smoke to turn off the haters of rauchbier and the like, its subtle but distinct in this one. killer beer on the whole, more please!