Grand Crew
Heavy Seas Beer

 

In reefer at Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. $ 13.00 (Including tax)/4-pack 12 oz bottles ($ 0.271/oz). Purchased 3/31/20. Reviewed 4/3/20.
Stamped 17328 on rear label which may translate to Nov 24, 2017 as a bottled-on date. On room temperature shelf at distributor. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 50 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Pale to medium amber (SRM 9 - 12), slight haze.
Body – Deep amber (SRM 15), murky and opaque. When held to direct light, translucent with some effervescence.
Head – Small (Maximum 1.5 cm, aggressive center pour), light tan, medium density, average retention, fizzy, diminishing to a 1.5 mm crown fed by effervescence and a thin wispy partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3 – Extremely faint
Flavor – 3 – Incredibly weak wine barrel vinousness, slightly sweet, no malt, no hops, no yeast. No alcohol (8.5 % ABV as marked on the label) taste or aroma. However, a brief alcohol warming is noted. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 – Medium, slightly syrupy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3. If my interpretation of the date code is correct, this certainly didn’t hold up well. The syrupiness of the palate combined with the weak vinous character suggest a dark fruit presence that is lacking. The better examples of this style (Goulden Carolus Cuvee, Gulden Draak) all have a pronounced flavor that ages well. The price should have been lowered. Label is unremarkable.

 

 

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 11/24/2017. Pours fairly crystal clear deep orange/amber/light copper color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingering. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, red grape/wine, peppercorn, clove, toasted oak,caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of banana, bubblegum, nuttiness, toffee, roast, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Very slight wine booze in the aromas as it warms. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, dark/bready malts, and light-moderate red wine barrel notes; with solid strength. Taste of big raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, red grape/wine, peppercorn, clove, toasted oak,caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, and toasted biscuit; with light notes of banana, bubblegum, nuttiness, toffee, roast, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, grassy bitterness; and peppery yeast/oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark fruit, cherry, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, red grape/wine, peppercorn, clove, toasted oak,caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, toffee, herbal, floral, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, dark/bready malts, and light-moderate red wine barrel flavors; with a great malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitter/spiciness. Medium-plus carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and fairly sticky/tangy/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 8.5%. Overall this is a delicious barrel aged Belgian strong dark ale. All around nice fruity/spicy yeast, candi sugar, dark/bready malts, and light-moderate red wine barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the ABV, with the mellowly bitter/spicy/drying finish. Great balance of well rounded Belgian yeast complexity, sugars, and malts; with nice solid wine barrel presence/integration. Not a ton of barrel, but adequate. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dark copper color is enticing, but the head isn't as vibrantly tall as other Belgian darks...or ambers, in this case (this is where barrel aging is detrimental...) Aromatically, significant candied sugar is brought to bear, as are lighter amounts of apple, cherry, caramel, black pepper, and (dare I say) stale orange. The latter ends up slightly detracting from an otherwise decent nose. I don't notice red wine barrels that much until it opens up - as I've expected from Heavy Seas' BA offerings. As this hits the tastebuds, black pepper and candied sugar are first noted. Some of the darker caramel/crystal malts provides some caramel, biscuit, and toffee qualities near the middle. Though it finishes with a subtle touch of red wine barrels, it also finishes musty - a problem endemic with lesser Belgian-style ales. As this warms up, that unwanted feature goes away. Still, it never comes together to become anything more than an average Belgian amber. At least it features an easy drinking nature I expect from this kind of beer. Oak tannins help counteract the sweetness from the malt backbone. Carbonation is low for the style. Eh...it's alright. It doesn't really wow the palate, but it's easygoing. I doubt I'll buy this again, though.

3.09/5: The crew is starting to fall behind a bit

 

 

 

 

12oz bottle poured into a tulip. Pours a glowing hazy amber; creamy light khaki head that slowly falls leaving great thick retention and sticky lacing. The aromas are subtle and malt forward. Some caramel. It's slightly floral. Some cherries. Mild spice notes. Subtle wine notes. Some yeasts. The flavors basically follow the nose for the most part. Some banana and cherry in the mix. Mild spiciness. Yeasts and malts do their thing. The red wine barrels are there, but doesn't dominate. It's not that sweet. Alcohol is well hidden. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side of full-bodied with moderate to active carbonation. It's very fluffy, smooth and dangerously drinkable.

This is a solid brew. Everything is balanced. It might not be anything too crazy for a barrel-aged beer, but it's nice and enjoyable. Once again, balance is the key with this one.