We. Got. Pummeled.
So, almost everyone drank. And what do you drink in a big, bad storm? Why, a big, bad beer of course! (I could only muscle down so much before I ran off to frolic in the snow with some other wicked cool beer people that live just down the street from me) But here are the monsters I enjoyed.
Mystic Brewery - Descendant Suffolk Dark Ale - aged in "premium bourbon barrels" (aka they don't wanna tell us who.. boooooo)
a 7.0% ABV blend of a dry Irish Stout and English Porter. Bottled/released approximately a year ago, I felt this is the time to open this sucker up. Not a huge beer, per se, but bourbon barrel aged... well slap me silly! Personally, I don't like bourbon, but the aged beers is another story altogether. Used motor oil-esque pour with a surprising off-white head, the roasty notes float up with just a hint of caramel-y bourbon on the nose.. subtle coffee and vanilla notes as well. It's a bit thicker than you'd expect a 7% brew with great malt tones. Rich toffee, caramel, molasses and brown sugar with rich brown bread and nutty tones. There's coffee, vanilla, spices, dark fruit.. it's a tad sweet and drying at the same time. Finally at the finish comes the fantastic boozy bourbon notes. Again, I'm not a far of the spirit, but wow does this work great here! It's doesn't overpower, it actually compliments all the other aspects so so well. The two styles work great together and I imagine this would only get better with even more age. Huge in taste, but could easily slug back the entire 750ml in short work (and I did!)
- - 9 Hops
Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot Barleywine style Ale (2013)
Happy 30th Birthday, Bigfoot! Yep, this legendary beast and seasonal favorite was first brewed back in 1983! Boom shakalaka. a 9.0% ABV 60 IBU Barleywine 'style' ale. Probably style because it's wayyy hoppier than most barleywines.. as you'll learn. Amber-brown with a minimal head, there's an interesting resin/piney/caramel note coming through here. Touches of port, vanilla and maple syrup. It's slick, yet light and scarily easy to drink. There's the hop character carrying over from the nose with citrus and pine, followed out by thick malts - caramel, biscuits and syrup. Touches of caramel, cherries, honey and of course the booze! A slightly bitter, drying finish.. this isn't your typical barleywine, but damn is it good! The alcohol is high, but very well-hidden. It was far too easy to crush this before heading out into the storm for shenanigans!
- - 9 Hops!
No comments:
Post a Comment