Thomas Jefferson Ale
Taps Fish House & Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Mohawk Bend

A - dark brown or amber with a very thin, short-lived off-white head

S - not a particularly strong smell to this beer, practically had to stick my nose in it to get much. When i finally caught a good whiff i got primarily fruits of the darker variety.

T - considerably bigger than it smells. primarily tastes of dark fruits, maybe raisins. also a lot of sweetness, perhaps a little too much. There's definitely some bite from the high abv, which makes it a little harsh for my taste.

M - totally fine, not light but not too heavy.

O - I liked it, but it didn't thrill me. The flavor profile actually reminded me a little bit of a quad in an interesting way, but the sweetness and the alcohol made it tougher to enjoy. glad i tried it, though.

On-tap at Taps Brea

A: The beer pours a cloudy dark amber color with a thin off-white head on it.

S: Smells intensely of grapes, almost like grape soda. There is some toffee malt and molasses, but the fruit really overwhelms everything else. A bit of raisin and booze along with some earthy hops.

T: Sweet grape soda flavor and sugar with brown sugar and toffee, very much like the aroma. There is some caramel and light earthy notes and maybe some cola and raisin.

M: The body is medium with a medium carbonation.

O: The overwhelming "grapiness" of this beer was just strange. It was a bit too sweet for my liking as a result.

According ot the bartender, this is a receipe developed by Thomas Jefferson. Accordingly, this is an Independence Day release. On to the beer:

Poured into a cool looking pint glass, it's dark amber in color with some red and orange. The smell was tropical and syrupy, with a tag of toffee riding along. It's a strong beer, but it won't weight you down. Hop and subtle piney notes open up the flavor, but then changes to esters and caramel, with the latter increeasing in dominance as it warms, chased away by alcohol. Sweet in the aftertaste and rosy. This isn't the knock your socks off strong ale like Double Bastard, but that shouldn't be the standard.

After I left, I admit to feeling a little drained and overpowered by that beer. Hey, it was 90 degrees outside and i was there for it's happy hour. Might be better as a nightcap.

Appearance – This is a beautiful brown in color. It’s thick and hazy and grainy-looking. The head is rock solid brown and showed great retention.

Smell – This is a lovely nose of rich malts with some mild refined sugar and a crusty “dirty basement” kind of mustiness.

Taste – These malts are super-rich. They are full of flavors that remind me of caramel but without all the sugars. There’s even a white grape kind of American Barley Wine flavor here, although in modest quantities.

Mouthfeel – This is a big medium-bodied and wonderfully grainy in the mouth. It’s almost kind of rusty with some old school “sugar dirt” that settles on the teeth.

Drinkability – This crusty old school American ale was the pick of the Stone 10th Anniversary litter in my book.

Comments – This ale was supposedly produced by creating a recipe based on historical accounting records from Thomas Jefferson. Wherever this recipe came from it was one solid ASO.

This is a beer probably made by Thomas Jefferson. The grain bill was derived from a bill of lading. Released around the 4th of July, patriotic like the name.

A - a very deep and rich red mohogay. When held to the light you think you're looking thru a stained glass window. Had a short lived oatmeal colored head.
S - A solid wall of malt and faint molasses hit your nose with a fruit bread type sweetness.
T - A finely balanced ale. Enough hops to balance the malt but that's it for the hops. A malt sweetness graces your tongue with a prevalent amaretto type taste on the finish. Complex and nicely done.
M&Dr - A medium heavy body with a dry finish. Another sipping beer i'd have to say. So drink one for our Founding Fathers.