Lost Rhino Brewing Rhinoel
After enjoying Lost Rhino’s RhinO’fest a little while back I’ve since made sure to keep my an eye open for any of the company’s other products. As luck would have it, I happened across a bottle of their winter seasonal, Rhinoel — a 7.5% ABV Belgian Dubbel.
The great thing about this beer, besides it being a pretty tasty brew, is that is uses the same yeast that Port City employed in their own limited release, Tidings. While both beers may have the same yeast strain course through its beery veins, the two are completely different in every aspect.
Appearance
Pouring a clean copper in color with a quickly fading, off-white head. The beer has nice clarity for the style.
Aroma
Belgian yeast, candi sugar, caramel and dark fruits come together nicely with an earthy character.
Taste
The first thing I noticed after the first sip is that this Dubbel isn’t as sweet on the lips as many I’ve had recently. It’s also got an interesting nutty character that appears at the onset of each sip, but fades quickly to a sweeter malt finish. There’s a decent bit of lingering warmth from the higher alcohol content. This is a smooth drinking, tasty brew.
Overall
It’s always interesting to see what two companies like Port City and Lost Rhino will do with the same yeast strain. While both were tasty, I think I prefer this usage of the yeast from Lost Rhino. The beer is warming and has a surprising, yet welcome nutty character. And now that I’m working but a short 10 minutes from the brewery, I do believe a few visits on the commute home are in order.
Rating:3.5/5