668 Neighbor Of The Beast - Oak-Aged
New England Brewing Co.
- From:
- New England Brewing Co.
- Connecticut, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Pale Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 9.5%
- Score:
- +8 ratings needed
- Avg:
- 3.84 | pDev: 8.85%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 1
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Nov 15, 2011
- Added:
- Jun 12, 2011
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 0
NO SCORE
-
-
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Reviewed by woosterbill from Kentucky
4.17/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.17/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
On cask at Prime 16; poured into a Chimay goblet for some reason - I guess there was a rush as soon as they tapped the cask and all the tulips were taken. Oh, well.
A: Hazy orange-gold body; 1" of creamy, persistent off-white head. Luscious.
S: Really bright, really spicy. Allspice, clove, cinnamon. A little malt and fruit creep in underneath, but this is all about the spice. Perhaps a glass with a better shape for swirling would allow me to find the subtler nuances of oak and vanilla that must be there, but as it is only the high aromatics of spice really jump out. I'm fine with that, as it smells amazing.
T: Spice opens things up, with allspice and clove leading the way. Vanilla oak and bready malt follow, with a lightly boozy finish closing everything out. As it warms, the strongly vanilla-laced oak really starts to assert dominance over everything else, and by the last few sips it's almost like chewing on some oak chips. This is fun, but it kind of takes away from the complexity of the base beer. I'd give the first sip a 4.5 and the last sip a 3.0.
M: Smooth, soft, full body with moderate carbonation. Lovely.
O: At first I was blown away by this one (as I fully expected to be, since I love the base beer and thought that some oak might help give it some greater complexity in terms of sweet flavors to balance the base's dry spiciness), but by the end of my 10 ounces it became clear that the oak was applied a bit too liberally. It was still hugely enjoyable, but I'm not convinced that the treatment did the Neighbor any favors. I can't wait to see how the Chardonnay barrel affects it, though.
Cheers!
Jun 12, 2011A: Hazy orange-gold body; 1" of creamy, persistent off-white head. Luscious.
S: Really bright, really spicy. Allspice, clove, cinnamon. A little malt and fruit creep in underneath, but this is all about the spice. Perhaps a glass with a better shape for swirling would allow me to find the subtler nuances of oak and vanilla that must be there, but as it is only the high aromatics of spice really jump out. I'm fine with that, as it smells amazing.
T: Spice opens things up, with allspice and clove leading the way. Vanilla oak and bready malt follow, with a lightly boozy finish closing everything out. As it warms, the strongly vanilla-laced oak really starts to assert dominance over everything else, and by the last few sips it's almost like chewing on some oak chips. This is fun, but it kind of takes away from the complexity of the base beer. I'd give the first sip a 4.5 and the last sip a 3.0.
M: Smooth, soft, full body with moderate carbonation. Lovely.
O: At first I was blown away by this one (as I fully expected to be, since I love the base beer and thought that some oak might help give it some greater complexity in terms of sweet flavors to balance the base's dry spiciness), but by the end of my 10 ounces it became clear that the oak was applied a bit too liberally. It was still hugely enjoyable, but I'm not convinced that the treatment did the Neighbor any favors. I can't wait to see how the Chardonnay barrel affects it, though.
Cheers!
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