Old Siberian
Cranker's Brewery

$ 8.58 (Including discount and tax)/bomber ($ 0.388/oz) at Oppermann’s, Saginaw, MI.
Stored at 42 degrees. Served at 54 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Upon opening, it foamed over – not a fountain but an irresistible creeping foam, sort of like a fourth of July black snake.
Aroma – sweet caramel malt.
Head – Large (Maximum five cm, controlled pour after foamy opening), tan, moderate density, average retention time, diminishing to a very stable dense three mm ring and a rocky layer.
Lacing – poor. A few small transient islands appear which then slide back to the ring.
Body – deep red amber, opaque except around the edges. There is a touch of chill haze.
Flavor – really not very much. The expected sweetness is muted and the caramel nose translates poorly to the flavor. There is a little tartness to content with as well. Hops and alcohol are not evident, nor is diacetyl.
Palate – medium, somewhat syrupy, soft carbonation.

A not unpleasant old ale, just not enough above average to seek it out.

Appearance 3.5, Aroma 4, Flavor 3, Palate 3, Overall 3.25.

 

 

I picked up a bottle of Cranker's Old Siberian at The Lager Mill. I haven't had the best track record with Cranker's, but I haven't had many high gravity beers from them and I thought I would give this one a try, so lets see how it goes. 2016 Vintage. Poured from a brown 22oz bottle into a teku.

A- The label looks nice, it goes well with the name and it's a little eye catching. It poured a brown color that took on more of a ruby and crimson color when held to the light with half a fingers worth of bubbly tan head that died down to a thin ring that eventually faded away and it left just a little bit of spotty lacing behind. This is a pretty nice looking beer, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma starts off with a higher amount of medium sweetness with some fruity yeast being the first to show up and it imparts some dark fruit and cherry aromas with no fruit sticking out the most and it goes into a sweet candied sugar like aroma which are followed by the malts caramel, caramel malt, slightly toasted, bready and doughy aromas. This beer has a pretty nice aroma, all the aspects work well together.

T- The taste seems to be similar to the aroma and it starts off with a medium amount of sweetness with the yeast still being the first to show and it imparts the same fruity aspects that it did in the aroma and it goes into this unique creamy taste with just a little bit of alcohol showing up. Up next comes the sweet malts which lead into all the malty aspects that I got in the aroma. On the finish there's a little bit of bitterness along with some more sweetness with the fruity yeast showing up in the aftertaste. This is a nice tasting beer, but I wish it had a little more complexity, it's a little one noted.

M- Not the smoothest, a little flat, medium bodied with a lower amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel isn't that great, it feels like it's a little flat.

Overall I thought this was a decent beer and I thought it was petty close to being an average example of the style, the aroma and appearance were going in the right direction, but when I got to the taste is started going a little downhill especially when I got to the mouthfeel and drinkability. This beer didn't have the best drinkability, half a glass is more than enough for me. What I like the most about this beer was the appearance and aroma, they are both pretty nice. What I like the least about this beer is the mouthfeel, and lack of complexity, plus the drinkability, those are the three things that really hold this beer back. I wouldn't buy this beer again and I can't say I would recommend it. All in all I wasn't to impressed with this one, it was going the right direction, but in the end it didn't come together the way it should have and the mouthfeel could use the most work out of all the aspects. It's not a favorite beer from Cranker's and it's average at best for the style. Better luck next time guys, this one could use a little work.

 

22 ounce bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours fairly crystal clear dark ruby red/brown color with a 1-2 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light chocolate, raisin, plum, fig, date, apple, herbal, wood, light pepper/leather, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light chocolate, raisin, plum, fig, date, apple, herbal, wood, light pepper/leather, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, light chocolate, raisin, plum, fig, date, apple, and herbal/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Damn nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth and moderately creamy/bready mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming lingering after the finish. Overall this is an excellent old ale! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV. A very enjoyable offering.