MacDonald
Ronan Cooperative Brewery

Canned on:
Many thx to muchloveforhops3 for this can.

A - Deep garnet amber colored pour with thin toffee colored lacing, and tight, vibrant carbonation.

S - Toasty caramel malt. bread crust, and peat.

T - Toasty caramel malt, bread crust, a slight bit of peat, and ends with a subtle bitterness and a small amount of delicate dark fruit on the back side.

M - Medium body with prickly carbonation.

O - Very drinkable.

Pours a very effervescent cola color with 2 fingers+ of fast-falling tan head. Stays effervescent throughout the pour, minimal head retention & lacing, fairly viscous

S: Toastyness, molasses, Brown Sugar, some peat scent once warm, coffee late

T: Follows the nose, some peaty notes, a touch of smoke & dryness up front. Dryness, peattyness, brown sugar & a little toastyness once warm, some woody hops & toasty notes as well, some coffee too. Finishes a little dry with some roastyness/coffee & just a little toffee with smokey peat on the side & some leafy hop notes

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation. Carbonation smooths out a little once warmed up

Strays off style, but very drinkable

Sampling a 16 oz can at cellar temp and poured into my snifter. Beer was canned on 2/13, just about a month ago.
The beer pours a rich mahogany color with some ruby highlights when held up to the light source. A creamy beige head of almost 3 cm foams up. This foam fades slowly to a sturdy surface covering that sticks around for most of the sampling. Some pretty tight lattice on the glass when I swirl or take a sip.
The aroma on this beer is driven by biscuit or scone type notes, not as much caramel or toffee as I anticipated. Some bready yeast is mixed in as well. Not really any hop character that I can detect on the nose. Not boozy either.
First sip reveals a medium body with very fine, tingly carbonation. Pretty full texture , but also smooth, so easy drinking.
Flavor is more malty with some caramel and some dark bread notes but still not as sweet as I thought it would be. The bready and biscuity notes come through here too. Still not much in hop character. This is an easy drinker with interesting flavor profile. Never any hint of the ABV on this brew. Glad to have tried it and enjoyed drinking it, even though it wasnt quite what I expected when I opened the can.

Enjoyed on tap at the source; poured in a 12oz Ronan Co-op Belgian style tulip; this batch was listed as 8% abv

P deep mahog w/ a 1-2f creamy light tan head; looks great
N medium nose of spice and yeast over neutral bready malt at first; ripe dark fruit notes come out as it warms
T sweet toffee and spice, dotted with dark fruits and a light nuttiness, finishes w a leather note; complex and well-balanced profile; the 8% abv is virtually undetectable
Mf med to med-full bodied w/ a med carb level; finishes dry; suites the profile well
O a really nicely done wee heavy; complex, yet very drinkable

Review date: 12.23.23