Zombie Repellant Ale
Category 12 Brewing

 

 

 

 

Appearance: As it pours it almost looks like a stream of thin fresh tapped maple syrup, and even in the glass, it’s golden brown/red still looks like maple syrup. With an extra thick posturpedic foam mattress (in colour and texture) laying all frothy and limp-like on the surface, just waiting to sink slowly into itself. Spackles of lacing that look like little skulls forming walls about the glass like the catacombs in Paris.

Aromatics: I get apples and oranges to start, nice herbal essences (the aesthetic not the shampoo) and some gentle floral and green grass all floating on top of a subtle caramel malt sweetness that carries the touch of liquorice and spice with it. Fairly simple overall, but really nicely presented.

Taste: Earthy orange peel with some yeasty and malty sweetness which great at beating of the bitters in the hops. Like a good zombie flick, they are just a step ahead of getting overrun, and every once in a while one of those hoppy bastards sneaks through and takes a chunk for him/herself. There is a little bit of a peppery spice, but nothing that sets the tongue on alert, and the bitterness likes to wander into coffee town here and there.

Feel: A medium body with some juicy context and some active carbonation that let the bitters run amok and once they catch on and claw at the palate, they start scaring everyone else away. And once the finish is left dry - the bitters just meander about aimlessly in the middle of tongue for a while, just waiting for another wash of sweet victims to come through.

Overall: A really great ale I think. Has a nice hoppy bitter for the hop heads, and some gentle and caring sweetness for those who like their bitters tempered. I think it is a pretty good balance, and of course I dig the theme. ;)

Pairing : Brain Pudding - ok, not real brains - I’m thinking of a blueberry and peach pie, which if I recall from the establishment I had it at - looked like purple brains with a nice flakey crust that ironically enough could resemble fractured skull pieces.

Category 12 Brewing 'ZRA' @ 6.9% , served from a 650 ml bottle purchased for $6.30
A-pour is amber from the bottle to a clear copper in the glass with a medium size beige head leaving a large spotty lace along the chalice
S-hints of licorice when taking the first sip
T-spicey Belgian red ale , big beer taste , warms the body
MF-ok carbonation , full bodied
Ov-ok change from pumpkin beers
prost LampertLand

Pours deep copper with red highlights which moderate head and great retention and lacing. Aroma is spicy and earthy hops with a touch of caramel malt and some light citrus fruit aroma as the beer warms. Taste is woody and hoppy throughout with a lingering bitterness but there is also a solid caramel malt backbone that balances the hops nicely. There is a tiny bit of a lemon/lime tanginess once the beer warms up a bit. Good moderate mouthfeel with moderately high carbonation. Overall, this drinks more like a red IPA to me than a Belgian Dark Ale but I like it and would certainly have another.

 

Poured from a 650ml bottle, 6.9 ABV , 49 IBU
A: Pours a beautiful clear dark copper with a thin white head and nice sticky lacing.
S: A strong sweet malty spicy nose .
T: Caramel and coffee somewhat sweet with a bitter finish from the hops.
F: Nice smooth mouth feel with medium carbonation.
O: Somewhat sweet for me but a nice dark ale