Rush Xanabrew
Henderson Brewing Company

 

Poured from a bottle into a snifter
Appearance – The beer pours a very lightly hazed yellow-amber color with a tiny head of fizzy foam. The head fades quite quickly leaving a touch of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma is quite heavy of a grape skin smell mixed with some aromas of doughy malt and some biscuit. Along with these smells comes notes of yeast and some coriander, along with a touch of clove and some mustiness.
Taste – The taste begins with a dry white wine, grape taste mixed with a moderate amount of cracker and biscuit malt. At the same time there is a touch of tartness of green apple and a little bit of lemon, along with some notes of yeast and clove. Some light apricot and pear are present upfront, both of which fade as the taste moves forward. A little bit of grass and hay develop as the taste advances, and with a bit of light peach and a touch of booziness, one is left with a rather white wine like taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body is light and crisp with a moderate and fine carbonated feel. For the wine like nature the feel is quite well done and makes for a nice crisp sipper.
Overall – Very wine like in nature. A crisp, drier, and clean tasting brew.

Pours a lightly hazy, medium golden amber with a fine, four finger white head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of grainy malt, lemon, melon, faint light stone fruit; faint tartness. Flavor is grainy malt, apple, pear, wispy light stone fruit, developing a moderate wild yeast character with a mineral note. Finishes with some brett-like character; dry. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. This reminds more of one of the Belgian pale ales using both bretty bugs and Belgian yeast than a tripel, but its definitely Belgian inspired. The initial flavor is interesting and to style, but the malt flavor depth drops off into a somewhat stark, dry finish. Somewhat tarter and lighter bodied than my taste. My experience with popular music associated beers has not been stellar. In particular,I've always been somewhat amused by beer named for heavy metal bands that end up being pedestrian light lagers and other harmless styles. I have to admire that this one is a more sophisticated style and fairly well brewed. Interesting, but won't knock the classic Belgians nor Unibroue's ale off my list.

 

A - Hazy light gold with dense, soapy white lacing.

S - Seeds of paradise, light sweet malt, pear, delicate spice.

T - Spice, pear, delicate citrus, and ends balanced with a slight bit of spicy pear twang.

M - Medium body with light carbonation.

O - Nice lingering pear spice on the the palate.

 

Poured from 16.9oz bottle into Chimay goblet.

L - Pale hazy gold pour with a fine off-white foamy head.

S - Powdery acidic citrusy smell with pungent brett notes.

T - Citrus forward, slight graininess after. More tangerine than orange.

F - Fine carbonation, but not overly stinging. Smooth, with no noticeable alcohol heat.

A well made tripel, very refreshing.

So, "what the heck" i said to me-self... poured a chilled but fresh-off-the truck vessel into sampler snifter... ow, very pale and cloudy, akin to a grapefruit juice... a frothy capper formed but then quietened down to a thin but persistent ring of rim-bubbles and a light misty film on the surface... leaves behind some attractive lacing as well... nose brought in those yeasty ester-y whiffs that one might expect from the style, as well as nuances from the other adjuncts... now to the deep cuts (which i much prefer from "the franchise" anyway - having had, upon one particular beer shoppe browsing occasion, a 'Tom Sawyer' munchkin singing much too loudly through the speaker system into my ear, thus breaking my concentration from what i was there to look for) - taste is definitely yeasty and tangy, mildly fruity-sweet but with a bitter backbone/backbeat that doesn't drop a single note... swallows semi-dry and leaves a nice lingering bitter tang on the tongue for a good while... the fabled "honeydew" making itself more prominent as this drinker acclimates to its composition. have at it, Kublai Khan. (and for those keeping complete score, finishing with a quite nice hearty belch to fully savor the flavor)

Not bad, not bad. and of course, here's a raise of the glass to "the Professor!"

500ml bottle served cold into a chalice. LCBO purchase for $12.95 cdn. 2,600th review.

Appearance- Hazy honey brown colour with no head or lacing. Loads of bubbles.

Smell- Yeasty bready notes with powdered sugar. Aromatic and inviting. Light fruitiness maybe peaches and almost certainly plums.

Taste- Fruity flavours strong bready backbone. Plum is most prominent. Booze well hidden.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied and fizzy lacking some of the richness of other Belgians. Heat in the back of the throat

Overall- Very good beer. Wish it had a little more texture.