Saturday, November 30, 2013

Belgian Pale Ale Project – Mad River Brewing Company’s Mad Belgian (#21)

12 ounce bottle decanted into an oversized snifter.  6.6% ABV. 

Appearance:  Muddy bronze with a thin beige head.  There is a significant load of chunks slowly falling to the bottom of the glass (2.25/5).

Aroma:  Toasted malt and baked apples.  Oxidation.  More oxidation as the beer warms up (2.5/5).

Taste:  Oxidized here too.  This beer was obviously stored in suboptimal conditions.  There is no indication on the label how old it is, so I guess I’m left guessing.  Behind the oxidation there is a sweet, malty base, a touch of cider, and a hint of orange pith.  There is a very mild bitterness too, but I’m not sure it comes from hops.  It almost tastes like a byproduct of the yeast (or even the yeast itself) (2.75/5).

Mouthfeel:  Medium body, medium carbonation (3.5/5).

Overall:  I guess there was a decent beer in here before time sucked away its soul, but sadly that day was well before this one.  I’m not sure if I would actively seek out a replacement, but I might pick up a pint if I saw it on draft somewhere (2.75/5).

-Matt

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