The beer pours a hazy gold with a moderately tall, frothy, off-white head. Good foam retention. A good looking hazyboi even if the end of the pour introduces visible particles in the glass.
Aroma 17/24
Medium-strong intensity with balance towards hops. The aroma is fragrant, fruity, and somewhat sharp.
American hop character dominates with some fresh yeast (almost cheesy but not quite) popping up here and there. Some signs of yeast stress. Low pale malt at the back and a splash of alcohol. Overall good aroma.
Flavour 33/40
Strong intensity with good balance and assertive perceived bitterness.
The flavour highlights American hop notes with a splash of alcohol, supportive pale malt, and mild esters. Some saltiness comes through as well.
Mouthfeel 9/10
Medium body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp yet mouth-coating with restrained alcohol warming and an off-dry finish. No astringency or harshness on the palate even if the impact is heavy. Excellent.
Overall 14/20
Overall, 5e Baron’s Boombox is a good DIPA with plenty of flavour and decent drinkability.
There are issues across the board with visible particles making it into the glass, the aroma having a fresh yeast character, and the flavour featuring too much salt. With so much competition in the category, I’d likely pick another DIPA to quench my thirst for hops.
From a 473ml can served at cellar temperature at 10 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Canned on 26/09/23 – making this over 5 weeks old.
I picked up the can from a local specialty shop a bit over a week ago. It’s been a while since I bought beers from the brewery – I feel like the value’s been missing compared to many other breweries.
I really like 5e Baron, however, I’ve experienced inconsistencies with them that have me picking up other breweries when it comes down to certain constraints. The date and style had a lot to do with why Thomas ended up in the breview queue. I’m excited to try this even if I’m managing my expectations.
Appearance 6/6
The beer pours a brilliant deep gold with 4cm of fluffy, creamy, off-white head which dissipates into a craggy cap within 3+ minutes. Good lacing and head retention. An attractive beer.
Aroma 16/24
Medium-strong intensity with good balance. The aroma is balanced and interesting with quite a bit of character – yet I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it.
Notable pome fruit esters and a decent dose of perfumy alcohol (mild fusels). The phenols meld in but have a slightly medicinal Band-Aid note. Pleasant breakfast cereal malt (wheat-like) rounds out edges while quite a bit of hop character comes through with an earthy, herbal, tea-like quality.
The dry nose is nuanced and quite grainy with a little bit of phenols, alcohol, and herbs. There’s a lack of harmony in the aroma.
Flavour 30/40
Strong intensity with decent balance and assertive perceived bitterness.
The colourful palate opens up with notes of pome fruit (apples), herbs (black tea), alcohol, and mild honey – transitioning towards a sharp center with piercing alcohol character, loads of herbal-woody hops, apple skin, and competing phenols (spicy + medicinal).
The long finish is strong and bitter-ish with notes of herbal hops, grainy-crackery (breakfast cereal) malt, some candi sugar, and mild pome fruit.
Mouthfeel 9/10
Medium body with high carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp and mouth-coating with a mild edge, restrained alcohol warming, and a medium-dry finish. Mild astringency with no actual harshness on the palate.
Overall 14/20
5e Baron’s Thomas lands somewhere in the average territory.
Beautiful appearance with lovely colour and clarity as well as respectable foam attributes. For the style of beer, even more head with longer retention is possible. The aroma has quite a bit of character and complexity but it doesn’t quite come together as a unit. The alcohol has a suggestion of fusels while the phenols have a bit of a medicinal tone. A mild glue-like quality comes through every now and then. On the palate, the beer packs quite a punch – which I enjoy. However, the hop character really dominates while the yeast doesn’t synchronize well and the malt is ultimately overshadowed by the other ingredients. The mouthfeel is rather nice and matches the intensity very well.
Overall, Thomas is a decent beer with lot’s of character and an interesting personality. There’s a lack of harmony between the ingredients and mild off-notes diminish the drinking experience. With small tweaks this could be a really good beer. There’s no question I’d pick up Unibroue’s Fin du Monde or Don Dieu over this. At the same time I appreciate the effort and I could regularly drink this if the price was low. If you’re curious, go ahead and try this. If you’re looking for something great, I’d look elsewhere.
From a 473ml can served cool at 9 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Canned on 14/10/20 – making this about three weeks old.
I picked up the beer straight from the brewery just over a week ago.
We’re back to IPA’s from yesterday’s stout – given the breweries involved in this beer, my expectations are high.
Appearance 6/6
The beer pours a hazy pale gold with 4.5cm of moderately dense, creamy, white head which dissipates into a solid cap within 3+ minutes. Great lacing with good head retention. Excellent.
Aroma 22/24
Medium-strong intensity with great balance. The aroma is layered and restrained with a beautiful hop-character.
Sweet orange and gooseberries at the front provide a gentle sweetness and a sense of intrigue which is cut by mild lemon and resin. Moderate peachy quality and low passion fruit add complexity. No grassy notes.
The dry nose is light with a fruity elegance. Exquisite.
Flavour 38/40
Strong intensity with great balance and moderate perceived bitterness.
The juicy palate opens up with notes of sweet orange, gooseberries, and peaches making way for a delicious center where a subtle citrusy bite, juicy stone fruit, low woody hops, white grapes, and a dash of minerals come together harmoniously.
The medium-length finish is balanced and of moderate strength with notes of sweet orange, peaches, hints of lime, low minerals, and grainy-crackery malt. Exceptional.
Mouthfeel 10/10
Medium-full body with moderate carbonation. The mouthfeel is creamy yet crisp with restrained alcohol warming and an off-dry finish. Very mild hop-derived astringency with no actual harshness on the palate. Excellent.
The appearance really stands out with substantial haze through which light can pass creating a beautiful shine. The aroma is nuanced and intriguing and the palate follows exceptionally well. The mouthfeel is creamy and full yet maintaining high drinkability.
This beer goes down way easier than any 8% ABV beer should – danger zone (I’m lucky I only have one can). This one surpasses my expectations by being a must-try if you’re a beer geek. Highly recommended.
My compliments to both 5e Baron and Bas-Canada; here the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Beerfection 