Wednesday 5 July 2006

Review: Brewer Patriot Collection - James Madison Dark Wheat Ale

Brewer Patriot Collectio - James Madison Dark Wheat Ale from Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)
Rating: B

What better time than the Fourth of July to review this third beer in the Brewer Patriot collection?

Appearance: Moderate-sized, off-white head over a dark caramel body that's hazy to the point of being opaque. Not the most appealing-looking beer of the collection. Some nice lacing down the side of my glass.
Aroma: Interesting aromas here. It has the fruity yeast characteristics that you associate with a wheat beer, but there's an added dimension underneath. The label suggests "cocoa and toffee" - I think I could buy that.

Taste: Flavor is lighter than I'd anticipated/hoped. I'm trying to pick out the rye and the smoke, but not succeeding. A little alcohol present at the tail end. Cocoa shows up when you swallow. A little acidic. I think the cocoa flavor contributes most to making this beer not boring, but I was really expecting more from the rye and the smoked malts.

Mouthfeel: Much lighter than I was expecting from the beer's appearance alone. Carbonation seems just right. Finishes clean.

Drinkability: This is my favorite of the collection so far (only the root beer left to go, and since I dislike licorice, I don't have high expectations for that one). The clean finish helps drinkability, but I wish they'd thrown in a little more of the ingredients they talk about so much on the label to make it a bit more interesting - I'd gladly buy it.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 07-05-2006 02:31:07

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