Either Side Of The Hill
Golden Road Brewing
- From:
- Golden Road Brewing
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.57 | pDev: 12.89%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 6
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Aug 04, 2014
- Added:
- Jan 19, 2012
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
84
Good
84
Good
No description / notes.
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Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Texas
2.48/5 rDev -30.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
2.48/5 rDev -30.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25
Served on-draught at Golden Road months ago. 8.5% ABV according to their beer board. Identified as an American Strong Ale on their beer board, so I'm reviewing as such. 18.3 OG. 3.0 FG. Reviewed from notes. Expectations were average given the brewery.
A: Pours a one finger wide head of nice white-khaki colour. Nice thickness. Decent creaminess. Okay frothiness. Retention is above average for the ABV - about 3 minutes. Even consistent lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
Body colour is an understated somewhat dull red. Transparent and translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.
Standard fare for a strong ale overall.
Sm: Caramalt, amber malts. Muted timid fruit; too unevocative to identify, but it does have a light juiciness. Mdidling; not rich or fragrant. An aroma of average strength. Vague and indistinct. There's not much of appeal here, and it certainly doesn't seem alive or inviting.
T: A bit acrid, honestly. Amber, caramalt, and maybe munich malts fill out the body. Boy is this bland. Muted as all hell. No yeast character comes through. I do get some alcohol, but it's not a hot or boozy flavour profile overall. Neither complex nor subtle. I wouldn't call it balanced. Flavourless. Uninspired and boring. I'm not enjoying this one at all. How do they make a strong ale so bland?
Mf: Overcarbonated and biting; unpleasantly so. Somewhat gushed, with alcohol bleeding throughout. Smooth and wet. Doesn't complement the flavour profile to any extent. Not crisp. Tame and dull. Not creamy or pleasant. Unrefreshing.
Dr: Downable but so uninspired I can't believe it. I definitely wouldn't want another, nor would I recommend it to friends. Overpriced. Another dud from Golden Road. This one is best avoided. Doesn't even hide its ABV well.
High D+
Sep 30, 2013A: Pours a one finger wide head of nice white-khaki colour. Nice thickness. Decent creaminess. Okay frothiness. Retention is above average for the ABV - about 3 minutes. Even consistent lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head recedes.
Body colour is an understated somewhat dull red. Transparent and translucent. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.
Standard fare for a strong ale overall.
Sm: Caramalt, amber malts. Muted timid fruit; too unevocative to identify, but it does have a light juiciness. Mdidling; not rich or fragrant. An aroma of average strength. Vague and indistinct. There's not much of appeal here, and it certainly doesn't seem alive or inviting.
T: A bit acrid, honestly. Amber, caramalt, and maybe munich malts fill out the body. Boy is this bland. Muted as all hell. No yeast character comes through. I do get some alcohol, but it's not a hot or boozy flavour profile overall. Neither complex nor subtle. I wouldn't call it balanced. Flavourless. Uninspired and boring. I'm not enjoying this one at all. How do they make a strong ale so bland?
Mf: Overcarbonated and biting; unpleasantly so. Somewhat gushed, with alcohol bleeding throughout. Smooth and wet. Doesn't complement the flavour profile to any extent. Not crisp. Tame and dull. Not creamy or pleasant. Unrefreshing.
Dr: Downable but so uninspired I can't believe it. I definitely wouldn't want another, nor would I recommend it to friends. Overpriced. Another dud from Golden Road. This one is best avoided. Doesn't even hide its ABV well.
High D+
Reviewed by bfellows from California
3.89/5 rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.89/5 rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Its a beer with an identity crisis!
Is it a double IPA, An imperial amber, A wee Heavy, A barleywine - hell just call it a strong ale.
a - gorgeous amber with delicate long lasting white head and lacing.
s- hops, malts and er um throat lozenge
t- starts like an ipa, slides like a red and ends like a barleywine
m- see taste
o- fun and interesting beer, not an everyday kind of thing
May 10, 2012Is it a double IPA, An imperial amber, A wee Heavy, A barleywine - hell just call it a strong ale.
a - gorgeous amber with delicate long lasting white head and lacing.
s- hops, malts and er um throat lozenge
t- starts like an ipa, slides like a red and ends like a barleywine
m- see taste
o- fun and interesting beer, not an everyday kind of thing
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California
3.58/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.58/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Library Alehouse in Santa Monica, CA.
Pours a clear dark orange with a bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Chunky rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit and citrus zest. Taste is of malt, citrus zest, and herbal hops. There is a medium amount of bitterness with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp yet medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but nothing too exciting here.
Feb 20, 2012Pours a clear dark orange with a bone colored head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Chunky rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus fruit and citrus zest. Taste is of malt, citrus zest, and herbal hops. There is a medium amount of bitterness with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp yet medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but nothing too exciting here.
Reviewed by RexF from California
3.82/5 rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.82/5 rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This is a surprising beer. It smells very hoppy but has a very light flavor up front. It starts like a mellow amber ale but finishes strong with all kinds of flavors and boozy warmth.
I like this a lot, i'm just not sure when I would drink it. Not that I would refuse it if anyone was pouring it for me.
Jan 22, 2012I like this a lot, i'm just not sure when I would drink it. Not that I would refuse it if anyone was pouring it for me.
Reviewed by weazal from California
3.03/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.03/5 rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
SMELL: Mostly a tempered white pepper spiciness with a fruity, cherry note and sweet malty aroma.
TASTE: Good strong upfront flavor that's a combination of hoppy bitterness well balanced against a biscuity malt sweetness. Despite the richer flavor, it remained fairly light and quaffable with a lingering hoppy bitterness at the back of the palate.
It was fine and enjoyable enough as a slightly more interesting casual drinking beer.
Jan 21, 2012TASTE: Good strong upfront flavor that's a combination of hoppy bitterness well balanced against a biscuity malt sweetness. Despite the richer flavor, it remained fairly light and quaffable with a lingering hoppy bitterness at the back of the palate.
It was fine and enjoyable enough as a slightly more interesting casual drinking beer.
Reviewed by charlzm from California
3/5 rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Consumed January 15, 2012 at the brewery.
Beer is a cloudy caramel brown with a very fine off-white head a finger thick.
Aroma is a little smoky with a bite of spicy pepper.
Flavor has a spicy bite up front that carries over to the mid taste. Soft caramel malt up front and light bitterness on finish bracket the peppery midtaste. Did they add persimmons to this or something? Slightly sweet. Imagine a watered down Arrogant Bastard with virtually no hops and you get the idea.
Mouthfeel is unremarkable, save for a small amount of noticeable carbonation bite.
Drinkability is moderate, as this is more or less a one trick pony. If you don't care for that peppery character, you won't like this beer.
Jan 19, 2012Beer is a cloudy caramel brown with a very fine off-white head a finger thick.
Aroma is a little smoky with a bite of spicy pepper.
Flavor has a spicy bite up front that carries over to the mid taste. Soft caramel malt up front and light bitterness on finish bracket the peppery midtaste. Did they add persimmons to this or something? Slightly sweet. Imagine a watered down Arrogant Bastard with virtually no hops and you get the idea.
Mouthfeel is unremarkable, save for a small amount of noticeable carbonation bite.
Drinkability is moderate, as this is more or less a one trick pony. If you don't care for that peppery character, you won't like this beer.
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