Serenity Now!
Refined Fool Brewing Co.
- From:
- Refined Fool Brewing Co.
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
- ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- +9 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.76 | pDev: 0%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Oct 12, 2015
- Added:
- Oct 12, 2015
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.76/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.76/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750 mL bottle picked up fresh from the brewery; served slightly chilled. If they don't follow this up with an English or Scotch-style strong ale called "Insanity Later", I will be mildly disheartened.
Pours a hazy copper-amber hue, topped off with an inch of frothy, soapy off-white coloured head that proceeds to waste away before my very eyes. One minute later a thin, bubbly collar survives, but without any cap or lacing. Nutty, toasted malt and brown sugar characterize the aroma, along with minor notes of date, treacle and bread pudding. A little leafy/earthy, with a suggestion of cocoa in there, too.
Well-balanced, as advertised, with the malt left in control for the first half of the sip, and the hops allowed to take the reins toward the finish. Things start out relatively sweet, with brown sugar overlapping some bready, doughy, somewhat biscuity malts and a toasted-nut toffee flavour. Hints of dark fruit come through mid-sip, followed up with some earthy, tea-leafy hop bitterness that lingers on into the bittersweet aftertaste. Tastes fine, but the mouthfeel is a little watery for me - decidedly light-bodied, too, with restrained carbonation levels that result in a pretty smooth, but flattish texture to this bitter. I've been ragging on this beer a little, but to be honest it's not at all offensive, and in fact very easy to quaff.
Serenity Now! is an acceptable example of the style, but it still lags behind most of the well-known, accessible imported equivalents. Don't get me wrong - as an English-style ale enthusiast, I feel that this one could probably get the job done - but it's not something that I'd think of as a go-to.
[Updated Nov 23 2017]
A bomber this time; dated Nov 21 2017. This shows real improvement over what I remember from the last batch - for one thing, there's a big, fat, foamy layer of beige head that sticks around for a good long time. It's also medium in body, with light carbonation and a smooth, satisfying texture. The flavours and aroma are along the same lines as before, although the leafy hop presence seems a little more buff; if you enjoy brews like Hobgoblin or Wells Bombardier then this one will be right up your alley. I feel compelled to boost this one's grade significantly, from a B- to a B+.
Final Grade: 3.76, B+
Oct 12, 2015Pours a hazy copper-amber hue, topped off with an inch of frothy, soapy off-white coloured head that proceeds to waste away before my very eyes. One minute later a thin, bubbly collar survives, but without any cap or lacing. Nutty, toasted malt and brown sugar characterize the aroma, along with minor notes of date, treacle and bread pudding. A little leafy/earthy, with a suggestion of cocoa in there, too.
Well-balanced, as advertised, with the malt left in control for the first half of the sip, and the hops allowed to take the reins toward the finish. Things start out relatively sweet, with brown sugar overlapping some bready, doughy, somewhat biscuity malts and a toasted-nut toffee flavour. Hints of dark fruit come through mid-sip, followed up with some earthy, tea-leafy hop bitterness that lingers on into the bittersweet aftertaste. Tastes fine, but the mouthfeel is a little watery for me - decidedly light-bodied, too, with restrained carbonation levels that result in a pretty smooth, but flattish texture to this bitter. I've been ragging on this beer a little, but to be honest it's not at all offensive, and in fact very easy to quaff.
Serenity Now! is an acceptable example of the style, but it still lags behind most of the well-known, accessible imported equivalents. Don't get me wrong - as an English-style ale enthusiast, I feel that this one could probably get the job done - but it's not something that I'd think of as a go-to.
[Updated Nov 23 2017]
A bomber this time; dated Nov 21 2017. This shows real improvement over what I remember from the last batch - for one thing, there's a big, fat, foamy layer of beige head that sticks around for a good long time. It's also medium in body, with light carbonation and a smooth, satisfying texture. The flavours and aroma are along the same lines as before, although the leafy hop presence seems a little more buff; if you enjoy brews like Hobgoblin or Wells Bombardier then this one will be right up your alley. I feel compelled to boost this one's grade significantly, from a B- to a B+.
Final Grade: 3.76, B+
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