Forge Brew Works Elder Gods Ale
The first beer from Forge Brew Works that I encountered — The Solstice — was a little confused. Elder Gods Ale, a 11% ABV old ale, is a bit more focused, but still has some identity issues.
While the brew is classified as an old ale, it has stoutish qualities that not only tantalize the tastebuds, but also confuse. The brain isn’t quite sure what to make of or how to classify this beer. Cocoa, a solid fullness and distant raspberries all combine for a layered array of flavors, but also tend to keep to themselves and never fully integrate.
Appearance
The beer pours a very dark cola brown in color with a smallish cap of brown foam.
Aroma
Loads of cocoa and soft raspberries lead the way with a touch of roast coffee and distant char.
Taste
Is this an old ale or slightly-too-thin stout? It’s hard to say. There is a ton of robust roasty notes from start to finish and plenty of cocoa, coffee, distant raspberry and a touch of caramel. A good bit of sweetness and late forming bitterness do battle before fading slowly through the lingering, softly warming finish.
Overall
I can sort of see where Elder Gods Ale was supposed to go, but it’s still not quite melding well enough as of yet. The bottle was vintage dated to read just 2014 (I drank it on April 30th of this year), but perhaps it needs more time in the bottle for those flavors to fully integrate.
Rating: 3.75/5
