Nov 19, 2007

Black Sheep Ale

I’ve been drinking nothing but stouts and porters the past week or so, and while I’m in hog heaven over them all, I had to mix up the variety just a bit to bring me back down to reality. A quick trip to the store this past weekend to grab some lighter fare for the wife afforded me the opportunity to grab a few for myself as well.

Of the few beers that I didn’t put in to storage (see you next year guys), the first I sampled was a Black Sheep Ale. I think what drew me initially to this brew was the style of bottle it’s packaged in. It’s got a unique old world feel to it. Let’s see if the taste matches its appearance.

Beer Label: Black Sheep Ale

Appearance

The Black Sheep pours a lovely amber in color with a small amount of head that faded to a long lasting lacing around the glass.

Aroma

This one has a subtle nose to it. There’s a nice flow of malt across the nose with a slight hop scent as well. The aroma is rather subdued, but inviting nonetheless.

Taste

Much like the aroma this one has several subtleties to it that make it quick enjoyable. The malt takes the forefront as subtle fruits (lemon and pear perhaps) dance in the background. A nice, bitter hoppiness finishes the package up wonderfully.

Overall

While this brew isn’t over the top in any direction in terms of flavors, its well balanced profile and lower ABV (4.4%) make this one hell of a session beer. It’s smoothness and nice hop bitterness in the finish really stand out on just about every swallow. I will definitely be picking up more of this one.

Rating: 3.5/5

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