Rosebud
Rubicon Brewing Company

Sep. 2016: 650 ml bottle, as Rubicon Rosebud Special Ale, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 7.5%. Beautiful reddish brown colour, moderate off-white head. Aroma of malts, caramel, brown bread, mild spices and herbal hops. Malty flavour (10 different types of malted barley are used in the grist), mid between sweet and dry, with caramel and some mild roasty notes, including hints of roasted nuts, Spicy and herbal German and Czech hops in the finish.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a medium red-orange amber with a two finger light tan head with good retention and lacing. Aroma of caramel and slightly toasted malt, light piney hops, nuts. Flavor is biscuit and mild toasted malt, hops with subdued herbal qualities appropriate for European hops, slightly nutty, some rye-like mild sourness and flavor. Finishes drier with a mildly astringent hop bitterness. Medium bodied. An interesting strong ale that is does not really fit the profile of an old ale and probably should be listed as an American strong ale. The bottle calls this "Rosebud Special Ale" so no indication they were going for the old ale maltiness. The malts are complex, covering mild caramel malt, lots of biscuit malt and a hint of toasted malt. Hops are subdued, but this is an older bottle, so they may be a bit tired. The brewer lists the brewing date on the bottle which is a great idea. The rye flavor and mild tartness are odd because there is no indication of rye being used in this. In a blind taste, I would have identified this as a rye beer and a nice one. Nice; malty and hoppy.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Beautiful finger and half of off-white head on a dark red colored body.
The aroma is nice but faint. Caramel and dry barley.
The taste heavy on the malt but not too sweet. There's a little hit of lemon bitter in the middle. It finishing long and dry.
The texture is thicker with low carbonation.
Very enjoyable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rich and flowery beer, like an IPA crossed with an Old Ale. Attractive reddish amber color in the tulip. Pleasant enough head and a mouthful of suds.

Warm malt flavors with a distinct tang. The hops are very assertive. Quite bitter aftertaste, though it also has that buttery Old Ale flavor. Resiny hop flavors along with some grapefruit peel, even a little of the old orange that's been in the fruit bin too long. Fairly light body with the spritziness lasting well. This even tastes like a really over the top amber, with the dank hops and dark toast barley flavor.

From the 22 oz bottle bought at Bine & Vine in San Diego.