Blindman Brewing / Troubled Monk Brewery Peculier Fellows Old Ale – Burbank Series No. 1 Old Ale at 5.7% ABV | 28 IBU (C$3.87 at Willow Park Wine & Spirits, 473 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 11-Oct-2016, reviewed 11-Oct-2016)
Appearance: clear amber-brown with one fat finger of fluffy beige head diminishing gradually to a persistent cap, patchy lacing. (3/5) Aroma: toasted bread, dark fruits, light nutty and coffee. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Medium-light body tending to watery, moderate carbonation, off-dry lingering mild bitter finish. (3/5)
No, it’s not an ale for peculiar old fellows, stop that. I figured, what the hell, there’s snow on the ground here in Cowtown, so why not carry on with darker ales? That being said, this certainly isn’t very dark, nor is it heavy at all, especially in the finish where it drops off rapidly to thin and watery. It’s not unpleasant, but it’s not as good as I had hoped for from a collaboration of two solid local brewers. In fact, I’ve had Brown Ales from both brewers, and, to my dismay, this isn’t as good as either. (And yes, I know an Old isn’t a Brown, but there are certain similarities.) My particular dismay stems from the fact that they both chose to hop up their Browns, but this collab Old isn’t hoppy at all: it’s dominated by malt, with some almost vinous dark fruit, but very little hop character beyond a thin, almost astringent bitter finish. Easy-drinking and fairly inoffensive, but nothing exciting. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
