Still unable to find a suitable choice for the theme, it'll be as close as we can get again this week for the final installment of what is supposed to be Winter Warmer Wednesday. Something like a barleywine style ale should do the trick. It'll definitely warm things up in the throat with each sip, that's for certain. Plus, there's a picture of the abominable snowman on the label. Nothing says winter like a bumble!
From here in PA, Stoudts Brewing Company brings an English Barleywine to the table tonight which is 8.5% ABV. Old Abominable Barleywine is a tad light from what I'm used to from a barleywine ale, but is still well within the guidelines for the style which ranges anywhere from 8-12% ABV.
Something easily found locally, at least as the distributors I frequent, Stoudts produces a wide variety of beers that suit my taste. Scarlet Lady, Fat Dog Imperial Oatmeal Stout, and their Double IPA are all safe selections for me. I haven't had any of those lately, and maybe after tonight, it'll be time to revisit a few of those next time I'm throwing together a mix-a-six.
Tonight's selection, which came from my case club, poured a very nice caramel brown color with a beige head at the top of my splinter glass. Pretty standard aroma here in a sweet caramel malt. The first sip surprised me when I got a mouthful of mild spices, a la a winter warmer. Cinnamon and a slight clove brushed the palate first followed by rum soaked raisins, caramel malts and even a slightly sour green apple flavor, oddly enough. The beer definitely warmed things up and finished relatively dry on the palate with another touch of slight cinnamon.
For the final WWW post (or the closest I could come) of the year, this beer rounded out the theme pretty well. It's not something that knocks you down after drinking it like other barleywine beers, but still has the flavors that you'd expect from the style. The apple still throws me for a loop, but it works for my taste buds! Grab one and enjoy the last few days before Christmas!
No comments:
Post a Comment