Deschutes website: "Deschutes Brewery and Hair of The Dog Brewing Company join forces to
weave The Dissident and The Stoic and Fred and Adam into an artistic
collage of cask-aging alchemy. Damn, beer is fun.
Barrel Aging: Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak
Twelve-ounce bottles available in limited quantities starting May 15, 2012."
This is categorized as an "American Strong Ale" at 11.2% ABV. ASA is kind of a catch-all category for higher ABV beers that don't belong to a particular style, and that is definitely the case here, since this is a blend of 4 different beers of a few different styles. Deschutes' beers, The Dissident and The Stoic are a flanders brown and Belgian-style quad, respectively; Hair of the Dog's Adam is an old ale, and Fred is itself an ASA. I haven't had Fred, so I can't elaborate any further on what it is like. Nonetheless, the point is that all of these different beers have been blended together and aged to create Collage.
Appearance: Dark copper, fairly clear, with a somewhat reddish hue. Not much head, and no lacing or foam layer on top of the beer.
Smell: Strong scents of vanilla, sour cherry, and oak, with lesser hints of brown sugar, leather, and floral notes.
Taste: The Dissident seems pretty dominant at first, contributing major sour fruit notes. Then, though, many other flavors come into play, and the pinot noir barrels in particular lend the beer their characteristic tannin and oak flavors. I also taste maple and brown sugar, which contrast nicely with the upfront sour flavors. Honestly, this is a beer that is so complex that I am almost at a loss as to how to fully review it. There are so many flavors here, and those flavors mingle with each other so seamlessly that it's diffuclt for me to actually pick them all out individually. It's really unlike any beer I've ever had.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, very low in carbonation, with a moderately dry finish.
Overall: This is a very special, delicious beer that, again, if it weren't for the price (it's about $13 for a 12oz bottle) I'd want to grab tons of it. I highly recommend trying it if you see it, though, as it's unquestionably worth purchasing at least one bottle. The flavors are unique and expertly balanced and blended, and even with its higher ABV, it doesn't drink hot or heavy. Great beer.
5/5
Barrel Aging: Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Sherry, Pinot Noir, Bourbon, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak
Twelve-ounce bottles available in limited quantities starting May 15, 2012."
This is categorized as an "American Strong Ale" at 11.2% ABV. ASA is kind of a catch-all category for higher ABV beers that don't belong to a particular style, and that is definitely the case here, since this is a blend of 4 different beers of a few different styles. Deschutes' beers, The Dissident and The Stoic are a flanders brown and Belgian-style quad, respectively; Hair of the Dog's Adam is an old ale, and Fred is itself an ASA. I haven't had Fred, so I can't elaborate any further on what it is like. Nonetheless, the point is that all of these different beers have been blended together and aged to create Collage.
Appearance: Dark copper, fairly clear, with a somewhat reddish hue. Not much head, and no lacing or foam layer on top of the beer.
Smell: Strong scents of vanilla, sour cherry, and oak, with lesser hints of brown sugar, leather, and floral notes.
Taste: The Dissident seems pretty dominant at first, contributing major sour fruit notes. Then, though, many other flavors come into play, and the pinot noir barrels in particular lend the beer their characteristic tannin and oak flavors. I also taste maple and brown sugar, which contrast nicely with the upfront sour flavors. Honestly, this is a beer that is so complex that I am almost at a loss as to how to fully review it. There are so many flavors here, and those flavors mingle with each other so seamlessly that it's diffuclt for me to actually pick them all out individually. It's really unlike any beer I've ever had.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, very low in carbonation, with a moderately dry finish.
Overall: This is a very special, delicious beer that, again, if it weren't for the price (it's about $13 for a 12oz bottle) I'd want to grab tons of it. I highly recommend trying it if you see it, though, as it's unquestionably worth purchasing at least one bottle. The flavors are unique and expertly balanced and blended, and even with its higher ABV, it doesn't drink hot or heavy. Great beer.
5/5
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