Reviewing Gratitude from East End Brewing Company out of Pennsylvania.Score: 86
Blue wax (2009) vintage bottle served in a snifter and enjoyed on 08/13/12.
Appearance: Pours a murky dark brown, slightly orange color. The center is mostly brown and the outer edges are an orange caramel color. I cannot see through the beer, but I can see the shadow of my hand on the other side of the glass. There is a thin layer tan of head off the pour. Below average, oily lacing with decent retention. Nothing pretty, but nothing ugly. 3.5/5
Smell: Fruity caramel, oak, vanilla, raisin bread, and sweet malt. No booziness whatsoever. Very nice. 4/5
Taste: The taste is almost entirely dominated by a fruity malt flavor with a sweet caramel backbone. Super malty with a little bit of vanilla on the midpalate that disappears by the finish. There is a little brown sugar flavor too. The maltiness is kind of "musty," and the fruitiness is very prominent throughout. 3.5/5
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, low carbonation. Olive oil-like mouthfeel and very malty. 3.5/5
Overall: I remember this being better when I drank an indigo wax (2010) version at Dark Lord Day this year, so maybe, being an American barleywine, the 2009 blue wax vintage is
at an awkward phase in its life where hops are entirely gone but the beer's barleywine qualities have not yet matured into their complexities. From my experiences with Behemoth, I am guessing this beer is better fresh (or, more accurately, that I would enjoy it better fresh). The 2009 version I drank was not worth $25.
Recommendation: Hop heads should seek out younger vintages, while barleywine nuts should seek out older ones or keep aging their blue wax 2009 vintage bottles.
Pairings: Raisin bread.
Cost: $25 for a 750 ml bottle.
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