Rhinelander Mystical Jack Traditional Ale

Named after the mythical jackalope, this beer comes from the midwest's Mecca of beer, Wisconsin. It comes from Monroe, so it's not from the heart of midwest brewing, Milwaukee, but it can claim some beer lovers around itself. The 7% ABV is high for a beer, but it is certainly not high compared to most of the beers I've had lately.

There is substantial head on this one. It froths its way out of the bottle as soon as you open it, and I'm not sure it ever really settles. Eventually, it starts to lose its energy to stay afloat and leaves heavy, heavy lacing on the sides of the glass. It is so strong and wonderful that I'm thinking about making it into a wallpaper for my guest room. The color is a deep mahogany (almost black). The aroma is strong - malty, smoky and nutty.

The first sip is smoke and mirrors. Well, maybe not mirrors, but it has a noticeable metallic taste along with a bit of nuts and raisins, and this makes it a very interesting beer. The label calling it a "traditional ale" didn't prepare my mouth for the complexity that this is giving it. It reminds me a lot of a better version of Dragons Milk.

Between the sip and the gulp, I've been distracted by dogs and life, so the beer has been allowed to sit and gain a bit of warmth. I'm going to try a good swig. Tip-in is bitter and smoky. Carbonation is relatively light, considering how much cascaded out of the bottle in the first place. The middle is the raisin and nuts with a bit of tanginess. The finish is a few short waves of bitterness and an earthy grain that settles everything down very nicely.

Bottom Line: An excellent beer with a good mixture of deliciousness and mild background malt.

4.25/5